Cedric Hosy, owner of Chocolatine on East Main Street, said the bakery’s departure was not voluntary and that he had fought to reopen following the June fire.
The fire broke out at neighboring Cafe Crevier just before 1 a.m. in early June, spreading flames and smoke into Chocolatine, as previously reported by Daily Voice. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the cause.
Both businesses announced they would remain closed until further notice. Hosy now says the fire was only the beginning of Chocolatine’s troubles.
“The fire displaced our business. What followed was a deeply troubling dispute with our landlords… over our lease and our right to return. We disputed the lease termination and wanted to reopen there,” Hosy said.
The former Chocolatine space is now being taken over by Nick Conforti, a former partner at Cafe Crevier and owner of Angeloni’s Pizzeria, Hosy said.
Conforti owns Angeloni’s Pizzeria at 6 Brookside Ave. in Caldwell, a family-owned restaurant known for its signature “Thinny Thin” pizza. The pizzeria has built a sizable social media following, with more than 35,000 Instagram followers, and also lists a Sparta location. The restaurant has also earned an 8.8 rating from Dave Portnoy’s One Bite pizza review platform.
The claims concerning the lease dispute and the circumstances of Chocolatine’s departure have not been independently verified. The landlords’ and Conforti’s responses were not included in the statement.
Hosy, a native of France with more than 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, trained in baking and pastry arts in Lyon, France, according to his bio on the shop’s website. He also worked in France, Australia, and Switzerland before settling in the United States. Chocolatine has operated in both Denville and Morris Plains. The Morris Plains location appears to remain open and is located at 690 Speedwell Ave.
“After years of hard work building Chocolatine and serving this community, this has been deeply painful,” Hosy said. Our departure was not voluntary. “Thank you to everyone who continues to stand by us. Your support means so much to us.”
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