More details about the pizza shop at ground zero in the Plantation explosion

South Florida Sun Sentinel (FL)

Jul. 7--Today, it's no more than a pile of ashes and twisted metal. But the rubble of a former pizza shop may hold the answer to what caused an explosion Saturday that injured 23 people at a shopping center in Plantation.

Plantation police Sgt. Jessica Ryan said the explosion came from the former Pizzafire at 1025 South University Drive, in the Market on University shopping center, adjacent to the Fountains plaza.

Just before noon Saturday, the former restaurant blew after what authorities suspect was a gas leak. Firefighters dug through the former pizza shop's remains Saturday looking for anyone trapped in the wreckage. They found none.

Businesses immediately next door were destroyed, including a computer education center and a pediatric dental office. The shockwave blew out windows in businesses farther away and knocked fixtures from the walls.

Pizzafire opened in February 2018, according to the company's Facebook page. It closed less than a year later.

It's unclear why it shuttered its doors, but nearby business owners said rent is high and the shop was rarely busy.

Steven Schwartz, who owns ChiroCare, said the unit was originally going to be a medical office until Pizzafire's owners tore it down to build a pizza shop. He said he thought the owners were trying to lease the space to another restaurant, since it was built for one.

Amanda Buscemi, owner of the pediatric dental office Super Smiles a few doors down, said her staff went in often, but she didn't see much traffic.

"It didn't seem like they were super busy," Buscemi said, noting she met the owners when the shop first moved in.

A press release from January 2018 announced the opening of the restaurant and listed the owner of the franchise as Adam Bursztein, a licensed real estate broker.

State business filings also list Bursztein and Perla Bursztein as managers of an limited-liability company named Pizza Fire Davie Exp., which was renamed to Pizza Fire PLT.

A Facebook page of a man with the same name showed photos from May to September 2018 from inside the pizza shop and promoted pizzas of the month.

Bursztein did not respond to messages and calls Sunday. A man who identified himself as the owner's father said his son was on vacation and the shop closed in December.

The Miami-based company EDENS manages the property and listed the space as "available" on its website. A representative from the company could not be reached Saturday evening.

The fast-casual restaurant, just in front of L.A. Fitness, served pizza fired at 800 degrees, the parent company's website says.

Pizzafire lists other locations in Ohio and New Jersey.

___

Visit the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) at www.sun-sentinel.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.