Fire destroys Hamilton Hoops and Scoops ice-cream and donut shop

A fire damaged popular Hamilton ice cream and donut shop Hoops & Scoops earlier this morning. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Instead of smelling freshly made donuts on the way to work, some Hamilton East residents and business owners awoke to the scent of acrid smoke and the sight of several fire engines.

Fire and Emergency Services responded to a structural fire that caused a meltdown at popular ice cream and donut shop Hoops & Scoops at in Te Aroha Street early this morning.

A Fire and Emergency services spokesperson said three appliances attended after a 111 call was made around 5.20am.

The fire gutted the inside of the shop, with damage being seen across the ceiling and roof and furniture and appliances looking scorched.

Furniture and appliances were scorched and empty frames could be seen where windows once were. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

Several empty frames could be seen where windows once were and the glass of other windows was stained brown.

In a statement on their Instagram page, Hoops & Scoops said they were “saddened” by the incident, but optimistic about the future.

“We wanted to express our sincere gratitude to the member of the public that raised the alarm when they did. Their actions saved the building from even further damage.

“We understand this incident will impact our small business in many ways and this will take time... We want to assure you we are working on contacting those who had pre-orders with us to offer solutions.”

The Hoops & Scoops Te Awamutu Store and Food Trucks continue to operate.

The Waikato Herald understands that the pilates studio Body Reform next door to Hoops & Scoops has been closed until further notice due to the fire and another neighbour, charitable trust Raukura Hauora O Tainui, suffered water damage.

It is understood no one was harmed during the incident.

The owners of a nearby dairy and laundromat said most business owners in the area usually open later in the day, so people arrived to the sight of fire engines and the strong scent of smoke that was still around several hours after the fire was extinguished.