A fight over hot dogs led to the closure of Van Houten Avenue in Clifton on Thursday night. The altercation involved the owners of Jumbo’s Italian Ices and The Original Jumbos, both of which sell hot dogs.
The feud between the owners has been going on for two years since The Original Jumbos opened across the street from Jumbo’s Italian Ices. Recent tensions escalated after The Original Jumbos owner asked Jumbo’s Italian Ices to remove their Sabrett hot dog sign, claiming exclusivity on the name due to making hot dog carts for the Sabrett hot dog company. This situation reached a boiling point when The Original Jumbos owner began videotaping Jumbo’s Italian Ices from the street, intending to gather evidence for a legal battle over the name Jumbo on their store.
The ambulance squad responded to treat two individuals for minor injuries at the scene, but they both declined transportation to a hospital. Police confirmed that the fight was a result of an ongoing business dispute that had escalated from a verbal disagreement to a physical altercation. The owners of Jumbo Italian Ices were said to have come out when they saw The Original Jumbos owner recording their business, which led to the fight.
Despite no arrests were made and no charges were filed against any of the parties involved, all parties were referred to court for potential complaint signing according to Lt. Robert Anderson, public information officer for Clifton police department.