Fort Lauderdale bar Backyard declared total loss after early morning fire

The Backyard, a music venue and patio bar in Fort Lauderdale, is now a total loss. Fort Lauderdale Fire Department officials made that determination after an overnight fire destroyed the property early Monday morning.

Fire Chief Stephen Gollan said the blaze began at Backyard between 2:30 and 3 a.m. It quickly spread to the adjacent Poorhouse Kava bar. Firefighters arrived just before 3 a.m. and reported that no one suffered serious injuries.

City staff returned to the scene on Monday morning to investigate the cause. The venue had just finished celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its bottomless mimosa brunch that day. Staff posted videos of the celebration on Instagram, showing customers drinking and playing games. The event was scheduled to end at 3 p.m., so the fire started long after the venue was empty.

People inside Poorhouse Kava when the fire reached that building were evacuated safely, Gollan told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The dive bar serves kava, kratom, herbal teas, juices, and mocktails. It also hosts local music and open mic nights. The owners of Poorhouse did not respond to phone inquiries for comment by the time of publication.

Backyard’s management group, Damn Good Hospitality, owns and operates several other Fort Lauderdale establishments. They posted a statement on Instagram on Monday afternoon thanking police and fire officials for their quick response. The statement also thanked the community for its concern, encouragement, and support. The venue said it will be back and better than ever soon.

The block also houses Revolution Live, Stache, Sway Nightclub, and Dicey Riley’s Pub. It was unclear if those businesses were affected by the fire. Longtime customers and passersby took photos of the charred remains of Backyard on Monday morning. Some were already discussing the venue's comeback even as smoke lingered in the air.