A fire broke out at the Wilton Wings restaurant in downtown Fort Lauderdale Wednesday morning, forcing the evacuation of the building that includes the iconic Gateway theater.
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue responded to the building in the 1800 block of East Sunrise Boulevard a little before 9 a.m., according to Battalion Chief Greg May, where they encountered heavy smoke.
The fire was contained to Wilton Wings Bar and Kitchen, May said, but some smoke traveled into the The Classic Gateway Theater next door, as well as Theos Estiatorio, a Greek restaurant. Both share the building with Wilton Wings.
The entire building was evacuated Wednesday, May said, though he didn’t know how many people were there at the time. No one was injured.
The Gateway theater, long one of South Florida’s most popular art-house cinemas, opened in 1951 and gained national recognition as the site of the 1960 world premiere of the filmed-in-Fort-Lauderdale Spring Break romp “Where the Boys Are.”
Outside the theater on Wednesday afternoon, operator Armand Daiguillon said the Gateway was not directly damaged by the flames, suffering only smoke infiltration and minor flooding that leaked into the lobby during efforts to put out the restaurant fire.
The fire came nearly a year to the day after Daiguillon’s Tamarac-based Paradigm Cinemas took over operations of the theater from the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
“The fire did not cross the barrier between the two facilities. I’m just thankful, because it could have been a lot worse,” he said.
The odor of smoke hung in the air for blocks around the center, and at Daiguillon’s feet were piles of shattered glass where firefighters had smashed through a lobby door, which was being repaired as he spoke.
He said fire officials told him that reopening the theater would require an inspection, including the electrical system, a process that could take weeks.
Wilton Wings, meanwhile, will likely need a complete “overhaul,” said Ted Moses, the property manager for the building.
The restaurant’s owner, Gary Bouvier, said that he was waiting for inspectors to assess the damage. The fire started in the attic, he said.
“… it’s just crazy timing, because we just opened,” he added in a text. “No one was hurt. It was an early Wednesday AM fire and not many people were there. Wilton Wings will always survive. This spot will be fixed.”
Bouvier added the restaurant would remain closed until the fire damage can be repaired, but he hasn’t yet shared a timeline.
The Fort Lauderdale Fire Marshall is investigating the cause of the fire.
