A Fort Lauderdale business owner is speaking out after his bars were trashed last month. NBC6’s Niko Clemmons reports
Two Fort Lauderdale businesses were ransacked and trashed last month, with the damage and money stolen estimated to be $75,000.
"It just seems senseless,” said Ivan Flowers, the owner of The Brass Tap and Unit B Speakeasy on North Federal Highway.
Flowers called the March 23 incident a crime of time and chance.
"It was personal it seems for me, they hit me very personally,” he said.
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Flowers took over as the owner of Brass Tap and Unit B last July. He stays busy, considering he also owns a Brass Tap in Rocklin, California, so he flies back and forth often. When he landed back in South Florida two weeks ago, he had several missed calls.
"Mom, dad, Fort Lauderdale PD, my bar manager, my partner Donnette,” Flowers said. "They said the place has been vandalized. I'm like, 'no, tell me this is a joke, is this a prank?' And they were like, 'no.'"
Local
It wasn't a prank.
Beer taps were left running, hundreds of bottles were busted, his office was trashed, $500 in the cash registers was gone, televisions were smashed and furniture was slashed.
The police report said Fort Lauderdale Police brought in fire rescue because several gas burners were left running.
"It was just mayhem,” Flowers said. “It was destruction, useless, senseless destruction."
Flowers said despite the damage, they didn't stay closed for long.
"My team, all my employees we came together and said, let's clean this up, and probably about six days later, we are open,” Flowers said.
Both businesses are back open. It's still not where they were at before, but Flowers is staying positive.
"Nothing a little duct tape can't conceal, there's a lot of duct tape around here,” Flowers said.
He said he doesn't know who would want to destroy his businesses. But he has a message for whoever is responsible.
"Relax, have a drink, listen to some Sinatra and get to know yourself a little bit better,” Flowers said. “I’m not going to fold, let's do it, so we’re bouncing back, and here we are."
Unfortunately, surveillance cameras inside the business were not recording that morning, Flowers said. The police report said one of the employees found the side door slightly open and unlocked.
You can help the business here.
