Valentine’s Day weekend marked a high point for Third Wave Café & Wine Bar, which welcomed guests into its newly remodeled space — the deck reimagined, tables full, momentum unmistakable — though the celebration feels short-lived.
Just past midnight on Feb. 17, a kitchen fire abruptly dimmed what had been one of the restaurant’s strongest weekends yet, with little known regarding its cause, Third Wave Owner Nate Lundberg said.
No one was injured, according to the New Smyrna Beach Fire department.
What caused Third Wave’s fire?
“A faulty electric box is the only thing we know,” Lundberg told The News-Journal. “The fire marshal said it was no one’s fault or anything like that. It’s just one of those things. So, we don’t really have any more information on it, unfortunately,” he continued, noting the “the renovation is completely fine,” despite a predicted $200,000-$400,000 in damage to the restaurant.
“(The fire) was in the back, in the alleyway where the kitchen is,” he said. “The electric panel there, for whatever reason, something went faulty on it and it caught fire and damaged one of our walk-ins and the kitchen itself. But the addition is in perfect condition.”
It was a neighbor who first noticed the fire, Lundberg said, taking a water hose to it before calling the New Smyrna Beach Fire Department, whose “quick response” led to “minimal kitchen intrusion,” its Facebook post states.
When will Third Wave re-open in New Smyrna Beach?
Though plans are subject to change, The New Smyrna Beach restaurant hopes to re-open Friday at 11 a.m., serving a limited menu. The brand’s anticipated sister restaurant, Third Wave Smokehouse, is still on track to open Friday as well at 218 N. Orange St. in New Smyrna Beach, next door to Sugar Works Distillery.
“We’re still trying to figure out how were going to produce all this food. We have the other location, so we’re going to be cooking a lot of stuff at our new restaurant and then bringing it back over (to Third Wave). So, hopefully we can do a decent amount of volume,” Lundberg said.
Looking ahead with Third Wave Cafe & Wine Bar
With significant investments in recent renovations and its new Orange Street location, Lundberg acknowledged the restaurant was already financially extended—making the timing and impact of the early morning fire especially challenging.
“We’re going into high season and everything was looking good, but all it takes is some natural disaster, accident type of thing like this to happen, and that can set you back,” he said.
While insurance is expected to offset some costs, Third Wave is exploring additional avenues of community support as they work toward rebuilding.
“We also want to thank you, our community, for the outpouring of love we’ve already experienced,” Third Wave’s most recent Facebook post states. “Neighbors, fellow restaurant owners, and beloved customers have stepped up offering support, and it means the world to us.”
Third Wave Cafe & Wine Bar is located at 204 Flagler Ave. in New Smyrna Beach. For information, call 386-402-7864 or visit facebook.com/thirdwavensb.
This story will be updated as further information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Overnight fire breaks out at Third Wave restaurant in New Smyrna Beach
Reporting by Helena Perray, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
