Coffee shop pushes back opening day because of Broadway Theatre fire

Speakeasy Coffee Co. sustained damage and set back its opening by a few weeks because of the fire Wednesday that damaged the former Broadway Theatre building in Cape Girardeau.

Suzanne Hightower — CEO, owner and creator of Speakeasy Coffee, 811 Broadway — said Monday the building she is renovating to become the coffee shop next to the former theater received water damage, had drywall ruined and a smell of smoke is still in the air because of the fire.

She said they have to let the ceiling dry out and fix some things on the roof before putting more drywall up, and work on the building is not allowed until the Broadway Theatre building is stabilized.

Hightower said she is also the president of local not-for-profit Cape Broadway Theatre, which is “trying to save the theater.”

In previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian, Hightower said the not-for-profit still hopes to renovate the theater and started their fundraising efforts to do so today.

The Speakeasy Coffee Co. now plans to open in early June, according to Hightower.