A beloved Bed-Stuy bar faces an uncertain future after a fire tore through the upper floors of its building earlier this month, leaving the longtime community hub shuttered and its owners scrambling to rebuild.
Dynaco, a tavern that has served the neighborhood for 13 years, sustained extensive smoke and water damage following an early-morning fire on Jan. 10. While the flames did not directly reach the bar itself, the impact was severe enough to force the entire building to be vacated, shutting down all business and income overnight. No one was harmed in the fire.
“This is a neighborhood bar in Bed-Stuy that my brother Adam and I built 13 years ago,” said co-owner Ben Forgash. “It’s just a wonderful community-based local tavern.”
According to Forgash, the fire broke out around 5 a.m. on the third floor of the building. Dynaco, located on the first floor, escaped direct flames but was heavily affected by smoke and flooding from firefighting efforts, he said.
In the days since the fire, Forgash said the outpouring of support from neighbors, regulars and strangers alike has been overwhelming. A GoFundMe campaign launched to help cover repair costs and lost income has already raised nearly $55,000, drawing donations from locals and beyond.
“It’s been just so much incredible love in the neighborhood going around,” Forgash said. “I feel so blessed by it. It’s unbelievable.”
He added that even small, everyday interactions have underscored how deeply Dynaco is woven into the fabric of the neighborhood.
“Even walking down the street and running into people and seeing the GoFundMe, people just caring and names I don’t even know,” he said. “People are giving, it doesn’t matter how much they’re giving… they want to see us rebuild.”
Dynaco, like many small bars and restaurants, survived the COVID-19 pandemic — a fact not lost on Forgash as the community once again rallies to keep the business alive.
“That’s the only thing I can smile about right now,” he said of the support.
Despite the fundraising momentum, the road to reopening remains complicated. Forgash said insurance coverage fell far short of what the owners believed they had, making repairs “frighteningly expensive” and prompting the decision to seek public help.
“We found out that our insurance wasn’t as good as they said it was,” he said. “And it’s frightening. That’s why we started the GoFundMe, because we couldn’t believe it.”
Adding to the stress is a vacate order from the New York City Department of Buildings, which prevents any work from starting until approvals are secured — a process Forgash fears could drag on for months.
“We have a vacate order, and these things move so slowly,” he said. “Meanwhile, we don’t have any income.”
Forgash emphasized that the damage is not beyond repair and that the owners are committed to rebuilding if given the chance.
“We wanna rebuild, we’re gonna do everything we can to rebuild,” he said. “We can get in there and fix it.”
For Forgash and his brother, Dynaco is far more than a business.
“This place is more than just a business for my brother and me,” he said. “This is something we did together and always wanted to do and it means so much.”
