By Edward Lander

An early-morning fire at Zanzibar Tavern closed a portion of Yonge Street near campus on Aug. 16.

Crews responded to reports of thick black smoke coming from the roof around 6 a.m.

In a phone interview with The Eyeopener, Toronto Fire Services (TFS) said the bulk of the fire was extinguished as of 10:30 a.m.

Crews remained on scene on scene throughout the day to check for any hot spots, according to a spokesperson for TFS. 

In a post on X at 7:58 a.m., TFS wrote, “Crews are actively fighting fire with areas of the structure now deemed compromised.”

During the blaze, the university issued a TMU Safe Alert advising students to avoid the area. The Student Learning Centre was also evacuated as a precaution. The alert was lifted at 10:58 a.m.

TFS told The Eye their investigations team has been engaged to determine the cause of the fire. 

They also confirmed nobody was injured in the blaze. 

Talen Tsigaris, a second-year global management studies student, was on campus at the time of the blaze. He said the response from TFS and police was so intense, he initially believed the SLC was on fire. “I was just relieved that it wasn’t campus and that no one was injured,” he said.

According to the club’s website, Zanzibar Tavern first opened in 1949 as a restaurant. The business was purchased by real estate mogul David Cooper in 1960 who transformed it into an adult entertainment venue. Cooper died in 2019. 

The club’s current owner, Allen Cooper, told CBC he plans on reopening the business after repairs are made. He said the establishment has 30 employees and sees as many as 200 dancers each week. 

The Eye reached out to Zanzibar for comment, but did not recieve a reply in time for publication.

Zanzibar is known by many students for its neon signage and gold-plated facade. The club celebrated its 75-year anniversary in 2024. 

In a statement posted on social media, Toronto Centre councillor Chris Moise commended TFS’ efforts. He also said he’d be reaching out to the club’s owners to, “offer any assistance that we can following this tragic incident.”

This story was updated on Aug. 19.