DeLand’s Hatters Restaurant and Sports Bar finds its footing after Grant Bly House fire

DELAND -- When Ben Mireles saw the flames of fire consume the old Grant Bly House, a property he'd worked on for several months and invested thousands into, it was hard to see the future through the smoke of the tragedy.

But during a grand reopening this month of Hatters Restaurant and Sports Bar, Mireles couldn't help but smile as he watched his 4-year-old son and a few dozen guests enjoy the games, indoors and outdoors, and food that Hatters offers.

"I want people to realize, I'm not just here to build a business," Mireles said. "I'm here to build a community."

The atmosphere during the June 20 ribbon cutting, held by the DeLand Area Chamber of Commerce and Orange City Alliance, stood in stark contrast to what Mireles found at 842 E. New York Ave. on the night of Oct. 1.

Mireles recalled receiving a phone call from the employee who was working as security about the building being on fire. Mireles, who lives in DeLand, nearly chocked up the call to the employee's unique sense of humor, but he decided to drive over to be safe.

Firefighters were battling the blaze when the business owner arrived at the scene.

Mireles, who did yet have insurance on the building, said he spent about a week crying over what he lost in the fire, believed to have been sparked by lightning.

The original Victorian Grant Bly House, built in the late 1800s, couldn't be salvaged, but Mireles found a way to restore his dream in the adjacent building, constructed in 1993, that didn't sustain damage in the fire.

During the chamber event, guests enjoyed wine and beer -- Hatters doesn't sell liquor because Mireles wanted a family-friendly establishment -- and air-fried chicken wings tossed in homemade sauces.

"It's always a pleasure to welcome a new business to the community," Mayor Bob Apgar said. "You started with some hardship with the fire and a few others things, but it's nice to see a building that had been long vacant restored to life."

Before Mireles entered the picture, the Grant Bly House was an event venue and catering business.

The Hatters menu offers several more food options, but the wings, which are all you can eat for $17 daily, are the highlight. Hatters also offers free food delivery.

Some of the games available indoors include a couple of pool tables and dart boards, Ms. Pac-Man, Golden Tee Golf, a Plush Bus claw machine and more. Outside, there's bocci ball, corn hole, horseshoes, ring toss, tic-tac-toe and places to sit.

Mireles also tries to have something going on each day of the week. Pool leagues are Monday and Wednesday, karaoke is on Tuesday and Thursday, and Friday through Saturday there's a DJ and/or live music.

Hatters is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday, from 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Starting on Monday, Hatters also will open for lunch.

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