BackStreets Sports Bar to mark 30th anniversary with block party
If you frequent the South Cape and its many bars and eateries, chances are you’ve walked through the door at BackStreets Sports Bar.
Nestled along Southeast 47th Terrace, BackStreets has been a staple in the city now for three decades. And it’s time to celebrate.
BackStreets Sports Bar will host its 30th Anniversary Block Party this Saturday from 3 to 10 p.m., featuring an evening full of live entertainment, top-notch food trucks, and top-shelf spirits and drinks.
This free and open-to-the-public party marks a milestone year for BackStreets, where multitudes of locals and visitors alike have made friends and memories.
Shelly Walton, owner of BackStreets since it all began in 1995, said she couldn’t ignore the achievement and wanted to do something special for the community, the bar’s patrons, and all that make the longstanding spot what it is today.
“I just felt that 30 (years) felt special,” Walton said. “Three decades just hit me hard.”
The BackStreets Block Party lineup features classic local bands that have played at the venue time and time again, as well as some new faces. The day will include performances by “DJ Mad Mel,” “Red Hannah,” “Deep Cover,” “Two Looping Vibes,” “Timothy Craig,” and “Rock Republic.”
“I was pretty impressed by them, so I wanted them to finish the show,” Walton said of “Rock Republic.”
Having opened in the mid ’90s, Walton said there were some tough times in the beginning, with the South Cape a shell of what it looks like today.
“People thought I was crazy to open up there,” she said. “I told them, ‘Well I’m going to open up and I’m going to make something there.'”
The building BackStreets is in was for sale, but Walton didn’t have the funds at the time to purchase.
“All I had was good credit,” she said. “So, I decided that I was going to buy a job for myself, and I was going to open this place up. They agreed, and I guess I talked them into it. I got lucky.”
Walton said a close friend also helped her purchase the building, which had a $50,000 down payment. She said she was eventually able to pay that friend back in full.
Naturally, a lot has happened over 30 years in business in a then-budding city. From economic instability, to natural disasters, to a pandemic, Walton has seen it all.
“I wanted to be a bar owner, and I ended up being a weather man, (a doctor), and a contractor,” she said. “My team is looking at me for guidance for each event.”
One of the biggest changes for Walton and BackStreets was the arrival of major hurricanes, including Irma and especially Ian. Instead of riding out the storm and even having “hurricane parties,” the tune changed with the devastation brought on by a near Category 5 storm.
“After Ian, it was a totally different ballgame,” Walton said. “(Staff) are nervous and want to go home and board up their houses. We don’t stay open and have hurricane parties. We put our flood panels up and we pray that it turns and we shut down. Before we used to just ride through it.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented for the entire world, and certainly businesses in the food and beverage industry.
“There was no one to lead, no one to tell us (anything),” Walton said. “We’re just hearing pandemic and we want all of our people to be safe, so we just closed down.”
BackStreets did eventually reopen, but nothing without worry from staff.
“They were nervous, scared, and as much as they said they wanted to work, they were concerned with working and taking something home to a family member, or not being able to see an elderly family member, or their child, or someone with a weak immune system. So we closed down again.
“It’s just been rough navigating those waters.”
Walton said when the Streetscape project downtown completed, and more business leaders opened up shop in the area, the South Cape started to boom.
The South Cape Hospitality and Entertainment Association, of which Walton is a part, also began doing monthly events to bring even more attention to the historic downtown area.
“Cape Coral was considered taboo,” Walton said. “But when (established business owners) decided to come to the Cape, it was like, ‘thank you, we’re not taboo anymore.'”
Walton said since the beginning, BackStreets has always been a place for all walks of like.
“You can be wearing a $5,000 suit, or a tank top and shorts,” Walton said. “All are welcome in my restaurant.
“From older people to younger people, we have all jived in this, and I’ve always been pretty proud of that. If you come in my bar and don’t treat my staff right… same with customers and my staff — I don’t tolerate any of it.
“Everybody feels comfortable at BackStreets. A single woman can come in and sit at the bar, and we’re going to protect her.”
At BackStreets’ Block Party, there will be a VIP exclusive experience for $100. The VIP package includes a swag bag with anniversary goodies, a BackStreets 30th anniversary T-shirt, custom drink coozies, a private VIP bar, three drink chips, access to the VIP area in front of the stage with private, air-conditioned bathrooms, and a $100 gift card to Optimal Wellness.
Food trucks on-site will include Nickel City Red Hots, and Taco Worx.
PROVIDED
“People have been coming to our place for years, and they get a good product and good service,” Walton said. “We plan on having that same good product and good service on our 30th anniversary. You’re going to see a lot of great bands. We’re going to be rocking all day, and will continue inside after.”
No blankets, chairs or outside coolers are permitted. BackStreets Sports Bar’s Anniversary Party is a 21-plus event.
BackStreets Sports Bar is at 915 Southeast 47th Terrace.
For VIP Tickets, visit eventbrite.com and search “BackStreets 30th Anniversary Block Party.”
For more information on BackStreets, visit www.backstreetssportsbar.com.
Link for VIP tickets for web copy: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/backstreets-30th-anniversary-block-party-tickets-1786281388719
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected. The $50,000 referenced is not the purchase price of the building but the down payment amount.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com