Nightclubs Facing Long Wait To Reopen, Say Venue Experts, With 2021 Potentially The Earliest Revival Date
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Two prominent organizations devoted to nightclubs are painting a gloomy picture about taking back the night anytime soon.
Spokesmen for the Nightclub Hall of Fame and the American Nightlife Association/International Nightlife Association spoke to Las Vegas television station FOX5, and reported that shutdowns in the industry may extend to 2021, with some venues not surviving as a result.
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Although they were addressing the situation in Las Vegas, their concerns apply more broadly to venues in Los Angeles, New York and elsewhere. Such clubs as L.A. Troubadour have said they face ruin if not permitted to reopen soon.
New Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that the city’s people won’t be allowed to congregate outside their favorite bars and clubs, as they did yesterday when warm weather drove many outdoors for the first time in weeks.
“I’m not comfortable at all with people congregating outside bars,” the mayor said when asked about photos of large groups outside bars and clubs. “That violates what we’re saying about social distancing … and that puts lives in danger. So the police department will be out, the sheriff’s office will be out, watching very carefully.”
Ryan Dahlstrom of the Nightclub Hall of Fame said venues are “gone for at least the rest of this year– possibly part of next year.”
Restrictions on large gatherings will hit profits hard, he said, leading to possible venue closures. Some larger venues may have to switch over to corporate events to survive, Dahlstrom said.
“They have the footprints to rearrange their rooms. We could control the rules, before they open up. We could communicate what we are wearing–masks or no masks,” Dahlstrom said.
JC Diaz, president of the American Nightlife Association and vice president of the International Nightlife Association, said overhead continues even while revenue is at zero.
“A landowner will not take 25 percent of rent. Utility companies will not take 25 percent of the cost to operate. A venue that sells just alcohol cannot generate revenue. If they sell food, they can have some revenue,” said Diaz.
Diaz added that food and bottle service is a key, and venues may need to reinvent themselves.
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