Some major changes are coming to New York City’s only remaining gay mega club, but the big question is whether or not this is an expansion effort or a sign of shrinkage for XL Nightclub.
NextMagazine.com is reporting that XL Nightclub is going to do some remodeling.
There have been a lot of rumors lately about the future of XL Nightclub, new plans for the space and changes in management at the Hell’s Kitchen venue so we decided to check in with the club’s managing partner Brandon Voss to see what changes 2013 had in store for the mega-club. Turns out, some pretty big ones are on the horizon.
“The biggest change is that we are completely renovating and re-doing the front lounge,” says Voss. “The concept is basically a gay Boom Boom Room or a gay Bungalow 8.”
The new upscale lounge will feature a full menu currently being developed by KTCHN’s head chef Dale Schnell along with bottle service and a more exclusive atmosphere. Voss compares the planned lounge to the West Village’s Pink Elephant, and reveals that famous club designer Steve Lewis will be designing the space.
“It’s going to become a separate entity, but there will be a way to get through between the two spaces,” says Voss, noting that the new lounge will be connected to XL’s current, elevated VIP area. “It will be an over-the-top, glamorous kind of deal.”
The Next Magazine article goes on to say that XL plans to make some temporary changes to revamp the entrance area into the new lounge slated to open in April. The club plans to remain open throughout the remodeling process.
In addition, XL evidently plans to start working with Live Nation, a music company that books concert-type events generally targeting a more mainstream crowd.
GaySocialites.com has contacted Voss with a few questions of our own and are awaiting a response, but we have to wonder if these changes might mean that XL is ‘straightening up’ a bit.
Voss did, however, tell Next: “We can carve out a niche in XL where we can still have that high-class, upscale, exclusive experience.”
Regardless of the target audience, this sounds like an exciting time for the folks at XL and NYC party goers
A few weeks ago, GaySocialites.com reported exclusively that with only a year under their belt, the nightclub has experienced major management changes recently as the XL founder John Blair was ousted as managing partner prior to Voss stepping into that role. We could strike that up to growing pains, or it could another sign of the evident demise in New York’s hopes of holding onto a gay mega club.
[...] Thursday, we told you that Next Magazine was reporting some changes coming to New York City’s XL Nightclub [...]