Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 1-5-18

Local
Jazz House Changes Name And Location
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
A new year means new digs, a new name, and a new vibe for the nightclub formerly known as Ybor City Jazz House.
The popular three-level entertainment hub located in the heart of Seventh Av- enue remains in Tampa, but has moved to a larger space on Adamo Drive.
It’s also renamed as the Jazz House Supper Club and has added a full restaurant and will serve lunch and dinner, as well as a weekend brunch.
Owner Eric Fleming is celebrating the transi- tion with a Grand Opening weekend that starts today.
After three years of op- erating in the historical district, the Jazz House had outgrown its location and a move to a bigger space was necessary, Fleming said.
But trying to stay in the same area presented chal- lenges.
“What I needed wasn’t available in Ybor,” he said. Fleming said he wanted to keep the lively atmosphere that patrons had come to love. But rather than keep every- thing the same, he decided to kick things up a few notches and re-imagine the party venue as a supper
club.
Supper clubs harken
back to a bygone era when nightspots drew top bands, high society, and high fashion. There’s nothing similar in the area, making it easy to offer a nightlife attraction that’s a combi- nation of nightclub and restaurant, Fleming said.
“A supper club is more mature,” he said. “You can dress up very nice and enjoy yourself.”
The change up is ex- actly in line with what Jazz House patrons have come to expect, said Crystal Hill-Murray, the club’s marketing director.
“We’re already not a regular nightclub,” she said.
The new location fea- tures a piano bar and out- side patio area, making it ideal for hosting a variety of events, Fleming said.
As owner, Fleming’s experienced plenty of highs at the Ybor location, including the launch of the Tampa Bay SoulFest, a concert that featured R&B crooners Brian McK- night, Johnny Gill, and Al B. Sure.
There’s also been some lows, including losing thousands of dollars when the structure next door caught fire and forced the Jazz House to close for several days.
But Fleming’s bounced back strongly and said he’s ready for this lat- est adventure.
Patrons are looking for a place where they can dress up, but still dance their shoes off, Fleming said.
“My job is to give it to them,” he said.
If You Go
The Grand Opening Weekend at the Jazz House Supper Club, 9931 E. Adamo Drive, kicks off with a comedy show fea- turing Jammin’ Jay La- mont. Drink and food specials will be available.
For more information, visit www.jazzhousesup- perclub.com.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2018