According to the New York Post, rumours are swirling that the owners of Pacha in New York are in talks to take over CiRCA in Toronto.
Still in the rumour stages, but I’m sure that Toronto’s Anti-Fun Politician Adam Vaughn is just chomping at the bit wait to get his name back in the press.
But wait… isn’t there already a Pascha in Toronto?
Circa nightclub declares bankruptcy
Infighting among partners blamed for closing
By Ashante Infantry
Entertainment Reporter – Toronto Star
Circa, the mega-nightclub that was supposed to revive the entertainment district when it opened in 2007 has quietly shut its doors, informing patrons with a simple “Thank you for supporting us over the years” on its website.
“Our understanding was that it closed because a creditor petitioned the licensee into bankruptcy; so it was a business decision,” said Lisa Murray, spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
The venue which operated under the name Arena Entertainment has been closed for four weeks, but hasn’t yet surrendered its alcohol permit, because “the receiver has applied for a temporary transfer of the liquor sales licence and we have to go through a process; in the interim, liquor cannot be served or sold on the premises,” Murray said.
If a transfer is granted, the receiver could run the club on behalf of Circa to generate funds to pay off debts, estimated at $2.1 million in November when representatives were in bankruptcy court trying to restructure.
The list of creditors includes previous employees such as Orin Bristol, who managed the four-storey, 50,000-square-foot club at John St. and Richmond St. W. for its first nine months. Bristol, like many of the initial staff, left after Peter Gatien split, leaving operations in the hands of his partners Stephen Katmarian and Ari Kulidjian.
Gatien, a native of Cornwall, Ont., considered king of New York’s club scene in the 1980s, was the visionary behind the facility that took two years and more than $5 million to open.
Some of the delay included an 11-month wait for a liquor licence as a result of Gatien’s storied background, which included being deported from the U.S. in 2003 after serving time for tax evasion.
With capacity for 3,000, the venue had several high points, including performances by rappers 50 Cent and Kanye West, and being named best new club in the 2008 Club World Awards at the Winter Music Conference in Miami against spots in the Bahamas, Ohio, Miami and Las Vegas.
Insiders blame infighting, high-interest-rate loans and cutbacks in creativity after Gatien’s departure for Circa’s demise, rather than its design or location, which had previously housed a Palladium video game parlour and Lucid nightclub.
“When I left, we were doing about 1,400 to 1,500 on Friday and just under 2,000 people on Saturday,” Bristol said. “Even after Peter’s era, they drew 1,600 on a Saturday; it was still the busiest club in the downtown core.”
(NOTE: Orin moved over to the Guvernment and is now the General Manager of ALL the Ink owned venues including The Guvernment, Kool Haus, This Is London, Tattoo Rock Parlour, Dragonfly, and more)
We also saw this coming for some time, as seen HERE and HERE!
Well… looks like that time has come.
Our sources on the streets have taken their ears off the ground long enough to tell us that Circa‘s bankruptcy protection has run out and the landlord changed the locks this past Monday. The landlord has also rightfully seized all the property within and will be looking to liquidate fairly soon.
We offer $50 for the Dentist chair from the Bathroom Bar… after it’s been thoroughly disinfected, of course.
Hard times hit Toronto club district
Circa Nightclub Filing For Bankruptcy Protection
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 8, 2009 | 2:41 PM ET
CBC News
Glitzy nightclubs in Toronto’s entertainment district say they have fallen upon hard times this year as low-key party-goers head west to smaller venues.
Circa, Toronto’s largest nightclub, has confirmed to CBC News that it is filing for bankruptcy protection. Ari Kulidjian, one of Circa’s owners, said the John Street club has had problems with debt since it opened two years ago.
Other spots in the entertainment district — bounded by Queen Street West to the north, University Avenue to the east, King Street West to the south and Spadina Avenue to the west — also appear to be struggling to attract business.
“From 2008 summertime all the way up to today, the traffic in clubland has been down approximately 20 per cent per year,” said Jan Wrobel, the owner of Cabana, a club on the corner of Richmond Street West and Peter Street. “So we’re down 40 per cent over the past two years.”
Janice Solomon, the executive director of the entertainment district’s business improvement area, said people are still partying, albeit elsewhere.
“Possibly some of our larger venues aren’t as attractive — people are starting to shift back into that small, more intimate lounge environment ,as you can see with some of our neighbourhoods directly to our west,” she said.
Smaller clubs doing better
A clutch of smaller bars, lounges and clubs have popped up around the Ossington and Queen West area in the last couple of years. Owners of those businesses don’t appear to be having the same problems as their counterparts in the entertainment district.
“Generally on Fridays and Saturdays, we’ll see a lineup form at 11o’clock. And it will stay that way for three hours,” said Adam Baguely, who owns Levack Block on Ossington, near Queen West.
Baguely said smaller bars in the neighbourhood are likely cheaper than larger clubs — his bar, for example, doesn’t charge an entrance fee or for checking coats.
He also agreed with Solomon’s theory that party-goers are looking for a more intimate experience — his bar has a maximum capacity of 200 people. Circa, by comparison, can accommodate up to 2,800.
FULL STORY: HERE
Recent Comments