Janet Amores and Banana (Girls Gone Wild) Joes

This is a good place to drop general and weird news, entertainment, and general show prep material that might be interesting to air talent or producers. Hot dog threads ALWAYS welcome.

Moderators: The People's DJ, David Paleg

Post Reply
CoolBreeze
Member
Member
Posts: 1874
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:30 am

Janet Amores and Banana (Girls Gone Wild) Joes

Post by CoolBreeze »

A Charleston woman plans to open an upscale nightclub in the former Banana Joe's location at 205 Capitol St.

Janet Amores said the bar will be called Impulse and could open in time for Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican celebration on May 5.

Banana Joe's had been a source of controversy until it closed last fall after the city revoked its permit.

In July 2005, a film crew staged a "Girls Gone Wild" promotion against the wishes of residents and city officials. (although Shockley and Steve Animal had a blast) Fights often broke out in or around the club, as well as occasional shootings.

http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/+/2 ... a+new+club


I've known Janet for a long time, and she simply didn't strike me as the type to be a bar owner. (on several levels)

More over, she's friends with Virgil Sadorrah (sp) who owns the Vandalia Lounge, a nice bar that's suffered a loss of business since last winter when it was closed down for a couple of weeks or so. Now that it's starting to build back up, Janet comes along to open the old Banana Joes. There's nothing wrong with that, and I wish her well, but I was surprised at her comments that there wasn't a "safe" bar in town for women and she got tired of going to all the dangerous places... so she decided to open her own. To me, that's a backhanded slam at her old friend Virgil and his lounge. But that's their problem....

I personally think she'll do well. She's a very attractive female with a LOT of good connections due to her ex husbands political career. The crowd she's catering to is the 30s/40s yuppie bunch, and assuming she has enough sense to put the right people in the right places within her business.. ought to really bring em in.
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

whats dangerous about the blue parrot or sound factory?

sounds like a front operation to me... i wonder who her partners are going to be in this ....


banana joes wouldnt have had a problem at all if they would have had bouncers who would have been interested in stopping any potential problem before they started instead of choking customers out, punching females in the face, taking steroids, actually fighting patrons......

did anybody see the bouncer who won the 1.6 million dollar settlement against banana joe's because the staff did all the things i just mentioned?


i mean shit they were drawing 500-700 people on avg with bigger crowds on special occasions.... that place is a gold mine for a person who would just hire a good staff..... they've always had a ridiculous ass dress code and have always succeded (to a point until the bouncers run everybody off... 3 straight people had a staff do that)
AARON SCOTT
Member
Member
Posts: 262
Joined: Thu Jul 28, 2005 6:40 am
Location: Morgantown

Post by AARON SCOTT »

I used to live in charleston and when that place first opened up it was a really nice place to hang out. The dress code had to be crazy so guns couldnt be brought in under baggy jeans or baggy shirts. It was a real shame that ended up like it did.
kriss kross will make ya jump, jump
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

i guess not being able to wear a $1,000 sean john suit into the club was to keep out the guns as well too right?


what made the dress code ridiculous is the name brands that were banned.... and the subjective way that the dress code was enforced


it was proven time and time again that if i came by myself i could get in no problem... if i was with a black friend.... i didnt meet the dress code...


same with the blue parrot..... less than a month ago i went and got in...... my wife called she was at the charleston house with her cousin i went over to meet them.... came back with them and now my clothes that i had just gotten into the club in about an hour ago didnt meet the dress code..... i guess now that i had two black females with me my clothes mattered....
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

oh yeah, i thougth that the metal detectors and the pat down was to keep the guns and knives out.....



and also the your button up has to be buttoned up unless you have on flip flops and your name is Biff or your going to get yoked up by the bouncers and literally THROWN out onto the street....
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

from what i have gathered about vandalia is that nobody goes there any more because there is either a new owner or new manager (conflicting reports from the two people who talked to me about this) .... maybe thats why she doesnt care about competing against it
Sandman
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:14 am
Location: nearby...always nearby

Post by Sandman »

I'm curious about something. In your area, how many people go to the clubs? As an example...on the busiest night of the week how many people, on average, are in the most popular clubs from 9:00pm to 1:00am? Where I live the answer is "Not many". Maybe 75. If its a Sports Bar and there is a huge sporting event...the maximum capacities (couple of hundred or so) until the game is over. Other than those times, going to bars and clubs just isn't as popular as elsewhere.

How about your area?
You gotta be willing to do the time.
User avatar
Dr. Whiplash
Member
Member
Posts: 694
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2005 10:35 am

Post by Dr. Whiplash »

A front operation? At a night club in West Virginia? Surely you can't be serious! :x
CoolBreeze
Member
Member
Posts: 1874
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:30 am

Post by CoolBreeze »

304live wrote:from what i have gathered about vandalia is that nobody goes there any more because there is either a new owner or new manager (conflicting reports from the two people who talked to me about this) .... maybe thats why she doesnt care about competing against it
The Vandalia was owned/managed by two people. Now it's owned by one of them, due to some friction that I wont go into. This owner has a couple other very popular businesses in town, and as far as I know has always been thought of highly. Did the former partner somehow take the customers with him when he left? Depends. If he's now at another bar... possibly. (But I dont know where he is). I do know that at the height of the holiday season, when bars do a lot of business, the Vandalia closed for a few weeks and that left people out in the cold so to speak. They went to (among other possible places) the new 101 Capital St bar. Maybe these folks liked what they found. Maybe they felt betrayed by the closing of their old "home". Who knows?
User avatar
Zak Tyler
Lord of Boobies
Posts: 1616
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2001 3:47 pm
Location: Jackson, MS
Contact:

Post by Zak Tyler »

CoolBreeze wrote: the new 101 Capital St bar.
a little fuzzy on my charleston club geography. it's been a few years and a few more brain cells since i partied there. what used to be at this location? and where are the other bars we're talking about?
I'm not an idiot, but I play one on the radio.
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

mulligans i beleive was its old name..... same guy owns 101, the edge, sams and the japanease restaraunt right next to bar 101


in charleston..... when banana joes and its previous versions were at their peaks...... 500+ attented on the weekends....

right now.... flirts in st albans gets about 300-400 consistently on fridays... hypnotic gets 250-300 on saturdays.... sound factory gets 150 or so on the weekends upstairs....

those are the only places currently open that even have the capacity to hold more than about 125....



now in huntington... whatever club is "hot" at the moment is drawing some nights approx 1,000 patrons .... with several more in the 300 and up range... but it is a college town....

but there is a very big charleston contingent who takes that 45 minute right down there every week....
User avatar
Zak Tyler
Lord of Boobies
Posts: 1616
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2001 3:47 pm
Location: Jackson, MS
Contact:

Post by Zak Tyler »

304live wrote:mulligans i beleive was its old name..... same guy owns 101, the edge, sams and the japanease restaraunt right next to bar 101


in charleston..... when banana joes and its previous versions were at their peaks...... 500+ attented on the weekends....

right now.... flirts in st albans gets about 300-400 consistently on fridays... hypnotic gets 250-300 on saturdays.... sound factory gets 150 or so on the weekends upstairs....

those are the only places currently open that even have the capacity to hold more than about 125....



now in huntington... whatever club is "hot" at the moment is drawing some nights approx 1,000 patrons .... with several more in the 300 and up range... but it is a college town....

but there is a very big charleston contingent who takes that 45 minute right down there every week....
ok, ya, i'm familiar with Mulligan's. i'm gonna assume flirts is the old escapes or whatever name before that and before that.... since that's the only club i've ever known in St. Albans... (i should add, without poles)

i'm familiar with the edge, and the parrot. is there a club in the old spanky's building these days???
I'm not an idiot, but I play one on the radio.
Bob Campbell
Member
Member
Posts: 2232
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:13 pm
Location: Blue Heaven

Post by Bob Campbell »

Sad about Vandalia if true. That was my favorite bar in town while I was in hell...uh...working for LM. Great atmosphere, total beer selection...sofas...loads of babes...reminded me of a lot of places in Cleveburg and Pittsland.
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

st albans also has CJ's down on main street....


but flirts is the old escapes.... they totally remodeled it... added a 3rd room with another big bar in it....took out the bar in the back added a stage moved things around.... listed at about 800 with the fire marshall....

the old spanky's is sound factory.....

the parrot is remodeled as well.... i dont think it was the two seperate places it is now when you were here last...... the first floor is now all live music all week.... the upstairs has been remodeled into a much nicer non dirtbag looking place....
User avatar
Zak Tyler
Lord of Boobies
Posts: 1616
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2001 3:47 pm
Location: Jackson, MS
Contact:

Post by Zak Tyler »

304live wrote:st albans also has CJ's down on main street....


but flirts is the old escapes.... they totally remodeled it... added a 3rd room with another big bar in it....took out the bar in the back added a stage moved things around.... listed at about 800 with the fire marshall....

the old spanky's is sound factory.....

the parrot is remodeled as well.... i dont think it was the two seperate places it is now when you were here last...... the first floor is now all live music all week.... the upstairs has been remodeled into a much nicer non dirtbag looking place....
cool! i guess i'll have to make my "rounds" when i come to town this summer... i wonder how many of the same old bar flies are still hangin around? lol
I'm not an idiot, but I play one on the radio.
User avatar
fearpeddler
Member
Member
Posts: 1662
Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:27 pm

Post by fearpeddler »

dont think flirts is there anymore.. unless they're waiting on new signs..
Doesn't MSNBC stand for the Media that Spins the News for Barrack's Cabinet?



Political Correctness is always having to say you're sorry. - Me
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

they changed their name this week.... grand reopening this friday

skirts and heels party..... all women in skirts and high heels in free
CoolBreeze
Member
Member
Posts: 1874
Joined: Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:30 am

Post by CoolBreeze »

I thought this was a pretty good comment in the Daily Mail Vent Line today:

"Ms. Amores, please listen to me and listen well. A nightclub is not the kind of business for a single lady with two teen-aged children. Trust me. Been there, done that. It is a 24-7, all-consuming, never-resting, rarely sleeping, tiring, endless, thankless job. Also, history has proven that's a terrible spot to waste your money."
304live
Member
Member
Posts: 89
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 2:50 pm
Location: the lovely and historic east end
Contact:

Post by 304live »

i wonder what the rent is on that spot.....
Bob Campbell
Member
Member
Posts: 2232
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:13 pm
Location: Blue Heaven

Post by Bob Campbell »

It IS, however, a great way to score free coke and weed... not to mention bangin the waitresses.
Post Reply