HERE WE GO AGAIN >>>
A facelift and another name change are scheduled for the revolving door at 728 Pacific Ave. Currently Club Kokonut operates out of the space, which sits across the street from The Office Bar and Grill in downtown Tacoma. Club In General Manager Suzie Gaultier reports under building owner Thomas O'Connor's LLC Good Old Dog, Club Kokonut will become Club In - not INNightclub as its Facebook reads.
"The name on Facebook is wrong. I had to spell it differently to get a page," explains Gaultier regarding the name confusion.
As you may recall, the gay-friendly club On the Rocks operated out of the space before it briefly became Club Kokonut in the summer of 2008, followed by the Surreal Ultra Lounge in April 2010. At the end of last year, Club Kokonut re-opened in the space.
"There was too much drama," says Gaultier of Surreal.
A liquor license has been applied for under Good Old Dog LLC. The business is currently open and will see an interior overhaul up until the grand opening party Saturday, March 3 when it will officially launch as Club In.
"We are changing everything. We'll have a very basic menu, it'll be happy hour food - sliders, honey hot wings, simple foods we all enjoy," says Gaultier. "Most clubs do a lot of shots. I want to do more martinis and special cocktails - more classy stuff."
As for the music, anticipate DJs and maybe a few surprises.
"I'm pretty open to music, you never know what I might have," explains Gaultier. "It will be a mix of everything: Top 40 mash-ups on the weekends, dubstep and electro during the week, as well as live hip-hop shows."
A dress code will be enforced on Friday and Saturday.
Gaultier says she wants to bring the missing piece to Tacoma.
"People from Tacoma drive to Seattle, get drunk and party then drive home. You want your community to keep their money, not spend it in Seattle."
She admits she's still trying to figure out just what Tacoma needs in order to stay put.
She also vows she'll connect with the community by "throwing events and helping neighboring businesses to discover each other."
Above all she wants patrons to "be happy and comfortable" at Club In.
Good call.
[Club Kokonut, 728 Pacific Ave., Tacoma]