One of our sister groups debuted a massively remodeled Penthouse Club, and we naturally wanted to brag about it. True, we may also have wanted to show up the Ancients in print publication what fun toys Digital brings to the room, but that was just an ancillary benefit. … Really. … Swear.
Back And Better Than Ever
Before we get started into our clear goal of sucking up enough that we get invited to a free dinner at the Penthouse Prime restaurant, we should explain that Penthouse Clubs corporate has all sorts of highly-trained professionals that do all sorts of highly-trained professional things — like write press releases. Not wanting to in any way harm our chances for “medium rare with a view of the boobs” we have decided to comment when necessary in this itty-bitty, super easy to ignore, type. Pay no attention to the fan behind the curtain.
Boasting a premier nightlife experience, a celebrated steakhouse and the world’s most beautiful women, The Penthouse Club in Tampa, Florida, is back — and better than ever!
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitality management company Kirkendoll Management (KM) was forced to temporarily close The Penthouse Club in Tampa, FL while the country was in lockdown. After acquiring the club in 2018, KM had been planning to remodel it in late 2020 and reopen just in time for Super Bowl LV in Tampa in February 2021. However, once businesses shut down after the initial COVID wave in March 2020, KM decided to take advantage of the mandatory closures and accelerate the construction schedule.
When The Penthouse Club — Tampa shut down on March 19, 2020, it thus began a $2 million full-blown renovation of the club, which included gutting the entire interior of the building and making significant changes to the exterior structure, all with the goal of transforming the space into the ultra-modern establishment that defines a top gentlemen’s club, nightclub, and superlative culinary destination all in one.
Complete with multiple stages, elevated VIP seating, 10 private rooms, two full bars, and Penthouse Prime — a five-star steakhouse with a dining room overlooking the main stage — a great team accomplished their vision combining elegance, comfort, and style.
KM’s Chief Operating Officer (Nightclub Division) had been looking forward to the remodel for quite some time.
“The space itself is really incredible, but we felt like the previous footprint was dated and didn’t support the premium nightclub atmosphere we were looking to create,” Rolling explains. … “One of our top priorities was to relocate the entrance from the middle of the building to the corner, which allows for a much more open and connected space. No matter where you are in the club, you can still see the main stage and feel like you’re part of the party.”Chuck Rolling, [that] COO
For the record, the press release did not in fact include the illustration we have provided to the side below, a decision we made for two simple reasons. We find having thought-provoking illustrations generally preferable to not having them, and besides, who doesn’t like a happy bartender?
Large exterior signage accentuates the new corner entrance featuring the brand’s iconic PENTHOUSE wordmark, capitalizing on lighting that completely changes the landscape of the entire lot. No one can drive by The Penthouse Club on Westshore Blvd. and not notice the floor-to-ceiling LED lights that illuminate the façade of the building with different colors and patterns.
For the lighting and sound system, KM worked with idesign — leading lighting and sound engineers for nightclubs around the world — to build and program a series of custom LED panels surrounding the main stage, in addition to the exterior lighting.
“What idesign did with the lights is really more like visual artwork. Everything is fully programmable and customizable, and the lights and videos sync to the beat of the music, so it feels more like you’re at a concert than a nightclub,” says Patrick Palacios, Marketing Director of Global Licensing. “From the outside, the entire building looks like one huge, animated billboard. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Eddie Suqi, KM’s Director of Licensing for Penthouse Clubs, was on site in Tampa every day during the renovation and led the creative direction for the new club.
“It’s not often you get the chance to pull a space back to a shell and build a whole new concept. What I wasn’t anticipating was how many small details needed to be worked through to get us from a shell to something spectacular,” says Suqi.
“We weren’t just picking paint colors and bathroom tile. We were really trying to reimagine the club experience from a guest’s point of view and asking ourselves how we could improve it.”
One of Suqi’s favorite features? “We added USB ports to all of the chairs and seating areas, so you can charge your phone,” he explains. “Not a night goes by that someone doesn’t comment how useful those are. It’s very gratifying!”
Long before KM purchased the club, the steakhouse at The Penthouse Club — Tampa was known amongst the city’s night owls as a hidden gem. Open until 2 a.m., it was the best late-night option in the Westshore area and consistently had tables full of regulars.
“After we bought the club, we kept hearing how much people loved the steakhouse. We decided we wanted to bring it back and make it better than ever, so we rebranded it Penthouse Prime and outfitted a whole new kitchen and elevated dining area as part of the remodel. We offer a traditional steakhouse menu with some Tampa flare, and always feature seasonal specials and killer desserts. It’s probably the most unique dining experience in the whole city.”Eddie Suqi
At this point, much as did Lucy Ricardo on many occasions, we have some explaining to do. By now most everyone should be familiar with our hard and fast — so to speak — rule about not putting adult material out in free areas where sensitive eyes might run across it. While we still believe that absolutely, we did decide to make an exception today, simply in this one specific area: FOOD PORN! … Now at least you know why we’ve been looking for that free dinner invitation.
Experience Tampa’s hottest new nightclub in person and call ahead to reserve your VIP table or make a reservation at Penthouse Prime. Be a rebel: Leave the house with your phone at 20%. … You know where to charge up.
You can visit the The Penthouse Club — Tampa from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. Monday-Friday and 6:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Penthouse Prime, the club’s attached steakhouse, opens for lunch and dinner, with the full dinner menu available until 2:00 a.m. every night.
In addition to encouraging you definitely to visit Penthouse Club — Tampa when you happen to be in the area, might we also suggest planning a trip to Tampa specifically for that purpose? A lot of places have beaches, but how many also have a place where you can get a 20 oz. bone-in ribeye along with a topless visual feast? … OH! Speaking of visual feasts, you probably noticed the header image we chose for this article happens to feature the four Pets who appeared live in Tampa at what we understand was quite an event, even by Florida strip club standards. In case you do not know them all by heart yet, we can give you more information on (left to right) Kenzie Anne, Hanna Carter, Carolina White and Amber Marie right in these (ever superior) digital pages. We end our celebration of Penthouse Club with this photograph of aforementioned Amber Marie, conveniently posing on the Penthouse Club — Tampa stage. Not only does Amber call the Tampa area home these days, but you might be hearing more about her soon. … Maybe. … How would we know anything?
Call for reservations at Prime or to reserve a VIP table.
@phctampa | www.penthouseclubtampa.com | 813.288.9200
