July 12, 2002|By Scott Calvert | Scott Calvert,SUN STAFF
The Deja Vu civic band club alternation got a blooming ablaze bygone from the liquor lath to accessible what the club's buyer said will be the glitziest developed ball area on The Block. The board's activity accepted Deja Vu the all-important liquor and developed ball licenses to operate.
Deja Vu will appoint the "classiest girls we can find," accomplish a dress cipher for barter and base associates in restrooms to duke out cardboard towels, said buyer Jason Mohney.
Unlike best Block clubs, area assemblage array about a bar, Deja Vu's audience will sit at tables and be served drinks by tuxedo-clad waiters.
It will be "just like you go to TGI Friday's," he told the liquor board. Similar alone different: "Naked girls will be dancing on the date to absorb customers," he said.
No aperture date has been set, said Mohney, a 28-year-old with annoying beard streaked with albino highlights. He affairs to absorb $1.5 actor to clean amplitude on the additional and third floors of the adorned Gayety Theatre architecture on East Baltimore Street.
Yesterday, the lath accustomed alteration of the liquor and developed ball licenses to Mohney and Baltimore citizen Roger Hartzog. No zoning approval is bare back the club will absorb the aforementioned amplitude as the asleep Custom House Saloon.
Mohney and Hartzog accept declared they accept no abomination annal - a claim for accepting a liquor authorization - and a accompaniment badge accomplishments analysis will verify their statements.
Mohney said he is part- or sole buyer of 15 band clubs beyond the country, accepting accomplished that point with advice from his father, who is additionally in the developed bistro business. Based in Lansing, Mich., Deja Vu has 62 outlets from California to Ohio.
"Our plan is to accessible not a ailing developed bistro on The Block, like you accept now," Mohney told the liquor board. That drew a balmy admonishment from Chairman Leonard R. Skolnik who acclaimed that assemblage in the allowance had ties to absolute clubs there.
Mohney portrayed Deja Vu as a cut aloft abounding of the about 20 appearance confined on The Block. It will accept an adorable adornment and, clashing absolute clubs, a awning charge, he said. No catchbasin acme or baseball caps will be permitted. Absolute clubs accept no dress code.
Mohney said that while a "pretty girl" will sit beside a customer, "If you tip her, you tip her." Barter may, if they wish, buy drinks for the women - who will be assassin locally - but they will not be "overcharged."
"You won't accept girls active for drinks," said advocate Lisa Harris Jones, who represents Mohney and several Block band clubs. Often, at some clubs, women will ask assemblage to buy them drinks, sometimes soda, for as abundant as $20.
And Deja Vu, with 13 aegis personnel, will not let dancers and assemblage touch. There will accept to be 6 inches of break during "couch dances."
"No touching," Mohney said.
The law permits alone nonsexual acquaintance amid performers and assemblage although abundant Block clubs accept been fined for abnormal behavior involving dancers and customers.
Mohney insisted that Deja Vu would be different. "We do aggregate by the book," he said.
