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Franck Lemarié
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — Franck Lemarié, owner and manager of the Club Roxie in downtown Glenwood Springs, said that he is closing the nightclub on Sept. 5, due to declining business over the past nine months.
“December is when we saw the numbers really go down,” he said. “They kept going down, down, down, and never got back up. And, it's getting worse.”
Lemarié, 45, said that when the business opened in December 2000, the club was bringing in 250 people a night. But in the years since, the crowds have dropped. By mid 2007, he said, that a good Friday and Saturday would still see about 150 a night.
However, since the economy took a major downturn in Glenwood Springs in the summer 2008, he's seen the crowds drop to as little as 10 people in a single night.
“Last night I made $62,” Lemarié said Friday.
He said that the majority of his customers were people between the ages of 21 and 35, who worked in construction or tourism industry. But those people are gone, Lemarié said.
“Those two [industries] are not doing well,” he said. “And people are moving out, or not going out, and not spending money.”
Lemarié said that he opened the business with a couple of friends to fill the nightclub void in Glenwood Springs. He bought the building after not being able to find a rental space. Now, he trying to avoid foreclosure on the property, and selling it is not an option in today's market.
“People will not offer anything for it,” he said.
He has plans for a new business venture in the downtown space, but declined to speak about them Friday. He said that he just wants to focus on the last night at the Club Roxie, for now.
Lemarié said that he is going out, the same way he opened the club nine years ago, with a farewell bash the weekend of Sept. 3-5. On Saturday, Sept. 5, the club's final night of business, Lemarié said that he will have a special techno night featuring local DJ's Euphoria, Mateo, Bam and RPM. He invites the public to come out, for one more night at the Roxie.
A night that is bitter-sweet for him.
“It's my baby. Spending almost nine years working at it, being there every night and going to bed at 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday,” Lemarié said.
jgardner@postindependent.com
“December is when we saw the numbers really go down,” he said. “They kept going down, down, down, and never got back up. And, it's getting worse.”
Lemarié, 45, said that when the business opened in December 2000, the club was bringing in 250 people a night. But in the years since, the crowds have dropped. By mid 2007, he said, that a good Friday and Saturday would still see about 150 a night.
However, since the economy took a major downturn in Glenwood Springs in the summer 2008, he's seen the crowds drop to as little as 10 people in a single night.
“Last night I made $62,” Lemarié said Friday.
He said that the majority of his customers were people between the ages of 21 and 35, who worked in construction or tourism industry. But those people are gone, Lemarié said.
“Those two [industries] are not doing well,” he said. “And people are moving out, or not going out, and not spending money.”
Lemarié said that he opened the business with a couple of friends to fill the nightclub void in Glenwood Springs. He bought the building after not being able to find a rental space. Now, he trying to avoid foreclosure on the property, and selling it is not an option in today's market.
“People will not offer anything for it,” he said.
He has plans for a new business venture in the downtown space, but declined to speak about them Friday. He said that he just wants to focus on the last night at the Club Roxie, for now.
Lemarié said that he is going out, the same way he opened the club nine years ago, with a farewell bash the weekend of Sept. 3-5. On Saturday, Sept. 5, the club's final night of business, Lemarié said that he will have a special techno night featuring local DJ's Euphoria, Mateo, Bam and RPM. He invites the public to come out, for one more night at the Roxie.
A night that is bitter-sweet for him.
“It's my baby. Spending almost nine years working at it, being there every night and going to bed at 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday,” Lemarié said.
jgardner@postindependent.com
