By MANDY REDD
mandy@newsroom.byu.edu
The notorious night club formerly known as LeMar's will re-open its doors as 'Atchafalaya' July 9.
At a press conference Tuesday, plans for the new club were announced. Atchafalaya owner Troy Gifford said he is looking past the darkness surrounding LeMar's.
'I want to set the record straight,' Gifford said. 'We expect business to do well, even though there have been so many problems in the past.'
Gifford said the new club will be a lot cleaner. Plans include a new layout, name and a new feel.
'The word Atchafalaya means big river. We're excited to call it something different,' Gifford said.
Gifford will also open a small cafe just north of the club, replacing the El Zarape restaurant. The Atchafalaya Cafe will be open to the public and will not require membership like the night club.
'We wanted to separate the cafe from the club so families would feel comfortable,' Gifford said.
The club will have a Louisiana theme and serve authentic cajun style food.
Gifford acquired LeMar's Night Club in May of this year after former owner LeMar Driggs decided to retire.
Gifford is impressed by the support the new club has received from the community.
'Provo City, the State of Utah, and the community have been really great,' Gifford said. 'The club needs a new image and a good name. The town wants that.'
Amid controversy, LeMar's Night Club closed after almost 20 years of business. Complaints from community and civic leaders began in July 1997 when LeMar's introduced semi-nude dancers. In December 1997 Provo City passed an ordinance requiring the relocation of sexually-oriented businesses to the town's industrial zone. LeMar's brought suit against the city in April 1998, claiming the ordinance was unconstitutional, but in July 1998 dropped the suit and discontinued the dancers.
The central business district does not expect any change with the opening of the new club, said Ted Schofield, central business district neighborhood chair. There have not been organized protests or much public concern since LeMar's withdrew dancers from the club in 1998, Schofield said.
Businesses and other bars on Center Street do not feel business will suffer when the club re-opens.
'I feel the new club will be on the upper class level,' said Troy Whiting, manager of ABG's Tavern in Provo. 'It won't draw a lot of the riff-raff LeMar's used to draw.'
Whiting is not worried about the effect Atchafalaya will have on business at ABG's.
'If anything, I expect business to be better,' Whiting said.