search
March 20, 2010

Club in Augusta to cater to over-30 crowd

By Keith Edwards kedwards@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA -- City councilors unanimously approved a permit for a new bottle club downtown, despite the objections of one resident who felt the club could lead to trouble.

Bottle clubs do not serve alcohol, but customers of legal drinking age may bring their own alcohol to drink there.

Building and business owner Karen Hatch said she wants to open the RiverBack Dance Club to give the over-30 crowd a place to socialize, dance and listen to rock and roll from the 1950s to the 1980s.

"We need something in Augusta for the 30-plus crowd, that's the crowd I want to attract," Hatch told councilors Thursday. "You don't even have to have a drink. Just come and dance and have a good time listening to that old rock 'n' roll. I don't want to be in the police blotter every day. I've got security in place. I've got insurance, it has been inspected ... everything's ready to roll."

David Paul, who recently moved to the city, said the club could lead to trouble because club staff won't be able to control how much alcohol patrons drink, since they won't be serving it.

"I basically believe this is the wrong business, in the wrong place, at the wrong time," Paul said. "People can go in there and drink till the cows come home."

However, in addition to its lone detractor, the club also had one resident speak for it.

Toebee Parkhurst, a downtown resident and co-owner of two downtown buildings, said the location has been home to multiple other bars and restaurants through the years and is the perfect location for Hatch's business.

"We're in the beginning stages of the inevitable shift of the downtown to an entertainment and resident-oriented area, in which bars and restaurants will be a very important part," Parkhurst said.

The club will be in 4,800 square feet on the lower floor of Hatch's building at 335 Water St. Hatch said the RiverBack dance club will open May 1 and be open Friday and Saturday nights, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Cover charge most nights will be $8 per person, or $15 per couple.

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send Question/Comment to the Publisher




Further Discussion

Here at PressHerald.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most...