The former The Gold Club location to receive new tenant

Spa Ultra Lounge and Restaurant is coming to Myrtle Beach, located at the former The Gold Club location at 2554 U.S. 501.

The restaurant, which will open for lunch and dinner beginning at noon, will serve Latino and Caribbean dishes such as burgers, bowls, steak and chicken dishes and more.

At night, the restaurant will turn into a club where customers will be able to enjoy the bar, dance, smoke hooka and order from a small menu.

“They really made it nice in there,” owner Jason Thurmond said.

Thurmond will, however, stop serving alcohol at 2 a.m., but allow customers to stay and enjoy the club.

“We are going to keep it classy, keep it legit and give people a place to go after hours,” Thurmond said.

As former manager of Treasure Club, an adult-entertainment club in Myrtle Beach, Thurmond feels that many clubs in Myrtle Beach have bad reputations.

“We want to change the way people view after-hour clubs,” he said.

Despite being located at the former The Gold Club location, Thurmond feels that many people will embrace the concept, especially because the club will not operate as an adult-entertainment business as The Gold Club had.

“We have no association with The Gold Club, Faces, anything like that,” he said. “It’s a whole different place. That’s something that we want to prove.”

The Gold Club was shut down after new ordinances were issued by Horry County for adult-entertainment businesses, including restricting adult-themed businesses into zones throughout the county. Businesses also are required to be at least 1,500 feet from churches, day cares and residential properties.

A conduct ordinance also was passed, preventing adult-themed businesses from opening between midnight and 6 a.m. Also stated in the ordinance is that semi-nudity is OK, as long as employees are six feet from patrons, and that the stage is at least 18 inches high.

Despite a restraining order and preliminary injunction by The Gold Club owner Michael Rose, the club was shut down for being a public nuisance. The club then reopened as Empire Night Club, but was shut down for again being a public nuisance.

In 2016 the club once again reopened as Club Faces, but was shut down shortly after opening. The building has remained vacant since Club Faces was closed.

“We want to class up Myrtle Beach,” he said.

Spa Ultra Lounge and Restaurant was set to open Friday evening for dinner at 5 p.m.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 7:40 PM with the headline "The former The Gold Club location to receive new tenant."