Former 2001 nightclub will get a new life. What’s next for this Myrtle Beach landmark?
The former 2001 nightclub is getting another rebirth, with a past owner and a future date.
The massive club that has been part of Myrtle Beach nightlife for the better part of 40 years is expected to reopen before New Year’s Eve as 3001.
“I thought it was a good play off 2001, just kind of kick it in a little bit to a new vibe,” said Roger Davisson, who is beginning his third go-around at the venue, this time as the owner and operator. “With 3001 they know what it is, they know what it’s all about.”
“I don’t think I’m going to outlive [the name of] this one,” he joked.
The venue has been closed since the summer of 2019 after the first reincarnation of 2001, called Status Nightlife, lasted less than a year.
The building has three dance floors and five bars, and either three or four rooms depending on the configuration. Davisson plans to have three rooms with three different themes.
He plans to reopen two of the rooms immediately, calling the middle club 3001 and retaining the name of the room to its left, Bourbon Cowboy.
“We’re going to go back to letting the locals in and getting the VIP cards out to the right people and try to get everybody happy again,” Davisson said.
Live music, dancing
Davisson plans to initially have the middle 3001 room open Wednesday through Saturday with live music three of the nights and a “Throwback Thursday” theme with a DJ and music from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. Bourbon Cowboy will generally feature live country music.
The third room may again become a dance club and will likely remain closed until the spring, or at least until coronavirus restrictions that require bars and clubs in the state to close at 11 are rescinded or relaxed.
“The third room is going to stay dark until this covid stuff is over and we can get open until 1 or 2 o’clock again, because right now if you close at 11 that room doesn’t serve much purpose,” Davisson said.
Davisson was the operations manager of 2001 from 1981-94, then left to become the operating partner of the Celebrations Nightlife clubs Malibu’s Surf Bar, Froggy Bottomz and Club Boca in Broadway at the Beach for 10 years, and returned to 2001 for his second stint as its managing partner from 2004-12.
“I started back in 1981 here and I’ve probably got 20-some years in this club. I hate to see it empty so we’re going to get it running again,” Davisson said. “Pretty much every time I’ve been here and run the place we’ve done pretty good with it. Back in the ’80s and ’90s it was probably one of the biggest clubs on the East Coast. I came back after I worked at Broadway for 10 years and did it for another seven or eight years and we were very profitable at that time. So really it hasn’t been not profitable except for the Status time.”
Davisson has also been involved in the ownership and operation of a few other area bars, restaurants and clubs, including the country bar Beach Wagon as well as Whiskey Beach.
He said he has a two-year lease with a pair of five-year options on 3001 with Greg Smith, a former partner in the club who has a long-term lease with the property owners, members of the Chestnut family.
The initial two-year lease is “just to see what it’s going to do and where covid goes,” Davisson said.
Return to glory days?
The nightlife in the area near 3001 in Restaurant Row has become more vibrant with the opening this year of a Soho location and affiliated bars and restaurants, and Davisson expects that will help his club attract patrons.
In the 1990s, the area was home to the bars and clubs 2001, the Afterdeck, Jamaica Joe’s, Night Moods, The Headroom, Hurricane Cove, Players, Eighty Eights Piano Bar and Thee DollHouse.
“We had the synergy of the beach, then Broadway opened up and kind of took the synergy away, and now it’s starting to come back to this area with Broadway getting rid of their clubs, so I think the timing is good,” Davisson said.
Status Nightlife was promoted last year by managing partner Robert Hills as the largest nightlife and entertainment venue in South Carolina with four clubs under one roof.
It was the result of more than a year of renovations and featured the top-40 dance club Envy Nightclub, retro dance room Club Rewind, country-themed bar Bourbon Cowboy and frozen drink room Rum Jungle.
The interior is not expected to change much. Three of the four rooms have the same carpeting/flooring and wall decorations with different colors. The former Envy is gold and black, Rewind is black, blue and silver, and Rum Jungle is green and black.
Bourbon Cowboy has a cedar wood look. The renovations in 2018-19 included new furniture, carpeting, floors, bar tops, lighting, sound, video and restrooms decor, which feature wood-like flooring and granite countertops. Status’ clubs had a total of 12 VIP tables with bottle service available.
Davisson said he will first focus on getting the locals to return to the venue.
“We’ll be local friendly. You’ve got to have your locals,” Davisson said. “It’s your bread and butter and that fills the club up, and once you fill the club up you can bring in your tourists and get a cover charge. If the club is empty no one is going to pay a cover. So the locals become your filler and you take care of them.
“I think Robert just tried to do a Vegas-style club with bottle service and pay for tables and no place to sit down, and I think that’s not Myrtle Beach.”
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 1:24 PM with the headline "Former 2001 nightclub will get a new life. What’s next for this Myrtle Beach landmark?."
