CASSELBERRY, FL — Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Percy Sledge, and the Coasters played there. Sally Rand and Tempest Storm danced there. And soon the wrecking ball will take away all evidence that it ever existed. It is… was… central Florida’s Club Juana.According to the most recent issue of Ace National, the club built during the 1930s is slated for destruction by the Florida Department of Transportation, which has used eminent domain in order to forcibly purchase it as part of a road-widening program.
Many forces have tried unsuccessfully over the many years to permanently close the doors of Club Juana, but it took a governmental decree to finally do it.
Initially a lounge, the night spot hit its heyday during its decades as an adult establishment that offered a range of entertainment, including nude versions of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The club’s Macbeth in the Buff grew to be so popular that HBO’s Real Sex featured it during one of its episodes, which are still repeated during the Best of Real Sex series.
Mike Pinter has been the owner of Club Juana since the early 1960s. He’s none to happy about the closure but has accepted the club’s fate in spite of the fact that “It’s upsetting to be forced to close a business that has been in my family for 43 years.” Nonetheless, he says that he has “many fond memories of Club Juana.”
A weekend of farewell parties are slated at the club from Thursday, June 15th through Saturday, June 17th, when Club Juana will turn out its lights for the last time and usher 80 employees into unemployment or new career options. Penthouse Pet Alex Taylor will headline during the three-day celebration, admission will be free, drinks will be at special price, and door prizes will be awarded to lucky last-minute patrons.
Although still smarting from the loss of not only his business but also his property, the possibility of a relocated Club Juana is not out of the question for Pinter, who is now $3 million richer due to the unwanted sale. The once and future owner of Club Juana has contacted the city asking for areas zoned to accommodate a modern version of the venerable night spot. City officials, required by law to provide the information, are reviewing his request.
