Chris Lenahan got his start in the night club business in 1996 providing lighting and sound for the casinos and night clubs in Las Vegas. A few years later he began opening night clubs in Tempe, Arizona. Ultimately, he sold everything, and retired, moving to a small village north of Saigon for a few years.
Like most ambitious people who retire prematurely, Chris decided to come back. In 2006 he decided to move to Portland, where he had gone to college, and started opening clubs in the Old Town / China Town area. Using an approach that has become his trademark, he decided to open several different themed venues in close proximity to each other including Dirty Nightlife, Splash Bar, Shake Bar, the Barrel Room, and the Paris Theatre. Toward the end of his time in Portland he controlled 70% of the night club business in the Old Town area.
The need for an entertainment district. Chris found that the night clubs in Portland were loosely regulated and spread throughout the city, making it difficult for law enforcement to efficiently protect the patrons. He was instrumental in the creation of the entertainment district in OId Town around 2009, concentrating the nightlife in one area.
Portland had serious gang / crime problems. In 2016 the Crips and Bloods were at war with orders to shoot each other on sight. A brutal gang fight erupted in front of Chris outside of one of his clubs and a man was shot to death. Chris decided it was time to leave Portland.
Having written the book, The Little Black Bar Book; a Comprehensive Guide to Starting, Owning and Operating Your Own Bar or Nightclub, Chris consulted with night club clients across the world. He leveraged his network to find a new city for his business.
Friends from multiple places, including Las Vegas, told him to go to Florida, particularly St. Petersburg. But after visiting the Tampa Bay Area, he fell in love with Ybor City instead. Wanting to build diverse venues with live music up and down 7th he hoped to create an environment similar to Bourbon St., and to open several clubs with different themes.
He says there was not a city that was even a close second to Ybor in his selection process. It had a successful entertainment district, great historic bones, ample parking, a good sense of community between bar owners, numerous parades and other local events.
In 2019 he opened the Tangra Lounge, at 1611 East 7th Avenue, a three story nightclub, https://www.Tangra.club. The first floor plays top 40 music, the second floor has a Latin theme, and the third-floor roof top plays electronic dance music.
In 2021, during the Covid epidemic he opened the Show Bar, a dueling piano bar located at 1613 East 7th Avenue, www.showbarybor.com.
In 2023, he took over the old Buffalo Wild Wings, creating the Southern Belle Country Bar and Grill, located at 1625 East 7th Avenue, www.southernbelletampa.com.
Creating a safe environment for Ybor’s visitors is critical. Chris has done several things to enhance the security in his part of 7th Avenue. He staggers the closing times to avoid overloading the street. Employs two off duty Tampa police officers on Friday and Saturday along with multiple private security guards who are available to help clear the street, help their patrons to their cars and provide assistance for those who have overindulged. He gives out 40 cases of water around closing time on Friday and Saturday and attempts to proactively intervene and resolve patron issues without having to burden the police.
Having worked with night clubs and bars all over the world, Chris is an advocate for the appointment of a Night Mayor, a municipal title used for someone who represents and helps to develop a city’s nightlife. Tom DeGeorge, the owner of the CrowBar, has also been vocal about the need for a Night Mayor in Ybor. At least fifteen cities around the United States, including New York, Washington, Pittsburgh, Orlando and New Orleans, have created “night mayor” positions to provide a liaison between local government and nightlife businesses. According to Chris, they are also very common in European cities.
The fact that an experienced operator like Chris chose to run his night club business in Ybor City after conducting a nationwide search says a lot about our community. It’s fortunate to count him among its residents.
