Nostalgia as curtains fall on another Florida club
The curtains have fallen on another iconic night club in Nairobi, the Florida 2000, simply referred to as F2. The club, which was located on Moi Avenue and popular for reggae jam sessions on Sundays, shut its doors last Sunday.
Opened in 1984, F2 had been one of the few night clubs in a city that is populated with sports bars.
“The management has decided to sell the place (the club) that has been so dear to many party lovers,” said Philip Etiang, the entertainment manager of Florida, told Nairobi News.
NEW NIGHT CLUB
The owners of F2 have however opened a new night club, Florida night club, located along Banda Street, off Koinange Street in Nairobi.
Hanibal Simba said although F2 is gone, it gives the management an opportunity to “catch up with the latest trend in the club era as we open the latest Florida”.
“After the demolition of the other Florida club, popularly known as ‘Mad House’, the management decided to open and manage only one club in Nairobi so that they can give revelers what they won’t get at a sports bar,” said Simba, the general manager of Florida night club.
Mad House, one of Nairobi’s iconic club, was brought down in January last year after 35 years of existence.
Besides music, both F2 and F1 were popularly known for twilight girls.
“We are sorry for the girls but there is nothing we could do life has to move on,” said Etyang.
DRESS CODE
Simba added that the new Florida night club has been upgraded and its “hostesses” have been specially trained by the management. The “hostesses”, for instance, will stick to a more conservative dress code.
“We want to make the place have the atmosphere whereby you can come out with your wife or girlfriend and dance the night away without any worry of anything happening to you,” said Simba.
Unlike most Nairobi bars, the Florida night club offers a dance floor, an ideal hangout place for anyone who may want to shake a leg.
The new club has been spruced up and fitted with new seats and lighting system. It has VIP lounge, a new addition that did not exist in the old club.
“We hosted Ne-Yo and his entourage of more than 25 people in our new VIP section when he was in Kenya recently,” observed Etyang.
Simba said they would add a VVIP section in the first week of December, a cigar launch and valet parking.
“We have enhanced security with ample parking as we try to make Florida the premium entertainment spot in Nairobi,” he said.
FAREWELL SHOW
The GM added that they will hold a farewell show for F2 on November 14 at the new Florida and welcome a new clientele of club revelers.
“Everyone should come and experience how a night club feels like,” he said.
