Bourbon-Focused, Swanky Ultra Lounge Q Will Open September 8

Q, a new nightclub, will open at a 12,000-square-foot converted auto-rebuild space at Broadway & Pike St. on September 8, says Scott Smith, who was once deeply involved in New York City's club scene.

"Q will give Seattle a space that gets back to the basics of what a club should be about," Scott Smith, managing partner, tells Eater. "We want to avoid the elitist attitudes of upscale lounges with separate VIP areas, and instead provide our customers with a cohesive, immediate relationship to the DJ, music, people, and the club itself."

The firm of Bohlin Cywinski and Jackson, known for their Apple Stores in New York and London, and for the new Seattle City Hall, designed the space. Dovetail General Contractors will undertake the buildout, and SoundInvestments AV will handle the installation of the sound system.

Scott Smith was one of the three original owners of xl -- located at 357 West 16th St. in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. It was one of the very first ultra-lounges in NYC when it opened in 1999. For the next seven years it was voted the number one gay bar & small club in New York. It was known for its high design and was the first club in America to feature computer controlled LED lighting that could wash the club with the full spectrum of visible light over the course of an evening.

Scott, who has lived in Seattle since 2003, is originally from Kentucky, where his family has deep bourbon ties, Bourbon will feature prominently in Q's bar program, which is being developed by Ken Batali (cousin of Mario) and Ryan Schmitt, who will serve as GM.

The same team announced plans two years ago for a similar club in a basement space on Capitol Hill on the corner of 12th & Pike.

--Ronald Holden

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[Photo: Ronald Holden]