If you’ve ever gone out to a sports bar to watch a game from the west coast, only to miss the ending because the place has to close down at midnight, you understand the situation in which Bounce Sporting Club finds itself.
Bounce Sporting Club, with locations in New York and Chicago, is opening its fourth location in Delray Beach at 625 E. Atlantic Avenue as part of the Atlantic Crossing redevelopment project in the Central Business District Central Core, an area that roughly includes Atlantic Avenue from Northeast First Avenue to the west and Veterans Park to the east and two to four blocks north and south of the avenue.
Bounce, an upscale restaurant, sports bar and lounge, is seeking a conditional use permit to stay open until 2 a.m. Bounce is seeking to stay open later to cater to patrons and guests watching games and events that end after midnight.
There is misinformation being spread about Bounce in the community that should be addressed. First, Bounce Delray Beach is not a nightclub. While other Bounce Sporting Clubs are nightclubs, the Delray Beach location is not. The space was designed to be a restaurant and bar; much of the seating is permanent, preventing moving tables and chairs around to create a space to dance. Bounce’s mission is to elevate the sports bar experience, and that mission is adapted to each location’s community.
Second, Bounce Delray Beach is not an open-air nightclub. The patio included in our space at Atlantic Crossing seats 30 people, and we have agreed to close it at 11 p.m. every night to limit noise to the neighborhood.
The community is very important to Bounce and its ownership. They take pride in adapting their concept to each market they are in. Based on the community’s concerns about Bounce, we proposed several conditions that are aimed to minimize the impact of staying open until 2 a.m. First, all outdoor dining areas will close at 11 p.m. every night. Second, all doors and windows will be closed at 11 p.m., leaving the only access to Bounce from the foyer, located on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Northeast Seventh Avenue. Third, there will be no live music played inside or outside after 11 p.m. Fourth, Bounce will hire an off-duty Delray Beach police officer to assist its security team to close the patio, keep guests waiting in the foyer (not on the street), and ensure that the noise levels are kept within the legal limits for the area. Fifth, Bounce will have its full menu available until 2 a.m. or closing every night. The ownership, of which 90% comes from the Delray Beach area, intends for this location to be representative of the area and respectful of the same.
Bounce is bringing an upscale sports bar, restaurant and lounge experience to Delray Beach, to give fans a place to watch the game while eating great food. Staying open later allows fans to watch west-coast games without being kicked out halfway through because we had to close at midnight.
Chef Sean Olnowich, a James Beard honoree and “Chopped” finalist, will bring a creative and inventive touch to traditional sports bar fare. By mixing the sports bar concept with elevated, local foods, Bounce creates a unique experience not found elsewhere in the city. We sincerely hope that the Delray Beach City Commission can see through this misinformation and vote to grant the conditional approval for Bounce.
Neil Schiller is cofounding partner of Government Law Group. He represents Bounce Sporting Club.
