BANGOR, Maine — After three weeks of quiet negotiations, all the bills have been paid, good feelings have been restored, and the owners of Diamonds Gentleman’s Club and their landlords have agreed to a new, five-year lease.
“It’s a big relief. It’s over and everybody’s happy, and now everyone can move on and get back to business,” said Michael St. Peter, Diamonds general manager.
Arayos LLC, Diamonds’ ownership group, has been involved in a dispute with landlords Tom Brann and his sons Patrick Brann and Matthew Brann over nonpayment of rent and a contention that the Branns were responsible for part of the renovation cost incurred to bring the club space up to code.
“We had a disagreement relative to several terms in the lease and couldn’t come to terms without the assistance of the courts,” said Tom Brann. “Now we’ve redrafted the lease to eliminate all the confusion there and other than that, the lease hasn’t really changed much — conditions at least from our standpoint are still the same — and so that’s all history and we hope to continue on for the next 20 years.”
All back rent — which the Branns successfully sued for, and were awarded $35,466 at Penobscot Judicial Center last month — has been paid and the lease agreement has been revised.
“We agreed on which portion of the renovations were Arayos’ responsibilities and which were ours,” said Brann. “We basically simplified the lease with a monthly rental rate for the space, and they’re responsible for variable utilities like electricity, heat, and air conditioning.
“We picked up sewer and water up to a certain point along with trash disposal, so we can consolidate that with the building’s other businesses and use one big dumpster out back.”
St. Peter, fellow manager Randy Stone, and bar manager Brittany LeVasseur all said they are relieved to have the legal dispute behind them.
“All I know is we have a new lease for five years with an option to renew, and everybody’s happy. Everything carries on as normal regarding our business,” said St. Peter. “The dispute probably concerned everyone … but it never affected our business operations.”
Business has been fairly brisk for the club, even during the last few weeks while club officials and the Branns wrangled in and out of court.
“One of the things [Diamonds consultant and now minority owner] Jimmie Ellis said to us when we opened was he wanted this place to be like a nightclub where people have a good time, and there just happen to be semi-nude, beautiful women dancing around,” said Stone. “Other than not having a dance floor, that’s almost exactly what the clientele gets.
“People tell us the music is better than a lot of other clubs they go to. This just happens to be a gentlemen’s club as well.”
Brann said the new lease took effect on June 1 and runs for five years. Arayos, which opened the club Feb. 22, has an option to extend it for three years in the final six months of the five-year lease and can continue to do so for a 20-year period.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :(
Bummer – I was hoping that place was done.
You were being forced to go?
Bummer.
It draws a certain ‘element’ into my environment that I’d rather not be around. Snobby, I know. But also quite true. So, yes, I’m forced to ‘go’.
Nothing stopping you from changing your “environment”, is there?
If one doesn’t like their neighborhood they are free to find another place to live. Your move. No pun intended.
I prefer to change the neighborhood.
the methadone clinic’s, homeless shelters, DHHS office, walmart, etc. draw a seedy crowd of socioeconomically challenged peoples who are at a much higher risk to use drugs and commit violent crimes. I think this attraction is a novelty to wealthier central Mainers and will draw maybe an adventurous crowd but I doubt it will bring any more low lifes to the area.
I think that the use of the word “Gentlemen” may create the notion that wealthy people will be in attendence. The wealthy may be at a club, but it won’t be where they make their money. What happens in Vegas ,stays in Vegas.
do you tom shop at walmart? Or have you ever been to a walmart store? just wondering?
(-;
Patrons of a gentlemen’s club are the least of your worries, Bangorian. Guys (and girls, lezbefair) who want to oogle bewbs, will do so and then go home. Those with the intention of creating a disturbance will do so, regardless of the club being there.
well good luck with that.
Why should he have to move…he was there first!
do you live next door to it or something?
By the way, Montreal is a great city and they have plenty of strip clubs (which have much more liberal rules than Bangor’s “pasties and g-string” rules) and a casino
yeah and a gay porn star who kills animals and dismembers his boyfriend. then posts it online for the world to see.
Actually, many of them are rather ‘undone’!
More Good paying jobs for the area, for at least 5 years.. Adding to the pubs and eateries of Bangor will bring more people to town.. Bangor is a happening place…
Did I hear you say that Davidvsgoliath?! Wow! Yes, Bangor IS a happening place. We must have amenties to be tourist friendly, visitor friendly, business friendly. Bangor is making all the right choices.
you weren’t supposed to see that.
Why are you, and the General Manager, apparently, so sure that regular people are going to add this to their personal list of “pubs and eateries”? Who cares if they sell nachos (or whatever)? It is a strip club, people! The people who go are not going for the nachos! And if a regular mom and dad want to go out on the town, (maybe with junior in tow, maybe not) they can find plenty of places in Bangor to buy nachos that aren’t served by naked ladies. I’m completely stumped why the General manager of a strip club would try to play down the fact that it’s a strip club, and try to present it as just another wholesome entertainment option in Bangor. It’s like they don’t want to acknowledge that their big draw, and the thing that sets them apart from everyone else is (nearly)naked ladies!
Naked women don’t scare me. We grew up going to St. George Quebec bars where there were stripperers in most of the bars, No big deal. Jaded to say the least.
Heck half the patrons are women now days. Are you saying women shouldn’t be allowed entertainment of their choosing.
Where’s the 1/2 naked man bar? Darn I must have missed something last time I came north to the big city!
Henny- I think you don’t understand what makes up a entertainment destination. You need to have ALL the choices. Have you ever been to Vegas? Can you imagine if Vegas didn’t have casinos or gentlemen clubs or just a few of the amenities? It would no longer be visited, would it? We are building a entertainment destination, so we have to have the choices or we will just become Anytown, Maine. If that is what you want, then go somewhere else. We are on the move… Don’t slow us down! It is not ‘just a strip club’ anymore than Bangor is not ‘just a town’. We are a growing city, and look out! Educate and don’t be late! Now if we can just get a Hooters on the waterfront !
I would love to have a hooters in bangor. I have been to several on the east coast and have always had fun.
Oh Bangor is certainly “entertaining” LOL! But not for the reasons your talking about!
amazing what can be accomplished when you pay your bills. there are many people in Maine that don’t understand this concept.
It’s only a start but a healthy sex trade is good for Bangor, now let’s get to work on legalizing pot
I suppose you’ll want gambling next!…oh wait…..nevermind.
No surprise here at all. The Brann’s realize that not many businesses want that location and Diamond’s can actually be great tenants…I have yet to hear of any real trouble there when we have been reading about tons of trouble all over the rest of the city lately.
Does Diamonds know something we don’t know? According to the BDN there has been some serious money invested. Having watched other bars and restaurants come and (quickly) go, Bangor would not be my first choice for a business venture like this. I guess the premise of a “gentlemans club” may come back to haunt them – ” a fool and his money are soon parted” Of course I probably should do a lot more investigating and personally check the place out just to be sure :-)
To each his own, I like looking at half-naked wemon as much as any guy. But how can you sit there paying an arm and a leg for a beer and not feel like a total loser.
Rip me off baby………..I’m all yours!
Is there plenty of parking there? The other one lacked good parking arrangements.
I was soo hoping that their doors would be closed.
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lol… good stuff.
It wont last 5 years. You know when the Bdn is quoting sketchy people like the general managers, your business has got some issues. hahah. Same yuck girls, just a nicer place to eat the perverts slop
I heard there is going to have a mil- monday, Local celeb tuesday, teacher wednesday, Politicians thursday and truck driving women friday. Both Saturaday and sunday will be pot luck, you know bring your own stripper…
God forbid bangor moves with the times. they should have started with a hooters, baby steps. Bangor isn’t ready for things like this there still stuck in 1960. the way i see it if you dont like it dont, go there is no harm being done. you can see as much at the beach or on tv. its not near a school or a church or anything so what ar they gonna use for an excuse now? im sure the fact its near the childrens museum will be next . cmon people roll with times your only here a short time anyway ,then you dont have to worry about it.
Bangor had strippers back in 1960….major attraction at the annual Bangor State Fair
lol that was a bit before my time and im sure that is true. Im sure the fact that the fair was only here a short time made that tolerable for the people of bangor at that time, unlike having a year round establishment like we do now. Its the whole not in my backyard mentality people have about this type of establishment. The point i was making is that there will always be change and at some point bangor has to catch up with the rest of the country.
oh great news. so glad they resolved this issue and all are friends now. BFD….
I prefer middle aged and older women. That would be nice . (-;