Legendary Nightclub Has Sights Set on Atlanta

The Copacabana, an iconic New York City venue that dates back to 1940, is planning expansion to Georgia for the first time.
Legendary Nightclub Has Sights Set on Atlanta Photo 01
Photo: Official

The Copacabana, a New York City nightclub with an illustrious past, has several items on its agenda: build out a new permanent space in New York, return to Vegas and Miami, and expand to Atlanta for the first time.

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The team is currently looking at venues for the concept’s expansion to the Peach State. Angelo Diaz, who is serving as creative director of the Copacabana brand, said the move shows how much the brand believes in Atlanta as a cultural hub.  

“It’s about making a statement and saying we believe in Atlanta as the capital of culture,” Diaz told What Now Atlanta. “Especially in fashion, music, hip-hop, R&B, politics, Atlanta has always been the hub and center of it.”

The Copacabana dates back to 1940, but one of the most recent iterations was a four-story location in Times Square that opened in 2011. It featured a supper club restaurant, a nightclub and a rooftop lounge room with a retractable roof. The location closed in 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The venue has been a mainstay in the entertainment world for decades, having been featured as a setting in several films and serving as the inspiration for the 1978 Barry Manilow song “Copacabana.” A star-studded slate of iconic music acts have performed at the club, including The Supremes, Sammy Davis Jr., Marvin Gaye and many more.

Now, the brand is preparing for a revival. A temporary pop-up is operating at Casa 51 on W. 51st Street in New York City, with plans for a permanent space in the Big Apple in the works.

“We want to make sure we roll it out right, and as usual, we’re going to be on the hottest side of town,” Diaz said of the upcoming New York spot. “That’s how we approach this. We’re excited to announce the location and everything soon.”

The brand is also planning a return to the Vegas market with a new rendition of The Copa Room, as well as returning to the South Florida market with a new Miami location. 

Among these plans, Atlanta is the first new expansion city for the brand.

In terms of culinary offerings, Diaz said they plan to give the Atlanta location “as close to a full-service restaurant as we can make it with the initial launch.”

“It will be a piece of Copacabana that people can enjoy,” he said. “Even if they aren’t coming to a show, they can still come and enjoy brunch. So we’re looking for venues that can fit that scale.”

West Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown Atlanta are all areas that check the boxes of what they are looking for in the perfect home for The Copacabana. And if it takes time, that’s OK.

“We’re ideally looking for the best fit, even if it doesn’t open within the next two years,” he said. “We’re setting up an institution. Every step is about the long term, not being shortsighted.”

Ultimately, The Copacabana wants to bring people together, creating connections and bringing the tropical flair, diverse culture, and rich entertainment that it’s known for to yet another city. But make no mistake; it will be a distinctly Atlanta production.

“First things first, we wanted to celebrate what Atlanta has accomplished,” Diaz said, “and celebrate what Atlanta is now and what’s going to happen in the future, from the music programming to the event programming, to the food menu that’s going to be served, to the interior design and architecture.”

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