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The Chez Ami, known as the Chez Ami Supper Club, was located at 311 Delaware Avenue in
On December 25, 1941, The Chez Ami suffered a fire that destroyed much of its interior. The Chez reopened in the spring of 1942 with the revolving bar repaired, an enlarged dance floor, and expanded
Buffalo, NY
Buffalo is a city in the U.S. state of New York and county seat of Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River on the Canadian border. With a population of 278,349 according to ...
and first opened its door in 1934. It is considered one of the first supper club
A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class imag ...
s in the nation and had the first rotating bar in the United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. The club was owned and operated by Philip Amigone until his death in 1965. It was subsequently torn down in 1974.
History
The theater was part of an existing structure and shared the building with other businesses. It originally opened as an art house theater named ''The Little'' in 1929, and only showedsilent film
A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
s. ''The Little'' closed in 1930 and reopened as ''The Hollywood'' run by the Basil chain. Basil heavily promoted the theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
and showed foreign film
World cinema is a term in film theory in the United States that refers to films made outside of the Cinema of the United States, American motion picture industry, particularly those in opposition to the aesthetics and values of commercial Ame ...
s, art film
An art film, arthouse film, or specialty film is an independent film aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made prima ...
s, and reruns. ''The Hollywood'' closed in 1934. At the time, it was the only movie theater located on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, one of the city's main thoroughfares. After closing it was refurbished and became the Chez Ami, one of the city's premier nightclubs
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...
. The building was eventually razed in 1974.
The interior of Chez Ami was designed by C. Theodore Macheras who used art-deco elements of mirrors, neon, indirect lighting and plush carpeting to achieve a modern entertainment experience. The centerpiece of Chez Ami was a revolving bar, purported to be the first of its kind in America, and- took 7 ½ minutes to make a complete cycle.
On December 25, 1941, The Chez Ami suffered a fire that destroyed much of its interior. The Chez reopened in the spring of 1942 with the revolving bar repaired, an enlarged dance floor, and expanded balcony
A balcony (from , "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. They are commonly found on multi-level houses, apartme ...
seating. Macheras oversaw the rebuild and much of the club's original art-deco décor was retained.
The Chez Ami was remodeled by Amigone with the help of Macheras again in December 1956. The art deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
theme was replaced with new Venetian décor including a redecorated façade on the outside and a 15-foot diameter chandelier
A chandelier () is an ornamental lighting device, typically with spreading branched supports for multiple lights, designed to be hung from the ceiling. Chandeliers are often ornate, and they were originally designed to hold candles, but now inca ...
over the dining area. The revolving bar was also refurbished.
Related businesses
In addition to Chez Ami, Amigone designed and established the lounge at theBuffalo Memorial Auditorium
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins men's basketball, Canisius Golden Griffins (Nationa ...
in 1941 and the restaurant and lounge at Kleinhans Music Hall
Kleinhans Music Hall is a concert venue located on Symphony Circle in Buffalo, New York. The hall "is renowned for its acoustical excellence and graceful architecture." Kleinhans is currently the home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, a reg ...
in 1943 where he was the restaurant concessionaire
A concession or concession agreement is a grant of rights, land, property, or facility by a government, local authority, corporation, individual or other legal entity.
Public services such as water supply may be operated as a concession. In the ...
until 1964.
Decline and closure
In the early 1960s, in an effort to keep up with changes in consumer preferences, the Chez Ami underwent another transformation into Buffalo's firstdiscotheque
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and ...
. The live stage entertainment and dining were replaced by recorded music and open space for the dance floor. Within months of operating under the new format, the Chez Ami lost its liquor license. On November 23, 1965 a detective claimed that a customer there had solicited him illegally.
In December 1965, Amigone died at the age of 65."P.J. Amigone, Owner of Chez Ami, Dies at 65." Courier Express 30 Dec. 1965. P. 30 After his death, the club was sold to two other owners before it finally closed down in 1971.
Influence
As of 2016, Buffalo developer Mark Croce is currently renovating the Harlow C. Curtiss Building into the Curtiss Hotel. The hotel is anticipated to feature a revolving bar modeled after the revolving bar at the Chez Ami.See also
*List of supper clubs
This is a list of supper clubs. A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselve ...
References
{{reflist, 30em Demolished buildings and structures in New York (state) Restaurants in Buffalo, New York Nightclubs in New York (state) Buildings and structures with revolving restaurants Supper clubs Buildings and structures demolished in 1974