The original owner of Attitudes (4100 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis; 314-534-0044), St. Louis' oldest LGBT nightclub, is once again taking control of daily operations — or at least until she can find a suitable buyer.
Jann Brigulio, who opened Attitudes in 1988 and retained ownership of the building ever since, tells Riverfront Times that Monday announcement of the club's impending closing, issued via Facebook by owner Dan Stoner, caught her completely by surprise. She now hopes to reopen by month's end.
"This was not an easy decision, but one that I have to make," Stoner wrote in the post. "This will be the last week Attitudes will be open. I hope it is filled with lots of love and positive energy."Stoner stepped into the role less than one year ago, in October 2015. At the time, he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he was proud to be taking ownership of a club that is essentially a cultural institution of the Grove neighborhood and the larger St. Louis LGBT community. He wanted to see Attitudes celebrate its 30th birthday.
Instead, the Dan Stoner-era of Attitudes will conclude this weekend. Brigulio, who retired to California last year after leasing the business to Stoner, is making a return trip to St. Louis to pick up the pieces.
"If I get the right price, I would sell it," she says. "Until that time I need to get something going on in there. I’m not about to let that space sit there."
Brigulio claims some "pretty heavy hitters" are eyeing the property. In the meantime, she's working on obtaining the necessary licenses and getting events scheduled ASAP.
"Obviously, I need to have Attitudes open to sell," she says. "I know what a good business it is and what it can be."
Follow Danny Wicentowski on Twitter at @D_Towski. E-mail the author at [email protected]
