Bungalow 8 is not shuttering, contrary to rumors making the rounds.
The fabled West Chelsea nightclub, which was almost impenetrable when it opened in 2001 but has seen a decline in popularity the last few years, closed a few weeks ago for renovations, prompting many to speculate that owner Amy Sacco would simply close up shop for good.
But Sacco tells Page Six, “I have no idea where these rumors are coming from. We are really just renovating the space . . . It’s just taking a lot longer than I had planned.”
She adds: “I just got the [police] barricade reopened on West 27th Street after three long years. All the other clubs have closed or moved on except Cain and Marquee, so I am the last man standing so to speak. I think it’s hilarious in a way as I’ve heard this rumor spread around for five years and it’s actually my eight-year anniversary! I will be reopening soon with a new look to match my renewed enthusiasm that we again will be alone on 27th Street — just the way it was when I first opened.”
The nightlife queen’s other New York ventures haven’t had the staying power of Bungalow. Chelsea restaurant Lot 61 closed in 2006, and her restaurant Bette closed last summer — but Sacco says her overseas empire is growing. “The London branch of Bungalow is off the charts,” she says, adding that an Amsterdam outpost will soon follow suit. “It’s a fantastic space and an amazing location. We hope to have it ready for Christmas season. We’ll have a smoking lounge for cigarettes, though there won’t be other kinds of smoking.”
As for her planned reality show with Bravo, which reportedly will focus on her efforts to open a new space on 17th Street, Sacco says that she and the network are still “working on a format.” A rep for Bravo confirmed that the show’s in production but declined to elaborate.