Another Aberdeen nightclub could be poised to cash in on the daytime disco boom as Club Tropicana secures permission for earlier opening.
Owner Tony Cochrane sought to extend the opening hours of the Chapel Street venue as day discos for over 30s become more and more popular.
The concept has gone from strength to strength since launching in March at Club Tropicana’s sister venue in the Granite City.
With hundreds of partygoers queueing up outside Aura nightclub for each event, it has proved to be a lucrative way to survive amid challenging times for the industry.
A new club “strictly for over 30s” is also poised to open in Aberdeen on May 18 as Mr Cochrane looks to capitalise on the previously “untapped market” even further.
And extending Club Tropicana’s opening hours could now give him yet another avenue to bask in the success of his recent endeavours.
Could there be more events for daytime revellers in Club Tropicana?
The venue has been given permission to open at 1.30pm, Monday to Sunday.
In a plea to members of the city’s licensing board, the hospitality boss’ solicitor Archie MacIver said this would potentially allow for more daytime events.
Mr Cochrane is behind several venues across the country, most of which have the flexibility of an earlier opening.
There are no specific plans for Club Tropicana at this time, but some of the options could be holding “country music days” or corporate events.
‘The times, they are a-changing’
Mr MacIver said the success of the day discos reflect “a change in social attitudes”.
While students remain a prime market for nightlife hotspots in Aberdeen, there is now opportunity to expand their offering for a different group of customers too.
Mr MacIver added: “As Bob Dylan once said: ‘The times they are a-changing’.
“People are now looking for different things and approaching these social activities in a different fashion from days gone by.
“There is much more of an opportunity now for daytime events to be held.
“And what we really want is just a bit of flexibility to take bookings for this type of events and provide an additional amenity to the city for local populace.”
The licence was subsequently granted unanimously.
Read more about how day discos are changing the landscape for the hospitality industry in Aberdeen:
Conversation