Six San Diego nightclubs — one fewer than Los Angeles — have made it onto a list of last year’s top money-making night spots in the U.S.
While San Diego had seven clubs on the list a year earlier, the latest ranking bested the city’s showing in 2010 when there were just four top-ranked venues. Dropping off from the current list is Whisky Girl, which had previously squeaked in at No. 97.
The top 100 roster is a joint effort of Technomic, a market research firm, and Nightclub & Bar, an industry trade group, who used both primary and secondary research to help compile the list. In addition, an online survey was conducted late last year of more than 1,400 nightclub, bar and lounge locations.
Together, the 100 venues generated $1.5 billion in total revenue, with more than two-thirds of the operators reporting revenue growth in 2012.
Not surprisingly, Las Vegas dominates the list with 21 top revenue-producing clubs, but San Diego’s strong showing rivals Los Angeles’ longstanding nightclub scene, which had seven venues ranked within the top 100.
“The bar and nightclub segment grew 3.9% in 2012, and these venues achieved strong results during a year of slow economic recovery,” said David Henkes, a vice president with Technomic. “This demonstrates not only the relevance of the concepts but also the strength of their operations and promotional programs.”
San Diego’s Fluxx nightclub, which opened in March 2010, was the highest revenue producer among San Diego venues, at No. 32. That’s down from its 2011 ranking of 24.
All of the San Diego clubs, with one exception, generated between $10 million and $15 million in revenues in 2012. The Ivy nightclub at The Andaz hotel was listed as having revenues of between $5 million and $10 million.
davidhenkes.com 