NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A former downtown Norfolk nightclub that fought to bounce back as a restaurant after a quadruple shooting outside last summer is closing its doors for good.
“Legacy Lounge has closed its doors to the disappointment of many friends and those who became our family through a very challenging year,” said spokesperson Marcus Calabrese in a statement on Monday. “While we appreciate the opportunity to have met available members of Council in recent weeks and to be members of the downtown Norfolk community, we regret the reality of the incident and lack of compatibility felt amongst our neighbors. We thank everyone with spoken and unspoken empathy during this process. Please know that for us, you made every day bearable and because of you we are growing and going forward with new opportunities extended to us here at home in Hampton Roads.”
This comes just two months after Legacy, which reopened as a restaurant instead of a club in February after a long legal battle with the city, had its request to serve alcohol denied by Norfolk City Council.
“The food was still good, that’s the most important part. A lot of the clientele stayed the same, but it wasn’t the same number,” Calabrese said.
Council initially pulled Legacy’s permit to operate back on Sept. 14, 2022, saying it violated its permit by not having marked security when four people were shot outside on August 5, 2022. Legacy’s owners insisted surveillance video showed there was marked security, but they eventually dropped their appeal to reopen as a nightclub back in December.
Legacy was one of several downtown establishments that were Black-owned or had primarily Black clientele to be shut down in 2022 by Norfolk City Council, prompting allegations of racial bias.
Calabrese said the owner felt it was better to reshape a legacy and start over.
“Whether that is going to be opening up another business of some other kind,” he said. “They will let that be known when they are ready for it. The opportunities are out there.”
