• By RACHEL JONES
• Special to 2theadvocate.com
• Published: Jun 16, 2009

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All across the country people are looking for the club that has “it” -- the trendy atmosphere, tasty drinks and hottest music. A place that feels like it could be in a “Sex in the City” episode, but with the convenience of being close to home.

Since most of the world doesn’t live in New York City, Baton Rouge native and experienced club owner Michael Howard brought everything the chic, sophisticated clubs of the Big Apple have to offer home with him. The Hot Box is the perfect mix of funk and style, and just like its motto, it’s “Where the sophisticated relax.”

“Being a big clubber myself, I’ve been around to different places from here to New Orleans to Atlanta to Houston and to Dallas that gave me a feel of what I wanted to see,” Howard said. “My team and I looked at all the different angles from a consumer standpoint, an owner standpoint, an advertising standpoint and tried to put all those together until we got the Hot Box. Something just completely different from what everybody else does, but not so different that it would be alien to people.”

The Hot Box will play host to all the latest club trends found in the biggest cities in America. With signature drinks, a grand opening cigar bar, custom-designed VIP area and monthly make-up bar, Howard wanted to bring a little bit of his experiences home.

“I think people go to different places in New York or Atlanta to experience all those things. It’s never really been done in Baton Rouge and this area at all, so I just brought it here for people. They’ll never have to leave town to experience that real fun, catchy spot where they can enjoy themselves.”

Baton Rouge is definitely making a climb to compete with the sophisticated, urbane cities in the South, and the addition of the Hot Box targets a new age group in the community that may have been missed in the past.

“I felt like we needed a place that catered more to the 25 and up age group,” Howard said. “There are a lot of places that cater to the older people and the college crowd, but the vision was for it to be a place where the entire neighborhood could enjoy what we have going on.”

Located at 1828 North Foster, the Hot Box is housed in an old club that had been closed for years. With a new vision and three months of renovations, it has kept up with the revitalization of the rest of Mid-City and boasts a retro, ‘70s feel with all the modern amenities, like ample parking, a full bar, VIP area with a fireplace, and brand new dance floor.

“We kept some of the originality of the club when we purchased it and made some minor upgrades to make it feel more alive. We built a custom VIP bench and there’s plenty of bar seating and tables,” Howard said. “We have live music, DJs playing all different genres of music from reggae to hip-hop to R&B, and we are trying to be open to everyone in the Baton Rouge community. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.”

The grand opening for the Hot Box is set for June 20, from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m., and will be an exciting affair for everyone who is at least 21 years old.

“The grand opening is going to be a fun event. Everybody from the city is invited,” Howard said. “I’ll have a special DJ coming in for the evening, some artists from California, and people will be hand rolling cigars for the customers as a little something extra for them to enjoy. My party promotions from California and Atlanta are coming in to support the event and it’s going to be a real good party.”

The cigar bar will be special just for the grand opening, and people with VIP access can enjoy lounging while watching the cigar makers roll, cut and light the hand-crafted masterpieces.

“You can pre-purchase or purchase at the door for the VIP access,” Howard said. “When you walk into the VIP, you’ll be greeted by the waitress who will explain the cigar rolls that we’ll be hand rolling, and she will give the big story of the cigar and then they’ll light it for you.”