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During the Prohibition Era (1913-1933), the United States outlawed liquor sales and nightlife was pushed underground. Outlaw entrepreneurs kept the party going with secret nightclubs called speakeasies, like the legendary Club Intime on New Yorks West 54th Street.
Flūte Midtown now occupies the space that was Club Intime in the 1920s. The era of secret passwords, bootleg booze served in tea cups and police raids lingers in Flūtes intimate, candle-lit design where guests can disappear into velvet banquets to sip champagne. Flūte Midtown also celebrates its history with regular Prohibition Night parties.
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1928/1929
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Club Intime operates under flamboyant host and former showgirl, Texas Guinan. Texas greets arriving guests from her perch atop the grand piano with the words, "Hello sucker!" Rudolf Valentino's ghost is summoned in a séance, a diamond necklace the size of a bread plate disappears from the throat of an heiress, Texas coins the term butter and egg man after a big spender in the dairy business buys the house a round.
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April 17, 1929
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Club Intime is raided by the police and shut down just as the Midnight floor show is about to start.
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September 1997
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Hervé Rousseau opens Flūte Champagne Lounge on West 54th Street, returning speakeasy-style decadence to the theater district. Pale yellow walls wrap guests in a gentle glow while they lounge on low couches strewn with jewel-tone pillows. Rich velvet curtains turn the banquets into discreet nooks perfect for relaxed conversation with friends or a little romance. A glass-walled wine cellar displays Flūtes treasure trove - bottle after bottle of champagne.
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November 2000
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Flūte opens a second location on East 20th Street in the Gramercy Park area.
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