Downtown nightclub The Scene is getting a makeover.
Michael Warren has been steadily keeping the word out on social media that the renewing of the Broad Street night spot is underway.
“It’s going to give you an Edgar’s Above Broad, Ruth’s Chris [the Florida-based, upscale steakhouse chain], Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons-type vibe upstairs,” said Warren about his plans for restoring the club.
Upgrading and refurnishing the bar, bottle service lounges and offices were implemented in time for an imminent reopening, Warren says, the first phase of a series of larger overhauls of upper and ground levels of the building, 9,000 square feet each.
Among the planned renovations are a set of escalators, one going toward the entrance at the rear of the building, and another leading to the exit out to Broad Street, as well as a rooftop lounge with a view of SRP Park across the river.
Warren finds the club’s moniker, which he has renamed The Scene On Broad, is apt for his concept of turning it into a kind of hybrid venue.
He intends to craft an atmosphere that would accommodate events such as comedy shows and even plays. Warren’s previous nightlife project, the Maserati’s Event Center on Ellis Street, featured both, including a series of stage plays written by Warren himself titled “Monopoly Street.”
“A lot of times, these playwrights want venues, and oftentimes they can’t fill an auditorium with 400 or 500 people, because they’re just starting out,” said Warren, who wrote and staged “Monopoly Street,” a six-part series of plays, at Maserati’s. “A location like this is perfect because they can set the tone and the audience… If they’ve 100 people, they can set up for 100 people.”
The building was formerly a Planned Parenthood, before developer Rafy Bassali purchased it in 2016. The Scene was a nightlife concept initially launched by club-owners Robyn and William Jarrett in 2017. Warren acquired the business from the Jarretts in March of this year.
The new version of the bar is part of an overall vision for Warren, who also redevelops and leases rental properties and runs a catering business. In 2015 felt compelled to return to the CSRA from Atlanta, where was also operating a catering service, to uplift the Augusta community.
After participating in several events, including local theatrical productions, Warren partnered with Fred Givens, owner of Soultry Sounds downtown, to launch Maserati’s in 2017. Business picked up in 2019, he said, before being hampered by COVID the following year, and then electrical fire led to shutting the spot down.
“I just want to see Augusta great again,” Warren said. “I want to see Augusta vibing like when I go to these cities, like Greenville and Charlotte, the downtown is safe and clean and people are happy. We’ve got to get Augusta back like that.”
Warren acquired the alcohol license for the new iteration of the nightclub, located at 1289 Broad St., and aims to reopen The Scene On Broad in time for First Friday in October, and begin its greater renovations starting next year.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
