ORLANDO, Fla. — A popular downtown Orlando nightclub announced it is closing its doors.
Normally on a Friday night, Pine Street would be crawling with college students and night goers lined up around the block to get into The Attic and its connected bar, The Treehouse.
“A lot of young kids dancing and having a good time,” owner Matty Bullitt recalled.
But he said that’s all about to come to an end.
“Kids are starting to go somewhere else. You know, the outskirts of town, so business is down, you know. It’s been down since Halloween.”
Bullitt said business dropped some 50% to 70% since a deadly Halloween weekend shooting in 2024.
He further blamed Orlando’s After Midnight Sales Permit policy, known as AMS permits, for further tanking profits.
“You’re just bleeding day in, day out,” Bullitt said.
Now that students are heading home for the summer break, Bullitt said he’s forced to shutter the popular nightclub after 16 years.
“We spent a lot of money trying to keep the doors open and capital call after capital call for the past year and a half, two years,” Bullitt added.
It is the latest casualty in Orlando’s declining entertainment district.
Spectrum News reached out to the city for comment on the closure.
David Barilla, executive director of the Downtown Development Board and Community Redevelopment Agency, issued a statement:
“The City has long supported businesses seeking to grow and succeed within Orlando’s unique entertainment district, which attracts visitors from around the world. Guided by the Downtown Orlando Action Plan, the City continues to invest in the evolution of its streets, civic spaces, mobility options, and neighborhoods to foster economic opportunity and strengthen a thriving, connected community. Through these significant investments, downtown Orlando has been revitalized into the vibrant neighborhood and economic hub it is today. The City remains committed to shaping a downtown that is safe, welcoming, and supportive of local businesses, particularly amid today’s challenging economic climate.”
But Bullitt believes that’s of little consolation.
“It’s kind of just letting it burn in a sense… And, unfortunately, the small businesses, the nightclubs are the ones that are suffering from that,” he said.
Bullitt owns several other bars and clubs in Downtown Orlando, including Poppy Smash and The Basement. Right now, he said there’s no plan to close any of his other establishments or to relocate The Attic.
The Attic will close its doors on Sunday, May 31.