PHILADELPHIA \u2014 After decades in the nightlife business, and a few years away from it, Delaware County native William \u201cBill\u201d McKee is bringing back The Baja Beach Club brand with a sprawling new venue designed to feel less like a nightclub and more like a tropical escape.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want people to walk in here and feel like they\u2019re in Key West,\u201d McKee said during a recent interview at the site. \u201cLeave the city behind for a few hours. Come with your friends, bring your family, relax and have a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The new 42,000 square-foot Baja Beach Club along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, opened April 10. The modern club is co-owned by McKee and business partner Bryan McDonaugh, owner of the Nauti Goose in North East, Maryland.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DTD-L-BAJABEACHCLUB-0415-rotated-e1776548622411.jpg\")
The famous Baja Beach Club Philadelphia is back, bigger and better than it was in the ’90s, with a swimming pool, cabana service, multiple bars, a signature menu and more. Get ready for the dance floor! The club is at 927 N. Delaware Ave. (PEG DEGRASSA – DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\n
The new club is structured as a large entertainment complex featuring multiple bars, cabanas, food, bottle and cigar service and a heated pool. McKee said the space could accommodate roughly 3,000 guests at capacity and eventually employ about 100 people.<\/p>\n
The project marks a return to an industry where McKee made his name. The entrepreneur, who was also once a pro football player for the New York Giants, said he has owned 26 nightclubs and restaurants throughout his career.<\/p>\n
In the 1990s and early 2000s, McKee and partners McDonaugh and Jimmy Gorman built a nightlife empire that included some of the region\u2019s best-known clubs, including the original Baja Beach Club on Delaware Avenue.<\/p>\n
Among their other nightclub ventures were the legendary Pulsations in Glen Mills \u2014 once billed as the largest nightclub in the world \u2014 along with Brownie\u2019s, Boomerangs on the Delaware waterfront in Essington, Polo Bay in Margate, and several Baja-branded clubs in Daytona Beach, Orlando and Gainesville, Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt one time we were doing two to three million dollars a week in business,\u201d McKee said. \u201cWe had an amazing run.\u201d<\/p>\n
McKee said he eventually stepped away from the nightlife world as his family grew and he pursued other ventures, including a lending company. For years he insisted he would never return to the club business.<\/p>\n
![\"Standing](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DTD-L-UNDERMARLIN-0415_3f02fd.jpg\")
Standing inside the new Baja Beach Club Philadelphia, underneath a mounted hanging marlin, are, left to right, General Manager Michael Avery, Club COO Tyler McKee, co-owner\/ CEO Bill McKee, co-owner\/president Bryan McDonaugh, and Ian Strassler of Advantage Security Company. Owner Bill McKee caught the 14-foot long marlin, 269 pounds, during a Y100 Baja vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico in 1995. (PEG DEGRASSA\/ DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\n
But the idea of resurrecting The Baja Beach Club began to take shape after encouragement from friends and former colleagues, including longtime associate Frank Swider, who managed the original Baja Beach Club, during its heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n
The club was one of the most popular waterfront party spots, among the many dance clubs that lined Delaware Avenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis wouldn\u2019t be happening without Frank,\u201d McKee said. \u201cHe kept pushing me and saying, \u2018You\u2019ve got the Baja name \u2014 let\u2019s bring it back.\u2019 I had no intention of dipping my toe back in the pond.\u201d<\/p>\n
McKee, an alumnus of Sun Valley High School in Aston, also credits his late father, who was always by his side in every business venture. His parents were married for 62 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father was my hero,\u201d McKee said emotionally. \u201cHe passed away this past fall. He was a master electrician and a Navy veteran, who taught me everything I know. This is the first time in over 30 openings that my dad is not by my side.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Tyler](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DTD-L-BAJACONSTRUCTIONPOOL-0415.jpg\")
Tyler McKee hanging lights throughout the newly renovated Baja Beach Club on the day before its soft opening on April 10. The entire club was built to create a Key West vibe. (PEG DEGRASSA\/ DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\n
The new venture also includes McDonaugh\u2019s son Will McDonaugh and McKee\u2019s son, Tyler McKee of Glen Mills, who is serving as COO of the company.<\/p>\n
The younger McKee previously worked in the touring industry, developing VIP experiences and production elements for major music acts including Blake Shelton, Imagine Dragons and Muse.<\/p>\n
According to his father, Tyler designed the lighting, video and visual production elements that will power the new venue\u2019s large-scale light shows.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything you see here, he designed,\u201d McKee said. \u201cHe won a Grammy for VIP Tech Development. His background is on another level.\u201d<\/p>\n
The goal of the new Baja Beach Club, McKee said, is to create a destination rather than a traditional nightclub.<\/p>\n
During the day, families will be able to visit the pool, relax in cabanas and order food from a menu inspired by coastal and Key West-style cuisine.<\/p>\n
Executive chef Dave Reed of Springfield, who previously worked in professional sports venues and regional restaurants, is leading the kitchen staff. Reed has developed a menu of signature dishes, ranging from burgers and crab cakes to lamb chops and seafood.<\/p>\n
![\"Baja](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DTD-L-BAJACHEF-0415-rotated-e1776549297128.jpg\")
Baja Beach Club owner Bill McKee, left, on a bridge inside the club with executive chef Dave Reed. The full kitchen at Baja Beach Club will offer a menu to suit every taste, from five star entrees to basic tavern foods. (PEG DEGRASSA – DAILY TIMES)<\/p>\n
At night, the venue, which is steps away from Rivers Casino, will shift toward live entertainment and a high-energy atmosphere. The venue will glow in fluorescent colors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be labeled just a nightclub,\u201d McKee said. \u201cIt\u2019s a resort experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
The venture also reunites several members of the team who worked together decades ago. Security will be overseen by Ian Strassler of Advantage Security Co., who previously handled security operations at McKee\u2019s clubs in the 1990s.<\/p>\n
Mike Sharpe, who was a part of the Baja team in the 1990s, is returning as manager\/concierge of the new Baja Beach Club. McKee said he invited Sharpe to be a part of the current Baja team because \u201che always ran the operation with \u201ccontrol and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Construction and renovations at Baja were coordinated and completed by contractor Wayne Doherty of All-In-One Contractors in Elkton, Md., who McKee credits with helping transform the space in just a few months.<\/p>\n
The project moved at a rapid pace, with crews working long days in preparation for last weekend\u2019s initial soft opening. The formal grand opening is planned for May and will be announced soon on the club\u2019s social media platforms.<\/p>\n
For McKee, 61, the comeback represents both nostalgia and a new chapter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI used to be all ego in my younger days,\u201d he said with a laugh. \u201cNow it\u2019s about the team. It\u2019s about creating something people can enjoy together. This club\u2019s Baja Beach team is built on trust, loyalty and the team\u2019s commitment to working together and creating a safe and welcoming environment for every person who walks through these doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
Drenched in vibrant Key West colors, palm trees and other tropical features, the new unique club features a glowing dance floor and stage. A hanging 14-foot, 269-pound marlin that McKee caught himself during a vacation in 1995 adds to the club\u2019s themed ambiance.<\/p>\n
If all goes according to plan, the waterfront Baja Beach Club will serve as the model for future locations. McKee said the group hopes to expand the brand again, possibly opening additional venues in Atlantic City and other cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our Picasso,\u201d he said, gesturing across the sprawling space. \u201cWe want this one to set the standard.\u201d<\/p>\n
For longtime fans of the old waterfront nightlife scene \u2014 once home to clubs like Maui Beach Club, Rock Lobster, Egypt and KatManDu \u2014 the revival of Baja may bring back memories of a different era and create a sense of nostalgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople who remember those days can tell their kids about it,\u201d McKee said. \u201cAnd now we\u2019re building the next chapter. Our mission is simple here. We\u2019re bringing great people together to create unforgettable experiences and continue the legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you go<\/p>\n
\u2022 Baja Beach Club Philadelphia is at 927 Delaware Ave., Philadelphia.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Open every day, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Follow the Club on social media @bajabeachclubphilly, email bajabeachclub@gmail.com or call 267-372-1591.<\/p>\n
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