25 Years Later: Playboy Club Reopening In Chicago

Hugh Hefner and his Playboy bunnies will be making their triumphant return to Chicago, IL after a 25 year absence. Just blocks from the original Playboy Club a new experience is hoping to open in a mansion located on the Near North Side.

According to Playboy’s CEO the deal is currently in the works with expectations to open the club by early 2012.

The announcement comes just as the company prepares to launch a new TV show based on their one-time famous clubs, while new clubs have already launched in Las Vegas, Cancun, Macau and London.

If the deal goes through it will be the first club that isn’t featured in a hotel, the resurgence of the Playboy Clubs started at The Palms location in Vegas.

According to Chicago Business:

“There’s a retro appeal of Playboy that’s still tied to the brand that could attract a young audience,” says one Playboy expert. “But will it be able to set itself apart in a way where people will make a return visit?”

The original clubs were very popular in the 1960s however the excitement of those locations quickly fizzled out and all of the company’s original locations were shut down.

Playboy is desperate to find new revenue streams as their subscription base continues to shrink and free pornography threatens the entire industries original business model.

Will you be attending the Chicago Playboy Club if the licensing agreement leads to a new location in Chitown.