Pelham Manor resident John Juliano, owner of the Copacabana restaurant and nightclub for the past 18 years, celebrated the opening of the Copa’s new rooftop lounge last week with a party.
Juliano, whose family also operates Juliano’s Caterers in New Rochelle, moved the Copacabana to its present location at 268 W. 47th St. at Eighth Avenue last July and he said it took him a while to finish the entire building, which includes a restaurant on the first floor and a nightclub on the second that offers mostly Latin music.
The roof lounge is decorated with dark wood floors and black and white furniture, a retractable glass roof and sleek steel and glass polygon windows facing the streets. Vintage touches include a palm frond overhead light fixture and pink bar salvaged from the original Copa.
The Copa dates back to the 1940s and for decades the nightclub was located at 10 E. 60th St. until it it moved to 57th Street, followed by 34th Street before moving to its present three-story location. The original venue was a magnet for the famous.
“I met so many celebrities over the years,” said Juliano, 70.
Juliano said he’s been surprised by the public reception since reopening the Copa last year.
“We’re booking so many parties. I never realized a place like this would be so much in demand,” Juliano said.
