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Parkrose couple sees a need for their daughter to socialize with friends and others in a safe environment near home and create an underage nightclub in Parkrose
Dino Ferrante wants Mid-County teenagers (he has one) to have somewhere to go at night and on the weekends to dance and socialize. Ferrante wants a safe, clean, local place free from parental scrutiny, yet under close adult scrutiny for teenagers as they exercise their social muscles.
Thinking people understand and acknowledge that pre-teens and teenagers need places to go. Where can they go now? They can go to the mall, to a movie, hang out at their friends place, or the local video arcade, go roller skating or skateboarding, and that’s about it. “Kids today have no place to go, nobody wants to deal with them, and there are so many curfew laws restricting their night time activities,” Ferrante claims. “We want to give local kids somewhere to go locally with adult supervision, that is fun for them.”
Ferrante is originally from Italy. His parents moved to New Jersey when he was 13. He moved to Portland in 1983 when he was 20. “I’ve been in Portland ever since and wouldn’t go anywhere else,” Ferrante says. “I love Portland.”
In 1988 he married the former Brenda Stillwell, a Mid-County local who attended Glenhaven Elementary and Madison High School. They settled in Parkrose and started raising their family. They have a 14-year-old daughter attending Parkrose Middle School and two grown children from previous relationships.
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| Club Bounce owners and Parkrose residents Brenda and Dino Ferrante check the soundboard in their new business venture at 10721 N.E. Sandy Blvd. in Parkrose. |
How did he ever get into the underage nightclub business? Like most good businessmen he saw a need and is now trying to fill it. It started last Halloween when the Ferrante’s were hosting a Halloween party for their friends and asked their daughter if she would like to throw a party for her friends. 6o invitations later, they had an underage party, scheduled in their home. That’s brave. The Ferrantes were understandably nervous. Who wouldn’t be? They were so impressed with the behavior, demeanor and attitudes of all the kids there they actually wanted to do it again. The idea for an underage club in the Mid-County area took shape. Ferrante wanted to find a place near his home in Parkrose. After much looking he found the old Wells Fargo bank branch building at 10721 N. E. Sandy Blvd., most recently occupied by a short-lived computer gaming business. After convincing the building’s owners of the soundness of his plan, weeks of 12 to sixteen hour work days converting the old bank building into a nightclub, complete with a quality sound system, DJ booth, dance floor and nightclub space followed.
Club Bounce opened on Friday, March 12. There were over 230 teenagers in attendance the second Saturday they were open. Currently they have dances on Friday and Saturday nights only. There are plans to fill the other weeknights with teenage friendly entertainment as the business grows, starting with every Wednesday, where local teenage garage bands will perform live music.
“What we are trying to do is bring a little bit of the downtown culture to Parkrose, without the dangerous environment.” Ferrante says. “There is nothing bad about the downtown underage clubs, it’s the environment around the clubs that has potential danger, personally I feel downtown Portland is too far away for my 14-year-old daughter.”
Club Bounce has adult supervision at all times, but the kids don’t see it. Ferrante encourages parents to visit Club Bounce, meet him and his wife, and look around. He hopes parents do come in and check out the features of the club, proving to themselves the place is safe for their pre-teen or teenager. The cover charge is $10. Club Bounce has a big screen television, video and arcade games, a snack bar, computers with internet access and a couple of pool tables. Four to five hours of entertainment for ten dollars is a pretty good deal considering the cost of movies and video arcades nowadays.
The Friday night dance is for Middle School age kids up to sixteen years old. The music starts at 8 p.m. and ends at midnight.
Saturdays are for the 16 to 20 year old crowd. Saturday’s dance is from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Honor roll students receive a cover charge discount. Ferrante’s goal is to have the club garner enough revenue from the Friday and Saturday night dances so that it can be open free of charge the rest of the week. The nightclub opens at noon every day.
“We have poured our heart and soul into this venture, even taking out a second mortgage to make this happen,” Ferrante says.
The building owners were initially nervous when they found out what the Ferrantes planned for their building, but after seeing the business plan and hearing what they wanted to do they are now very supportive. Initially the Parkrose Neighborhood Association had some trepidation until meeting the Ferrantes and seeing what they were doing to the property and how it would work within the neighborhood. “The local crime-prevention coordinators and the senior neighbor police officer have all been here and we now have a close relationship with all of them.” Ferrante has also reached out to the Parkrose High School administration and staff to let them know who he is and what he’s doing, as Parkrose High School attendees are his potential customers.
In addition to running an underage nightclub the Ferrante’s also operate a drive-thru espresso business from the bank’s old drive-thru window. Serving coffee, espresso, desserts and Illy, an Italian coffee not readily available imported from his homeland. The Espresso drive-thru is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. Stop in and meet your new business neighbors. Have a cup of coffee and look around. You’ll be more than welcome.
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