MJQ Concourse has a new home at Underground Atlanta.
The Atlanta nightclub, currently located on Ponce de Leon Avenue, is planning a move to the former spot of Dante’s Down the Hatch restaurant at Underground Atlanta in early 2024.
The club is moving due to a giant new mixed-used development in the works from Portman Holdings along a stretch of the storied Ponce corridor.
“The history of the city is getting wiped away so it only makes sense that we escape deeper down into Atlanta’s history for safety,” said Ryan Purcell, co-owner at MJQ Concourse said in a statement. “We are thrilled that after being open for 25 years we will be taking over such a notable space that has not seen life for 25 years.”
According to a press release, the MJQ team will work to preserve the pirate ship structure that sits in the former Dante’s space. Dante’s was founded in the 1970s by Dante Stephensen, and served as the centerpiece for Underground Atlanta for nearly 30 years. Dante’s permanently closed its Underground location in 1999. Stephenson passed away in 2020.
“It’s almost serendipitous to find Dante’s, a space that is not only at Underground Atlanta, but literally under Underground Atlanta’s lowest level,” Purcell said. “It allows our club to provide the same legendary underground, gritty experience our visitors have come to love at our current location.”
MJQ opened in the basement of the Ponce de Leon Hotel in 1994 before moving to its current spot at 736 Ponce. The opening of the new location in 2024 will commemorate the club’s 25th year in business.
MJQ joins a growing group of new tenants at Underground Atlanta, wich was purchased by Lalani Venture in 2020. Other new tenants include Common Grounds Coffee Shop, Doblo’s Pizza Co, and Atlanta Comedy Theatre, an upscale comedy club venue.
“Preserving the unique history of Atlanta while bringing new and exciting experiences to Downtown Atlanta is the heart of our mission,” said CEO of Lalani Ventures Shaneel Lalani in the release. “We are proud to be home to two of Atlanta’s most iconic venues – The Masquerade, a classic Atlanta live music festival venue, and now, MJQ. This is how we’re maintaining Atlanta’s remarkable entertainment culture.”