After a two-year-long closure caused by the pandemic, the iconic Smoke Jazz Club on the Upper West Side has reopened at 2751 Broadway by 106th Street and the beloved venue has undergone a transformation.
Husband and wife co-owners Paul Stache and Molly Sparrow Johnson have taken on two adjacent storefronts (a decision that was made pre-pandemic) in order to expand the jazz club, which is now home to an attached lounge as well. The instantly recognizable full-length bar that patrons were used to saddling up to in the original iteration of the venue is now found in the new lounge. The additional space also allows for a larger stage.
Given that the club first opened on April 9, 1999, the owners are no strangers to the sorts of disasters that deeply affect a business. Some may even argue that their ability to survive the 9/11 attacks, various economic crashes, fires and more has contributed to the way they have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Abiding by the new laws of the land, Stache and Johnson in fact pivoted their original business model—for a time no longer reliant on in-person jazz sessions—to include a streaming concert series, sidewalk shows, outdoor dining and more.