The founder of legendary Roswell Road nightclub Johnny's Hideaway died Monday.
Johnny Esposito was 79.
Esposito opened the night spot in 1979, and more than 30 years later, it's an Atlanta icon. After 20 years of greeting guests from a front table, Esposito retired in 1999 and he sold his portion of the club. He was dealing with health issues related to diabetes and wanted a break from the business.
But it wasn't for long. Soon, Atlanta's "Mr. Nightlife" was back.
"Retirement ain't all it's cracked up to be," Esposito told the AJC in 2002. "I took 20 trips in three years, but you can't travel all the time. I missed the people. This business gets in your blood."
That year, Esposito came out of retirement to briefly run Johnny's Side Door, a 70-seat nightclub with a patio deck, in the rear of the Landmark Diner in Buckhead.
But regardless of his other ventures, it will be Johnny's namesake club that he will be remembered for -- a club that has managed to outlive dozens of others. The club may have been geared toward an older crowd initially, but its ability to bring all ages to the dance floor has made it a local legend.
Johnny's Hideaway was featured in the movie "Hall Pass" starring Owen Wilson, which was filmed in Atlanta in 2010.
A tribute to Esposito is being planned at the club next week, according to the Johnny's Hideaway Facebook page.
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