A new lounge called Sophia is opening inside the former Camelot nightclub space at 114 S. Narcissus Avenue in downtown West Palm Beach, aiming to pull in an older, more professional crowd than the venue it replaces. The club admits guests 23 and older, offers a menu of zero-proof cocktails alongside craft drinks, and features established DJs spinning through the night.
Camelot shut its doors after 12 years on Narcissus Avenue, just south of Clematis Street, following an announcement that framed the closure as the end of an era downtown. According to The Palm Beach Post, the club's operators wrote that “after 12 amazing years of unforgettable nights and memories, this will be Camelot's final weekend,” closing out a run that began when the club opened in 2014. Camelot was operated by SubCulture Group, which sold the building housing the club for $3 million in April, the paper reported.
Sophia is the work of Jeremiah Pitts, described in a Palm Beach Post report as the former owner of Camelot and a veteran operator of downtown nightspots. Pitts told the paper that Sophia is focused on reaching the right person rather than chasing volume, and that downtown West Palm Beach does not have the best image right now even as he says he remains excited about its future. He described Sophia as a place to dance after dinner, catering to an earlier-going, less hard-drinking crowd that he believes exists among the city's larger professional class.
A Different Rhythm Than Clematis Street's Old Guard
The Palm Beach Post's report notes that Sophia plans to open earlier than many other clubs on Clematis Street and is making room for DJ equipment by slightly shrinking its dance floor. Pitts told the paper he believes a club with a more intimate vibe can prosper on the strip, even as CityPlace and the Nora District pull more buzz from nightlife seekers downtown.
Separate reporting from oftmw.com describes Sophia as a Sophia Loren-inspired disco lounge, named for the Italian model and actress, that will admit guests ages 23 and over and run Thursday through Saturday from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. That outlet reports the club will lean on relaxed cocktails and conversation early in the night before the music turns more energetic around 11 p.m., shifting into disco and house remixes that carry the dance floor until closing. Sophia will offer craft cocktails and a full zero-proof list, bottle service and private-event bookings, though it will not serve its own food, according to the same report. Membership preorders are already available, with members promised exclusive events, social hours and complimentary experiences.
Accounts of Sophia's exact opening date differ. The Palm Beach Post's reporting lists an opening tied to October 22, while oftmw.com's description places the opening on October 23 — the two outlets do not agree on the precise day.
A Shifting Downtown Scene Around Clematis Street
Sophia's debut lands amid a broader reshuffling of downtown West Palm Beach's nightlife and dining landscape. The Palm Beach Post's coverage of Camelot's closure noted that other downtown spots also folded this year, including the upscale eatery Mystic Table, which abruptly shut down after just six months, and Grease Burger Bar, which closed after a 17-year run.
Clematis Street is also adding new dining options on both ends, with a food hall opening on its west side and additional eateries preparing to open to the east, according to the Palm Beach Post's reporting. palmbeachnow.com reports that the 13,000-square-foot food hall Hacienda, with rooftop seating, an outdoor patio and room for about 600 guests, was expected to open at 522 Clematis St. on September 16. The same outlet reports that two Mexican-inspired concepts, Taquerías Carnalito and Tragos Amargos, are planned for 301 Clematis St., the former home of Nico's Pizza, with openings expected in late 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.
Nearby, the Nora District continues to draw investment as part of what ftlevrealestate.com describes as a roughly $1 billion redevelopment of the old warehouse corridor along North Railroad Avenue, turning century-old railway buildings into a cobblestone street of restaurants, shops and studios. Haute Living reports that Pastis, a Parisian-style brasserie from Stephen Starr, and Jack's Bar opened alongside the 201-room Nora Hotel on October 19, while Cameron Mitchell Restaurants' Del Mar opened in the district back in April as the company's first venture in Palm Beach County.
