Will Opium Group Try to Take Manhattan Again?

Is Miami's famed Opium Group planning a second attempt at invading New York's nightlife scene? According to Steve Lewis, they are hoping to bring a version of their relatively successful Louis Bar and Lounge to a yet-to-be-identified space in Soho. If you recall, the Opium Group laid a major egg at Mansion, a colossal failure of an attempt to bring the Miami-style nightclub scene to W. 27th Street. That club was re-branded as M2 and the Opium Group headed back down south with their tail between their legs. A nightlife insider told Eater that while company principal Roman Jones has been seen taking meetings in New York recently, they had not heard any pending plans for a new venue in New York. One obvious location would be in the new Trump Soho, but that space has already been taken by Rony Seikaly's Quattro project, and the neighborhood will not look kindly upon another club attempting to open. The Opium Group is also working on a Louis type concept in the failed Forty Deuce space in the Mandalay Bay, but the Vegas and Miami markets are night and day compared to New York's scene, so they would be wise to remember how much fun they had with Mansion before signing any leases.
· Opium Group Redux @ Nina [BB]
· Mansion Coverage [DBTH]