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Tenjune Doorman Aalex Julian Calls Out the Neighbors

“It’s very easy to get a big ego,” Julian told Grub Street in April. Photo: Melissa Hom

Our interview with Tenjune doorman Aalex Julian sparked some heated comments, and Julian addresses one of them in a “Power Players” Q&A; with BlackBook. Responding to a commenter who called him the “King of the Bottles,” he says, “If I see a beautiful girl outside, I’m going to let her in, and I’ll buy her drinks all night because she’s going to add something to the party whether she’s buying something or not.” Beautiful girls, now you know. Meanwhile, Julian calls out a bunch of industry colleagues (bolding ours).

On Jon B, owner of Home and Guest House: “The K-Mart of nightlife. When I started at Guest House, we decided with his partner Ronnie [Madra, now of 1Oak], we all agreed it would be a high-end, selective place. Within two months, Jon B started flipping the switch, letting in thugs, letting in a guy who was threatening people.”

On 1Oak: “There are people at 1Oak, they’re high-end people but they’re sleeping till 2 o’clock in the afternoon, they’re drunk five nights a week.…You might go to 1Oak and see 50 people, and then what? You have to get in a cab and go somewhere else.…If you look at the money that we’ve made and the money that 1Oak has made — in fewer risks that they’ve taken because they’re so selective, well, they wanted to be so selective, they’ve had more problems [with fights and stealing] than we’ve had in two years.…It’s a lot more than Binn does at 1Oak who just lets people in and then there’s a manager inside and then a floor manager. I make much more of a hybrid decision.”

On Noah Tepperberg of Marquee:I have my differences with [him], but I can’t deny the gentleman that he’s a hard worker, and that’s why he’s successful. I can’t deny that.”

On Rocco Ancarola of Pink Elephant:I can look at someone like [him] who’s been in this business forever and is just barely hanging on. There are people who have been doing this for way too long and they’re burnt out, and it’s obvious to everybody.”

On “someone I can’t name”: “There’s someone I won’t name but who’s stuck around [in the business] way too long. You can only be in this business if you’re going to exit gracefully. Otherwise you’re like the girl who’s gone out too long, who was cute at 22 but now she has the injections and the lifts and is mad I don’t want to let her in anymore. It’s one thing when you’re 23 and you’re tipsy and giggly — it’s another when you’re 43 and sloppy drunk. It’s not a good look.”

On bosses Mark Birnbaum and Eugene Remm:In nine months I’m going to do something new, and it’s going to be a hit. I hope that it’s going to be with Mark and Eugene, but my deal’s up with them in September, so we’re going to sit down then and make some decisions about the future. I do have two other projects I’m looking at. One in the Meatpacking, and one here [in Soho].”

We’re guessing neither of those projects involves his former bosses Jon B or Rocco Ancarola.

Power Players: Aalex Julian of Tenjune [BlackBook]
Related: Tenjune Doorman Aalex Julian Nixes Kevin Connolly’s Entourage

Tenjune Doorman Aalex Julian Calls Out the Neighbors