Longtime Henrietta strip club gets OK for addition
A strip club in Henrietta has gotten a greenlight to expand its space.
The Tally-Ho Gentlemen’s Club at 1555 East Henrietta Road will add a mezzanine level measuring 1,189 square feet that will hold private booths and a VIP section.
The one-story club has a capacity of 64 people.
That won’t change.
“I just need more space for people to be safe and comfortable and move around,” owner Ignazio Cancellieri told the Town Board following a Feb. 27 public hearing, where the special use permit was granted in a 3-2 vote.
The Tally-Ho in Henrietta has gotten the town’s OK to add a mezzanine level.
During a preliminary walk-through of the venue to explain his proposal to the town, Cancellieri was asked by the Henrietta fire marshal to remove 10 tables and three chairs over concerns they could impede patrons trying to exit in an emergency.
“If you know anything about a bar, that is a lot of money to lose,” Cancellieri — who also owns the plaza where the Tally-Ho sits — said at the meeting.
The mezzanine level will help make up for that, and it won’t cut into parking lot space.
In addition, it will increase the privacy of patrons, especially high-profile ones, he said.
Entertainers who come through Rochester often stop at the club, Cancellieri said.
“We’ve had many different celebrities that come into our establishment,” he said. Comedian Kevin Hart showed up, but “he refused to come in because we had no area to seat them where people wouldn’t gawk.”
As part of the project, the original first-floor space will be renovated, and two more exits will be added.
The special use permit prohibits a number of things, including suggestive signs or artwork on the building’s exterior. There aren’t any at the Tally-Ho, which is in a plain white building. Cancellieri even removed a green awning with the words “Gentlemen’s Club.”
“One of the things I will note is we’ve had zero problems with the Tally-Ho,” Henrietta Supervisor Stephen Schultz said by phone. “Ignazia’s been a great owner there.”
The conditions of the permit stay with the building, so they apply even if it’s sold.
At the meeting, Cancellieri said he’s owned the club for 15 years. However, the address has been home to strip clubs for more than 50 years, starting with the Half-Dollar Tavern.
Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments and has an interest in retail news. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on X @MarciaGreenwood.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Tally-Ho strip club in Henrietta NY gets approval for addition
