Club La Vela was a nightclub owned by Patrick and Thorsten Pfeffer located in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was once billed as the largest nightclub in the United States.

Venue: Club La Vela
Town: Panama City Beach, US

Club La Vela was a nightclub owned by Patrick and Thorsten Pfeffer located in Panama City Beach, Florida. It was once billed as the largest nightclub in the United States. The club gained most of its fame and infamy in the 1990s during the weeks of spring break when thousands of college students converge on the club. The club was heavily damaged in a hurricane and has not been reconstructed. The original LaVela bar was built next to Spinnaker with ground breaking in the spring and Summer of 1978. In 1984 the club was rebuilt as the La Vela Beach Club and Concert Hall;the venue was designed by Walton Chancey and Timothy Packard Architects. It was originally owned by Alois Pfeffer and George Christo and after the initial season in the fall of 1984, Mr. Pfeffer became the sole owner in early 1985 and began the expansion that would eventually make LaVela Beach Club and Concert Hall, Club LaVela and the "World's Largest Nightclub". From the sinking of the original support pilings in the summer of 1984, LaVela (as it was first known) was constructed in 54 days culminating in a Grand Opening on Labor Day 1984, and an opening evening concert by John Prine. The building was Mr. Chancey's thesis from the School of Architecture at Auburn University. The original management team was headed by Willian Bass C.P.A., Gordon Hundley (deceased), Jimmy Christo Jr., and Clifford A. Becker. Alois Pfeffer himself an engineer, architect and international entrepreneur was instrumental in advising the recently graduated and certified architect team of Chancey & Packard. Originally set to cost $400,000 U.S., overtime exceeded that figure on the project alone. Alois Pfeffer continued to support the project through its infancy with money and expertise culminating in the grand opening. Original performing acts the first season included Ramsey Lewis, Gregg Allman, Robin Trower, Tom T. Hall, Pure Prairie League, Leon Redbone, The Outlaws and a host of others. The original venue was much smaller t