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worDs by BRiaN ShieLDS iMage by LawReNCe BRYaNT
They say a man is not measured by how many
times he falls, but how many times he gets back
up. after several setbacks, the 33 year old father
of one reclaimed his rightful position as the King
of nightlife. a nationally ranked tennis player at
the prestigious Clayton high School and alumni of
UMSL, his pedigree reads like that of a pharmacist
with degrees in both Biology and Chemistry, but
rather than filling prescriptions at Walgreens, John
Burns decided to use his keen business sense in
order to embark on this journey. originally, John's
quest to become a club owner was inspired by a
set of high school parties in which he made $1200
on the first and $1700 on the second party. after a
trip to the nBa all-Star game in atlanta, in which
he witnessed party goers paying anywhere from
$300-$500 dollars to get into premiere nightclubs,
it was time for John to answer his calling.
a journey embarked upon with paths endured
of success amidst road blocks of controversy!
The Living Room, John's first venture, a multi-
storied club located downtown served as a training
tool for John as he learned all the `ins' and `outs'
of the business. Burns learned everything from
liquor laws to how to manage his staff, security,
and day-by-day operations. John also learned
how taxing the nightclub business could be,
recalling, "it really puts a strain on a relationship
and it made me loose my hair by the time i was
30!" The Living Room enjoyed mild success
before its doors were closed due to complications
the co-owner had with taxes. eight months later,
the night life in St. Louis received a `major shot in
the arm' when John opened the club that put the
party scene in St. Louis on the map, Plush!
Plush night Club, located at 20th and Market,
opened its doors in January 2004. Plush occupied
the former space of have a nice Day Cafe,
connected to the historic Union Station. Plush
routinely packed in 1200 party goers on a nightly
jOHN BURNS
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LAST MAN STANDINg