Jekyll & Hyde Club

The restaurant is modeled after a 1930s British explorers club[3] embellished with spooky Gothic horror themes, with Victorian decorations, set pieces, and actors who roam the restaurant and entertain patrons.[2] It has been compared to a haunted house and Chuck E. Cheese's.[4]

Cuisine includes salads, sandwiches, burgers, and pizza[5] as well as liquor and cocktails.[6][4]

Characters include Mr. Aloysius Goole, the wacky chief mortician; Jervis, the hyperactive and high-pitched French butler; charmingly manic Gertrude K. Boom, club demolitions expert; and club spokesperson Dr. Brain.[2] These characters are the guest's link to all of the details of the club's history, and perform membership inductions table-side.[2]

In addition to the live characters, there are a number of animatronic props, sounds, and special effects which contribute to the overall atmosphere of the club.[2] The animatronic creatures (either pre-recorded or voiced live by restaurant actors) animate periodically to entertain the guests and wish happy birthdays.[2]

Former Times Square location pictured in 2013, which was demolished in 2015.

The restaurant opened in 1991[7] on 91 Seventh Avenue South in Greenwich Village, which is the only remaining location as of 2022.[8]

The cement sidewalk in front of the original location claims that the club was established in 1931; this can be assumed to be a falsehood meant to represent the setting of the restaurant.

Jekyll and Hyde also operated a larger location on the Avenue of the Americas in Midtown near 57th street. In March 2012, this branch closed and moved to 44th Street, near Times Square. This branch closed in March 2015. The Sixth Avenue facade continued to stand long after its closing, up to its demolition in 2015.[9]

A 2019 Eater article praised the poison-themed cocktails and described the experience as, "a kitschy, G-rated haunted house, but its longevity, and the popularity of experiences like it, comes from how it taps into our desire for [a] transformative experience."[4]

Bankruptcy

In 2022, the restaurant filed for bankruptcy with $7.5 million owed to creditors and $1.5 million owed in back rent.[10][8] This was partly caused by lack of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic.[11]

Former 6th Avenue location

In the 12th episode of the first season of 2005-2009 reality show The Girls Next Door, Hugh Hefner and girlfriends are shown having dinner at one of the Jekyll & Hyde restaurants. An entertainer portraying Dr. Mange is shown dancing to popular music such as Love Shack during the dinner service on Wednesdays.

The club was also featured in 2017 Netflix show Friends from College.

Jekyll & Hyde locations have been opened in Chicago and Grapevine, Texas (near DFW Airport), but closed due to poor business and the high operating costs of the restaurant.

Deacon Brody Management Inc., also known as the Jekyll and Hyde Entertainment Group,[6] also operate the nearby Slaughtered Lamb Pub on West 4th Street (based on the movie American Werewolf in London[1]), and the Bayville Adventure Park on Long Island.[12]