New Midtown Babylon themed nightclub responds to backlash over live exotic animals
HOUSTON - On Friday night, Babylon nightclub located on Hadley Street in Midtown opened its doors to the public for the first time.
The middle eastern-themed nightclub aims to take people across the globe, without them having to leave Houston.
"It'll provide a place for them to escape to," said Moral Pourafaie, branding director for Babylon.
She says everything from the couches and floors, to the walls and artwork, was carefully thought out to mimic the actual city of Babylon. The club will have Babylon-inspired cocktails on the menu, along with belly dancers, and fire show performances.
During special occasions, partygoers will be able to see real-life exotic animals; like zebras and snakes. At the club's soft opening, there was a camel on display.
However, the live exotic animal concept has caused some major backlash on social media, with people tagging PETA and the Houston SPCA calling it animal abuse.
Pourafaie says people have it all wrong, when these exotic animals are featured they won't be in cages; they'll be on display outside the building with their own fenced-in area, and their independent handlers will be on-site.
"We would never have animals in cages period, on the outside either, their handler will always be with them, they would have food and anything that they would need," she said.
Babylon nightclub is making it clear, no animals were or will be harmed in the making of their nightlife experience.
The club was set to have a camel on display for their grand opening, but they had to cancel because of the wet weather.
Starting out, they will open every Friday and Saturday, with music selections ranging from hip hop and R&B to house and international music.