PUSD Alum Takes Fluxx Nightclub to Fame and $15M

If Fluxx—the downtown nightclub—were a basketball team, it would be in the Final Four.

And why not? Its general manager is a former hoops coach at Mt. Carmel High School.

As an SDSU student years ago, James Thorp would work until 3:30 a.m. at local nightclubs, then wake up a few hours later to coach basketball at Mt. Carmel.

He also shot hoops at the school until he graduated in 1997, so the transition from a Poway Unified School District student-player to coach was an easy one.

But after graduating from San Diego State with a degree in kinesiology, he made a decision to pursue his career in the entertainment industry.

His dedication has paid off.

As GM, Thorp, 34, leads one of the top nightclubs in the nation. The Fourth Avenue business takes in nearly $15 million in sales a year and sees up to 1,000 each night it’s opened.

The nightclub—which recently celebrated its third anniversary—has been named San Diego’s Favorite Nightclub by Lamplighter Awards, Best Nightclub by U-T San Diego and recently was awarded Best Ongoing Promotion by the national Nightclub & Bar Convention.

It’s also attracted top acts like Bruno Mars, Snoop Dog and, most recently, Macklemore, whose crowd surfing had Thorp worried, he said.

“To be GM is really outstanding,” said Thorp, whose family still lives in Rancho Peñasquitos. “I climbed up the ranks and have proven myself, and that’s a huge accomplishment.”

But making his way to the top was no easy feat. He said he’s learned a lot from his coaching days that he’s taken with him to Fluxx.

Thorp—who began in security at Moose McGillycuddys in Pacific Beach—said his 80 employees are his top priority.

“Managing a club is really similar to coaching, and I’ve enjoyed it and thrive at it,” he said. “I’ve learned to have patience, how to manage different characters and how to keep them motivated which helps me be motivated.”

The motivation is just one factor, though.

Thorp said it takes hard work and dedication to find success in the entertainment industry where nightclubs typically lose the public’s attention after two or three years.

“It’s not a job; it’s a lifestyle,” he said. “A lot of people think we’ll just show up at 8 p.m. and open the doors. But we work countless hours—about 80 hours a week. We worked on Super Bowl Sunday.”

But it’s that commitment that makes Fluxx one of the best, said Thorp, who noted he receives more than 200 emails a day. 

“Sometimes there’s a small window of opportunity and you can’t miss it, so you work,” he said. “It’s that commitment at Fluxx that’s also instilled in me.”

Thorp—who noted Fluxx continues to stay attractive because it changes its theme every few months down to the employees’ attire—said he found guidance from Dave Renzella, a partner of RMD Group, which manages and operates Fluxx and other venues like Sidebar.

He met Renzella while he worked at Stingaree and they later opened Fluxx together.

“I’ve been able to follow him and teach my employees what he’s taught me,” Thorp said. “He taught me that to be successful, we have to hear everyone’s opinion and that everyone contributes to our success. Everyone has a voice at my door.”

The admiration is mutual.

“He was the first person I wanted to come with me at Fluxx,” Renzella said. “It’s been really great to watch him grow and develop into someone I rely on.

“Fluxx definitely would not be as successful or continue to be as successful without James. He’s been an integral part of the success from Day One.”

Thorp said his biggest accomplishment is now being able to invest in others and their venues, including Wonderland restaurant, which will open in Ocean Beach in June.

He also plans to still be at Fluxx for the five-year anniversary and possibly open his own venue down the road.

To go from security to a general manager has inspired others too.

Charles “DeJay” DeJurnett, who attended Mt. Carmel with Thorp where the two played basketball together, also works at Fluxx as a VIP host.

“I have nothing but good things to say about him,” DeJurnett said. “He’s taught me to take advantage of opportunities. When I look at his past, it puts it into perspective that it [success] could happen to anyone—it could happen to me, too.”