Kiara Henry finally met her “someone,” Darren Chance, and early last year they set about planning a wedding, booking a Daytona Beach venue with views of the ocean.
But the Crystal Ballroom recently sent a message to Henry, Chance and other brides and grooms that it was closing, citing “issues with the building,” including a fire department condemnation. What the message didn’t say: The Crystal Ballroom was evicted in March for not paying its rent.
Brides, grooms, and others have formed Facebook groups to start sorting out next moves. Can they find other venues for the same dates? Do they move their wedding dates back? Do they work with the Crystal Ballroom — which has other locations — to rebook?
There’s also a good deal of venting. One called it a “disaster.” Another said she’s “sick to my stomach.” Henry said she has paid Crystal Ballroom about $4,000 of an approximately $9,000 tab, and the venue has refused thus far to refund her money.
“Everyone’s just angry,” Henry said. “Everyone’s very angry. Like who has another nine, ten, $12,000?”
Angry and scrambling.
However, Lukasz Rogowski, owner of Crystal Ballroom Franchises, LLC, contends “many clients” have already moved their events “happily and confidently” to different venues, including Lake Mary, Altamonte Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Rock Hill, South Carolina.
“This is not a situation where clients are being abandoned,” he said in an email to The News-Journal.
Rogowski declined an interview.
A Daytona wedding ‘dream’ dashed
Kiara Henry, of Sorrento, has been a single mom of two daughters, now 18 and 15.
“They’ve always wanted to see me married. They came with me to pick out my dress,” Henry said. “They were helping with the colors. They’re just as excited as I am.”
Henry and Chance looked at multiple venues in early 2025 and circled back to the Crystal Ballroom at Ocean Walk Shoppes, 250 N. Atlantic Ave., when its owners offered a discount. About a year ago, Henry and Chance signed the contract setting their date for Nov. 14, 2026.
When she learned about the Crystal Ballroom closure, she said she seeking out other venues. As of April 16, when she spoke with The News-Journal, she had found it “impossible” to find a similar location for her date.
“I had a dream. My dress matches that dream,” Henry said. “I cannot find what I wanted with … the type of dress I have. I do not want (to wear it on) a farm, or on a carpet in a hotel room. So I am now being forced to push my date back to 2027.”
In addition to the $4,000 she has yet to get refunded by the Crystal Ballroom, she said down payments on other services — such as catering and the DJ — might also be lost.
“We just sent save-the-dates. … Family is buying tickets to come down, and now we’re telling them that hey, we don’t have a date as of right now because we’re back to square 1,” she said.
Crystal Ball eviction proceedings started in February
The Crystal Ballroom entered into a lease for just over 12,000 square feet at Ocean Walk in January 2024, then made “sporadic payments,” until September 2025. After that, the business “failed to pay (Ocean Walk) the full monthly rental payments.”
Peter Pearson, property manager for Ocean Walk Shoppes, said on April 17 the Crystal Ballroom was given an option to go on a payment plan to get caught up about six months ago.
That didn’t happen, so the the restaurant and entertainment complex sued Crystal Ballroom and Rogowski in February.
As of Feb. 13, Ocean Walk asserted in court documents that Crystal Ballroom owed more than $243,000 in overdue rent and sued for eviction.
Volusia Circuit Judge Dennis Craig granted Ocean Walk’s motion for possession on March 26.
Pearson addressed the Crystal Ball’s allegations that the building had problems and the fire department had condemned part of the building, saying: “Not true at all.”
“At no time did the Fire Department conduct inspections or issue orders that contributed to the closure of the Crystal Ballroom Ocean Walk,” Fire Chief Dru Driscoll said.
Crystal Ballroom owner says ‘full focus’ is on clients
Rogowski, owner of the Crystal Ballroom, would not agree to answer questions about where that leaves customers — some of whom said they were making payments in March as the eviction proceedings were ongoing. He provided The News-Journal a statement.
“At this time, my full focus is — and will remain — on our clients. The closure of Crystal Ballroom Ocean Walk has created disruption, and I fully acknowledge the frustration and emotion that comes with it,” Rogowski said. “These are once-in-a-lifetime events, and I take that responsibility personally.”
Within the past two days, Rogowski said on April 16 he and his team had been working around the clock to communicate with customers who rented the venue for future dates, “secure alternative venues and dates,” and “where necessary, work toward appropriate financial resolutions.”
Crystal Ballroom messaged clients stating it was attempting to secure a different Daytona Beach location, but that didn’t work.
“With the closure of the location and all resources now fully exhausted, refunds are unfortunately not something we are able to offer,” the message states.
Rogowski complained that media coverage of the closure “has focused on amplifying panic rather than solutions.”
“We are not avoiding our clients. We are not ignoring our responsibilities. We are actively resolving every case,” Rogowski said. “What we need right now is space to do that work effectively.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: A Daytona wedding venue gets evicted. Couples are ‘angry’
Reporting by Mark Harper, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
