Players Nite Club, 112 W. College Ave., will reopen its all-ages shows beginning tonight because of an exemption found in the state's new chaperone law.

Because Players is part of Hotel State College, it qualifies for the "Pizza Hut exemption," Mike Desmond, co-owner of Hotel State College, said.

Under the exemption, an establishment that earns 50 percent of its gross profit from the sale of food or nonalcoholic beverages is exempt from chaperone laws, said Molly McGowan, a spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board.

Hotel State College has a restaurant license that encompasses all of its establishments, including Players, McGowan said. The all-inclusive restaurant license makes Players eligible for the exemption, even though the sales for Players alone may not include enough food and nonalcoholic beverages, she said.

The exemption states that any liquor served in the club must be either take-out or table service, and alcohol cannot be served from a bar, McGowan said. If an underage person is at a table, no alcohol can be served at that table unless the person is accompanied by a parent or someone over 25, she said.

The intent of the chaperone law is to keep minors properly supervised, but in a restaurant setting, proper supervision is not a big concern, Desmond said.

"I wouldn't say it's a loophole because loopholes go against the intent of the law," Desmond said.

Players initially canceled its all-ages night after the establishment of the new chaperone law because it was not aware of the "Pizza Hut exemption," Desmond said.

"For 16 years, Players had been operating under the chaperone rule, not realizing we could run our under-18 and under-21 nights under the ['Pizza Hut Exemption']," Desmond said.

The all-ages nights are regulated by law more than other places for parties -- such as fraternities -- making Players safer, he said.

Pat Conway, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association, said the exemption does not violate the intent of the chaperone law, as all of the components of Hotel State College would have been examined by the state before its license would have been approved.

The exemption should not be looked at as a loophole in the case of Players because the club is a safe party alternative for underage people, Conway said.

"It's a case of a responsible establishment -- we're very pleased that they will be able to operate," he said.

Dave Wells, manager of Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., said he is not concerned with Players' exemption from the rule hurting his business. Crowbar is still subject to the chaperone law. Though the two clubs have a similar attitude, Wells said he is not bothered by Players' exemption.

"The [chaperone] law in general is irritating -- I don't know that I could be any more irritated at this point," Wells said.

If businesses continue to put enough pressure on local representatives, the law will be repealed, and all-ages events will reopen with no lasting harm to businesses, Wells said.

Bills under consideration in the state House and Senate aim to change the chaperone law. Votes are expected within the next few months.