Razzle’s settled wrongful death lawsuit just before closing

A week before The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that Razzle’s Nightclub in Daytona Beach would be closing, the Seabreeze Boulevard fixture settled a wrongful death lawsuit.

And the Marion County woman who filed it believes the lawsuit was likely a leading contributor to the longstanding local nightclub’s demise.

Wrongful death suit was one of dozens filed against Razzle’s Nightclub in Daytona Beach

Razzle’s Nightclub in Daytona Beach has long had a history of complaints, calls to the police and lawsuits.

In fact, in 2023 alone, 120 people called local police, detailing underage drinking, fights, intoxicated patrons, shootingstrespassers and illegal parking. And since 1992, court records show more than 30 lawsuits have been filed against the longstanding nightclub’s owners over much of the mayhem.

Kelly Ratisher, of Ocala, filed one of the most recent lawsuits against the nightclub’s owners on behalf of her son, Jared Ratisher, who died in a car crash after nightclub officials served him alcohol while he was underage, according to court records.

“I couldn’t understand or believe how they could still be operating,” she said. “You have all these parents coming forward saying their kids are being served underage and there is nothing being done.”

Court records state that she filed the lawsuit against Jedak Associates LLC, and Florida business records list Kyriakos and Panagiotis Drymonis — the owners of the nightclub — as managing members. Business records also show they own The Oyster Pub. Their attorney, David A. Vukelja, did not respond to a News-Journal request.

The lawsuit claims Jared, who was 19 at the time, showed Razzle’s Nightclub security his underage ID on the evening of June 7, 2024, and was given a 21-plus stamp on his left hand.

The stamp allowed him to purchase alcohol, according to court records, despite his ID stating he would not be of legal drinking age until March 9, 2026.

▶ See more details on the Razzle’s Nightclub closure in Daytona Beach

Ratisher said he did not have a fake ID, nor did he pay bouncers to give him the 21-plus stamp.

He purchased several alcoholic drinks and caught a ride home with his friends, who lived in the area, after leaving the nightclub. Ratisher said he left a few hours later, early the next morning, and tried to drive home to Marion County before he crashed into a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court records state his blood alcohol content was 0.068, which is above the 0.02 legal limit for minors. The limit is 0.08 for people 21 and older in Florida.

Razzle’s lawsuit settlement came a week before the announcement of it closing

While Ratisher filed the lawsuit in September 2025, records state she reached a settlement with the nightclub’s owners Oct. 27 — a week before The News-Journal broke the news of the nightclub’s closure.

That same day, she said the owners’ attorneys reached out to her attorney, Olivia Miller, of Chad Barr Law, and informed her the nightclub would be closing.

Details of the settlement are not public record, but Ratisher said she was initially disappointed in the outcome. No amount of money could bring back her son. She never thought the lawsuit would lead to the nightclub’s closure.

“I think (the lawsuit) was definitely a big contributing factor (to the nightclub closing) because we weren’t backing down. We weren’t letting it go,” she said. “I think there may have been other (cases) that were dropped or didn’t continue to pursue things… I think that might have freaked them out.”

Court records show she had initially asked to be awarded $50,001 to $75,000 in emotional damages, and she confirmed to a News-Journal reporter that she received a monetary sum. Other information is confidential, she said.

Jared Ratisher was planning on joining the Navy before he died

At 19, Jared Ratisher was at a time in his life when he was figuring out where he stood and growing into himself. His mother said his early teenage years were hard.

Right before his death on June 8, 2024, Jared had just made the decision to join the Navy and had a lunch planned the next day to discuss it with his mother.

“He was my only child, my best friend,” she said. “He was my world.”

— Kairi Lowery covers growth and development and breaking news in Volusia County for The News-Journal. She can be reached at Klowery@usatodayco.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Razzle’s settled wrongful death lawsuit just before closing | Exclusive