JAMESTOWN, Pa. Club T owner and Jamestown native Travis Hobson, 22, has discovered a formula for success born from a personal pet peeve.

We had to go to other towns if we wanted to find something to do, Hobson said of his teen years. On weekends, you wanted to do something with your friends and there was nothing.

The 2007 Jamestown High School graduate quickly found ways to occupy his time; as an eighth grader, he was holding talent shows with friends. In high school, he was directing his own music videos for local bands and making a profit working as a wedding DJ on weekends. Despite his busy schedule, Hobson recognized that there were plenty of other teens just like him who wanted to have fun without getting into trouble.

So when his DJing on the weekends proved popular and he saw promise in the basement of the restaurant where he rented storage space, Hobson, 18 years old at the time, opened a teen dance club. At first, dances were held monthly, but the events proved so popular that Hobson threw them every weekend. Before long, he was considering finding a permanent space. When a building went up for sale across from Mark Twain Manor, 210 Liberty St., Hobson purchased it. While still running the dance club, Hobson rehabbed the building and in April 2011, opened Club T at its 215 Liberty St. location.

People say to kids, Dont do this, dont do that. But then they give them nothing to fill the void. Thats what this place does fill a gap.

In its current incarnation, Club T fills that gap in multiple ways, By day, the venue is an inviting and surprisingly sophisticated sandwich shop boasting fresh ingredients and free Wi-Fi. But by night, the space is transformed, blazing with dozens of lights, TVs playing music videos, a second-story DJ booth manned by Hobson and a spacious dance floor. It is a setting where tweens and teens feel free to dance their hearts out to a mixture of top 40 and dance classics. Karaoke is also featured.

Not only do they have a place to go, but they feel like its their place, he said. The club offers two three-hour dance nights a week; on Fridays, grades 3-6 are on the floor; Saturday nights are reserved for grades 6-12. Cover charge is $6 per person and attendance averages 60-70 per night, Hobson said. Club rules require all attendees to sign in; those who leave before the end of the dance cannot return. Other club rules include forbidding bullying or profanity. Violation of the rules means expulsion from Club T, with a probationary period to follow.

Hobson said that Club Ts dozens of regulars have created a community that ensures the rules are followed, and he has few problems during events.

We have some self-policing going on from are regulars. They tell (new visitors), Hey, you cant do that, he said.

Club Ts staff have worked hard to make sure that the business keeps its reputation in the community as a safe and fun venue for youths.

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Travis Hobson has found formula for success