New Mons Venus Business Model - Sustainable?

For the longest time, Mons Venus was known as a lap dance factory, with dances done in the open on 2 side wall couches. Particularly on weekend nights (and even to a certain extent on weekend nights), Mons was a cornucopia of hot babes circulating around the room in varying stages of undress. Some were naked save for shoes, some would be no underwear underneath a flimsy shirt or robe. Lap dance prices within a reasonable budget range for many, albeit a bit high for being nude contact lap dances. That is, until Covid 19 hit in 2020.

Within a few weeks of coming out of Covid 19 lockdown in June 2020, Mons changed the long time customs by transitioning to all VIP format with curtained booths. (Guessing remodeling took place in July or early August.) Along with new look came a new price structure, and process. Whereas before it was just between you and the dancer, now an additional club employee has been inserted into the process. You pay the waitress the rental fee for the room first- $12 for 1 song, $18 for 2 songs. Time packages are $60 for 15 minutes, $100 for 30 minutes, don't recall what it was for 1 hour package. Additionally, dancers price is $30 to $40 per dance. (Reports of higher prices during Super Bowl, or weekend nights.) Got all this, guys ? I'll sift through all this in 3 sections, listing the Cons ( Mons will go out of business, get the bad shit out of the way first),
Pros( might find workable sweet spot of fewer customers/higher prices), and overall perspective of how some tweaks might work coupled with CPI/ historical dance price point overview.

CONS ( WHY IT WON'T WORK)

Okay, I can already hear the howls of outrage about the price increase, particularly the price for a test drive. For a single dance, $42 or $52 and up is a steep price to pay to discover that dancer isn't delivering the desired mileage. This is a $7 to $17 bump from 2019 single dance price point of $35. (20% - 48% increase). For most of the new millennium, the single dance test drive price was $30. Latest price points a $12 - $22 increase ( 40% - 73% increase).

All this coming on the heels of record unemployment, and inflationary pressures, particularly gas and grocery prices. Most of USA probably hasn't got a 20% plus raise in the last year, never mind a 40% plus raise from, say, 2015 to 2018 levels. Having a lower number of customers could lead to a vicious cycle of "if there aren't enough customers, then fewer hot dancers show up- if there aren't enough hot dancers, then the customers won't come to club" culminating in a downward spiral if not corrected.

Having attractive dancers on shift hasn't been a problem for the Mons, you just don't see any fatties working at the Mons. However, the attractiveness level has slipped a bit in the last few years when compared to the 1st half of the prior decade (2010 - 2015 ). This is partly due to increased competition from greater number of clubs, even those with different venues. A 1995 Directory listed 12 strip clubs in Tampa. Latest Tuscl tally shows 24 clubs in Tampa that are still open, double the number 25 years ago during Mons heyday. One long time limitation was no alcohol for nude clubs in Hillsborough County. Having 2 new pastie clubs within 2 miles (1 a block away) that offer dining and drinks give those clubs a leg up for the early evening hour customers. Also, many people who could afford the price increase are the kind of folks that like at least a modicum of high end accruements.

OK, Arizona Turd Blossom, I'll get this out of the way. Having a truck stop bathroom with no privacy for the crapper ain't high end. Bare Elegance, and 4 Play, 2 nude clubs in Los Angeles operate under the same no alcohol constraints that Tampa nude clubs do. The former has had $51 lap dance prices for about the last decade, and is still in business. While they can't match the dining cachet of some alcohol topless clubs
( Men's Club Dallas comes to mind which actually has a legit primo chef on staff), at least these 2 clubs have a meal selection in the realm of business oriented hotel bar and grills. They also have a door on the crapper(s). IMHO, closing the pizza place next door was a mistake. That supplements ambience of place- it was common to have shift transition dancers stopping by. Although people don't come to strip clubs for the food, having it available at least next door, if not on club premises, lends to ambience that "normal" eateries provide. Otherwise, place seems more like a peep show arcade.

PROS: WHY IT COULD WORK

One positive thing that I'll say about the new remodel is that it addressed a longstanding gripe of many patrons. Namely, Lack Of Privacy During Lap Dances.(bold face). However, making club All-VIP comes at a price. Any price increase sucks, but people can get past that if they perceive some value in a certain way. At this point, I think some perspective of historical prices relative to inflation is in order.

But first, some comparisons to the competition across the street (2001): The 15 and 30 minute spaceship prices are $250, and $350, respectively. Launch pad basic dance entails paying a bouncer $6 each time you go back there, plus whatever dancer charges. So, a test drive in Launch Pad followed by 15 minute Spaceship would run $281 to $291. Mons test drive in VIP plus 15 minute VIP would run $252 - $262, an average savings of $29 over 2001. Evaluating the 30 minute VIP package is a little trickier since Mons doesn't have a DJ that clips songs. (Dancers pick their own songs at $1 per song from jukebox.) Since many songs are north of 3 minutes, 30 minutes of fun might be 8 unclipped songs. Or else you'll get 10 dances, and they'll wink at the extra few minutes past 30 minutes.(When I got my 15 minute package, dancer said to figure on 5 songs, I don't recall getting hassled on 15 minute time limit). There is a dearth of information on how the 30 minute VIP package shakes out IRL. Projected potential costs could be anywhere from $340 for a 8 song 30 minute scenario to $400 for maybe a 10 song, 36 minute scenario. (I'm assuming a non - GPS dancer). So the Mons is in the ball park of 2001 $350 30 minute spaceship.

Here are some inflation "markers" I got from inflationdata.com Inflation Calculator. I input June 2021 as a reference point, plus the 3 following time stamps:

May 1991- $100 then equivalent to $200.37 now- so nominally double the 1991 price.

Dec. 2002-$100 then equivalent to $150.13 now- so nominally a 50% inflation rate from late 2002 price.

July 2011-$100 then equivalent to $120.26 now- so nominally a 20% inflation rate in last decade.

Here are some dance prices from the 1991 and 2002 timeframes:

1991- $20 for individual dance, or 3 dances for $50. Later could parlay into 6 dances for $100 (18 to 20 minutes). That's the 2021 equivalent of paying $40 for single dance, 6 dances for $200.
2002- $30 for single dance, 3 for $60. Some GPS dancers did 3 for $75, or 5 for $100. 6 for $120 likely price point. 2021 equivalent is $45 for single test drive, 6 dances for $180.

Recall that in 1991, USA was barely coming out of a recession. I made 6 or so visits to club during that time. So if SRO crowds were willing to pay (in 2021 $) $40 for a single dance, or $200 for 18 minutes of fun, with elbows touching patrons on either side, surely a certain number of 2021 patrons would be willing to pay $42 for single song test drive, or $210 for 15 minutes of fun in a PRIVATE CUBICLE.

Likewise, late 2002 USA was barely coming out of a recession. People were paying (in terms of 2021 dollars) $45 for single dance test drive sitting between 2 other customers, $42 in a Private Curtained Cubicle would be palatable. Going from $180 for 18 minutes of fun between 2 other customers to $210 for 15 minutes in privacy, although not a total no-brainer isn't too much of a stretch.

So a significant portion of the last 3 decades has todays prices comparing reasonably with those in the past (paying the same or a bit more) for fun in a more private setting). While some locals may be unmoved by this argument, with plenty of clubs with $20 dances (though how many of those are full nude contact), being just down the street from Raymond James Stadium, and within 3 miles of a bunch of business class oriented hotels
puts the Mons in a prime location to capture the tourist/business class market. As of this writing, were in a wobbly almost but not quite out of the pandemic mode.

For some perspective in other areas, consider pricing structure of some CA nude juice bar, non-alcohol clubs
Consider the already mentioned $51 dance price at Bare Elegance-LAX, and Centerfolds-SF $60 or more lap dance price (probably still clipping songs <3 minutes). According to recent review of Spearmint Rhino - COI, 15 minute rental price for a curtained cubicle runs from $110 to $140, depending on day of the week. Dancer fee for nude dance is $40 per song. A lot of fun to be had there , but at a price. SRI clips the MF Shit out of songs, often in the 2 - 2.5 minute range. So for 15 minutes of fun, you'll be dinged for 6 to 7 songs. You're looking at damages between $350 and $420 for 15 minute VIP there, depending on day of the week.

Then there's some reports of $60 dances in low/no contact Richmond, VA, etc. Take that and aforementioned CA perspective and $210 ($260 if you get GPS dancer) for 5 dances/ 15 minutes doesn't seem so horrible.


SOME TWEAKS THAT COULD OVERCOME OBJECTIONS:

My most recent visit earlier in the Spring was a far cry from the peak years. Place was nearly dead even on early week night. I noticed the marked decline in crowd levels, even 5 years ago. The obvious hope is that new all VIP format will yield more revenue per customer, hopefully finding the total revenue vs headcount/price sweet spot.

Mons is charging high end prices, but quite frankly aren't a bona fide high end club. The dancer attractiveness is mostly there, club amenities, not. Reopening pizza place next door would be a decent first step. While it will never be mistaken for Men's Club - Dallas, Alluvia (ATL - Cheetahs), high end Manhattan clubs, or nearby Scores/ Penthouse, at least Mons will be keeping up with the Jones's across the street that has Riveters bar and grille next to them.

Another thing would be to eliminate/minimize the irritants of current business model. A prominent irritant for me is the necessity to pay a VIP cubicle rental fee to waitress. Committing to a fixed number of dances (or time period in advance sucks). Ditto for having a good test drive only interrupt the flow to track down a waitress for cubicle rental fee, and mulling over "what x-amount of additional minutes/dances do I want to pay for ? I'd favor a hybrid system of sorts along the lines of customer paying a palatable flat fee for unlimited trips to VIP cubicle, provided they're getting a dance, not hogging the space to wait for a dancer.
Allow dancer to charge dances within negotiable price range, and deduct a cut per dance from dancers earnings. This VIP only model presents a potentially labor intensive effort to keep track of appropriate revenue. That should be the club problem, not the customers. I like the idea of the old free flowing model where you didn't have to commit to a fixed number of dances in advance. Maybe 3 dances would float my boat, maybe another time a solid half hour is it. Allow for flexibility/spontaneity for the customer.

In my limited off peak weeknights earlier this year, club wasn't exactly booming with 8 dancers on shift and little dancer circulation for lap dances. Stage side seating was 50% - 75%, but not that many lap dances. That doesn't strike me as a sustainable business model sans a vigorous weekend stretch to offset this. There is a dearth of reliable reviews wrt how the weekend shifts are shaking out.

Last, a word about "extras". I will say that VIP contact was more liberal than old open couches, without club staff acting like high school dance chaperones. That said, Joe Redner got burned with the 6' rule raids back in 2000, taking the brunt of the heat. IMHO, he's not eager to have club known as "extras central". Whether club can find the sweet spot to survive,(will decrease in headcount be sufficiently offset by customers willing to pay higher prices) if not prosper remains to be seen.

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