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Hustler In The Bible Belt

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Flynt store gets city approval Posted by jprendergast 12/27/10, 9:09 am
The city planning and buildings department gave its OK to a new downtown store, known only in documents as HH. HH, the city believes, stands for Hustler Hollywood.

HH provided to the city a list of things the company expects to sell at 16/18 E. 7th St. The city requested the list to make sure the place doesn't violate the municipal code's rules on sexually oriented businesses. HH says it'll sell lingerie, swimwear, accessories, glassware and novelties, according to a Dec. 23 memo from Solicitor John Curp.

Enquirer reporter Dan Horn spoke to Larry Flynt about the store in August.

His story:

Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt confirmed Thursday that he hopes to open a new Hustler Hollywood store in downtown Cincinnati by the end of October.

He said he decided to open the store 16-18 E. Seventh Street because a larger Hustler Hollywood in Monroe, north of Cincinnati, is his most successful retail outlet in the country and he believes there is enough demand to support another in Cincinnati.

Flynt said he's not worried about competition from the other Hustler store downtown, which is operated by his estranged brother, Jimmy Flynt. The brothers have been feuding for years and have battled in court for control of the Hustler name and assets, which include the magazine, pornographic video production, websites and about a dozen retail stores across the country.

Jimmy Flynt has said the new store is meant to put him out of business, but Larry Flynt said the move makes good business sense.

He said the Monroe store makes about $1.5 million a year and is more successful than any other Hustler Hollywood.

He said Cincinnati's conservative reputation and past obscenity cases – including his own famous battles with Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis – have scared away potential competitors.

“The reason Cincinnati is such a good market for us is there's not a lot of competition,” Larry Flynt said. “Si Leis has kind of seen to that.”

He said the new store will be run by his daughter, Theresa Flynt, and will sell sex toys, lingerie and other adult products. He said it will not sell sexually explicit videos, which in the past have been the focus of obscenity prosecutions.