I'm only picking on strip club owners here because this is, after all, TUSCL. I'm sure lots of monied business owners out there are equally cheap. However after having worked for a bunch of these guys it just seems like strip club owners are some of the worst of the lot.
I also realize there are hidden overheads most people don't even take into consideration when thinking about what kind of dough it takes to operate a titty bar. Things like insurance, legal fees, licensing renewals, payoffs etc etc.
The last 2 out of 3 clubs I've worked at were cash generating machines. The chef at one of these places was privy to some of these costs and when we compared notes we figured that between utilities, supply and payroll alone it probably cost somewhere around $2500-3000 a day in operating costs.
That being said some of the guys I worked for were the cheapest sons of bitches I've ever had the misfortune to work for. Here's some examples:
-
Carpet that went beyond filthy and was actually worn through to the plywood flooring (and this guy laundered money for a major biker gang on top of the money his place generated so its not like he was broke)
-
A place I worked at recently had an employee bathroom that doesn't have water hooked up to it. If you had to use the toilet then you had to bring a five gallon bucket with you and dump-flush the toilet and wash your hands in the kitchen.
-
Parking lots that look like Berlin after we carpet bombed it. The owner grudgingly filled some of the bigger holes with gravel after he got sued for damages to some cars instead of just paving the damn thing which would've been cheaper in the long run.
-
I worked for a guy who made anyone who needed to use a radio buy their own. The owner wouldn't spring for them even though they're essential for his employees to have in order to make him money.
-
An owner that wouldn't fix the roof which leaked all over the damn club anytime it rained, destroying the carpet, light fixtures, walls tables, you get the idea. The mold in the club was insane and eventually he got shut down and had to spend huge amounts of money to reopen rather than just fixing the initial problem.
-
A guy who wouldn't let his employees drink bottled water unless they paid for it. He had this dingy ass water dispenser that never got cleaned and put out grayish yellow water for his beloved employees.
That's just a few examples. Anyone here notice stuff like this in their local hangout/workplace?
My 2 cents: you guys can't have it both ways. Many seem to like the hole-in-the-wall places because they are often perceived to be "extras friendly". I realize that's changing - every place it seems like is becoming that.
And I know many hard core mongers don't like the Deja Vu chain. I understand your reasons. But, at least for the several I've been in, they are very well maintained. Clean. Nice bathrooms. They do replace the couches in the VIP and purchase new carpet. Some of the other corporate clubs may do the same thing - it's just that I'm more familiar with Deja Vu. I bring up Deja Vu because you mentioned licensing fees. Since DJV has been involved in a number of lawsuits, the court documents are a matter of public record. I was shocked. I said shocked, to learn of how much each club pays to corporate EACH WEEK in licensing fees. And not much involving strip clubs shocks me.
So I think you nailed it when you said the general public doesn't realize the overhead and operating costs of the club. There's more involved in running a club than making sure the dancers get there on time and the booze us ordered in Monday.