Baltimore's Gold Club
I've been having a running debate on Baltimore's Gold Club's web site. I claim the place is grossly overpriced while everyone else (who I think all work there) tells me I'm nuts. So I'd like your opinion. First some background - the place is large and super fancy, probably the fanciest club I've ever been in, a really beautiful facility. The main room has two large circular bars with a stage in the middle of each, and the stages are connected by a runway that has very comfortable lounge chairs and small tables on either side. The girls come down a wide stairway from their upstairs dressing room onto one end of the the dogbone-shaped stage and dance fully nude on stage, then get dressed and circulate for conversation and private dances. There's a separate lap dance room, a champagne room, a gold room, a shower-show room, and a separate room for private parties where they also have male dancers on weekends. Everything is new and super-plush. You enter the club through a metal detector and there are large bouncers everywhere and a dj playing the music. There are also tons of dancers working but their quality is pretty average - some are attractive and fit, many are neither. But all are pretty friendly and there's not a lot of hustle. And there are few customers, at least during the day when I go in. Get the picture? BTW, the club isn't located downtown, it's in the outskirts of town on a main commercial highway surrounded by auto repair shops, factories, etc. - a pretty seedy area. The famous Wagon Wheel, the highest contact club in the state, is a couple blocks away.
Now for the pricing. During the day there is no entrance fee or cover but I think there is at night, don't know how much. Beers are $7, mixed drinks more. Drinks for dancers are $10 and are tiny. There is a kitchen and a burger costs $9. Laps, fully clothed and no touching by the customer, are $30 a song except on Wednesday when they are $20. The gold room is $150 per half hour, which includes free drinks, and the girls are topless, and they expect a big tip on top because the house gets a big cut. More touching than in the lap room but still pretty low contact. The champagne room is similar at $175 a half hour, there's a little more privacy but cameras everywhere. I believe the shower room is $250 plus tips for the girl (or 2.) If you just sit at the bar and drink with a girl you'll go through a $100 real fast. If you want to play it will cost alot more than that.
My contention is that (1) they're charging white collar prices in a blue collar area, (2) they're charging for top quality girls and hiring average quality girls, (3) they're charging for high contact laps and giving their customers low contact. They disagree, they think they've got the only real gentlemen's club in the area and are worth the price. Who's right? BTW, the place is empty during the week and all the girls are pissed because they aren't making any money, but they apparently do fairly well on weedends and usually have a bunch of bachelor parties. I suggested that they ought to lower prices, at least during week days, and maybe they'd get some customers. They say they don't want to attract the local riff-raff, but they've already got a mostly blue-collar crowd, if you can call the handfull of people there a crowd. Everyone just sits at the bar and stretches their drinks and watches and nobody tips the girls.
What's your reaction?
Now for the pricing. During the day there is no entrance fee or cover but I think there is at night, don't know how much. Beers are $7, mixed drinks more. Drinks for dancers are $10 and are tiny. There is a kitchen and a burger costs $9. Laps, fully clothed and no touching by the customer, are $30 a song except on Wednesday when they are $20. The gold room is $150 per half hour, which includes free drinks, and the girls are topless, and they expect a big tip on top because the house gets a big cut. More touching than in the lap room but still pretty low contact. The champagne room is similar at $175 a half hour, there's a little more privacy but cameras everywhere. I believe the shower room is $250 plus tips for the girl (or 2.) If you just sit at the bar and drink with a girl you'll go through a $100 real fast. If you want to play it will cost alot more than that.
My contention is that (1) they're charging white collar prices in a blue collar area, (2) they're charging for top quality girls and hiring average quality girls, (3) they're charging for high contact laps and giving their customers low contact. They disagree, they think they've got the only real gentlemen's club in the area and are worth the price. Who's right? BTW, the place is empty during the week and all the girls are pissed because they aren't making any money, but they apparently do fairly well on weedends and usually have a bunch of bachelor parties. I suggested that they ought to lower prices, at least during week days, and maybe they'd get some customers. They say they don't want to attract the local riff-raff, but they've already got a mostly blue-collar crowd, if you can call the handfull of people there a crowd. Everyone just sits at the bar and stretches their drinks and watches and nobody tips the girls.
What's your reaction?
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6 comments
Second, moderately-priced clubs usually don't have much competition except for other moderately priced clubs in the area. But once you start talking big bucks, your competition isn't just other clubs, it's other forms of adult entertrainment as well. For example, if I'm thinking of spending a couple hours in a local titty bar that might run me $100 or so, there isn't likely to be much else available in that price range. But if I'm thinking of hitting a fancy place where a trip to the VIP room could push me into the $300+ range, I might consider hiring an escort instead. Or any of a bunch of other options that are readily available. As clubs raise prices, these other options become more and more attractive for some customers.
Anyway, it sounds like the Gold Club people aren't too experienced at making a go of it on this level. Obviously, Baltimore isn't the same as Detroit, but it still could be possible to succeed with an upscale club in a bad location. However, you don't just set your prices high and say, "Build it and they will come." You need to have hot women, loose rules, and one hell of a team of kickass lawyers.
Chandler, the point I was trying to make is that if your target market is traveling businessmen and conventioneers. you need to be near the downtown hotels. If you aren't, you need to try to attract a different audiance.