tuscl

Alcohol may soon be allowed in WA strip clubs.

shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
Thursday, February 9, 2023 10:25 AM
A new bill in the Washington state Senate would allow alcohol sales in strip clubs. Dancers at a hearing on the measure seem to be all for it. “The time for a change in this industry is long overdue,” Sharla, one of the dancers who testified, said. Right now, only non-alcoholic beverages are served. Alcohol sales would bring a new source of revenue to the clubs, something the entertainers are all for. “It would take away a tool that abusive clubs use to put pressure on dancers,” Emily said. “It would make Washington clubs on par with other states where alcohol is sold, and house fees for dancers are substantially lower.” Currently in Washington, dancers pay a fee to work in the clubs. If this bill is passed it is likely that dancers would have to pay less. Entertainers say there are also other benefits. “In clubs that don’t serve alcohol, I had to deal with more violent or aggressive customers than places that do serve alcohol,” Lexi said. “The sales of alcohol would allow clients to bond with their friends and with the dancers as well.” One club owner agrees that serving alcohol benefits both the business and the dancers. “The ability to serve alcohol would increase flexibility and reduce costs for entertainers and maintaining high-quality facilities,” said Eric Forbes, owner of Déjà Vu. “This bill would significantly change the relationship between dancers and establishments.” The bill also requires security training for club staff and the installation of a panic button if dancers get into trouble. Entertainers say anything that helps their working environment is a good thing. “Criminalizing and creating more barriers around this industry only further stigmatizes what we do,” Lexi said. “This is a good job.” The bill is currently in committee.

14 comments

  • Dave_Anderson
    •
    a year ago
    Mileage would be a lot less. We see that in California with the topless bars vs nude clubs. This is not beneficial for the customers who go for mileage.
  • funonthaside
    •
    a year ago
    "In clubs that don’t serve alcohol, I had to deal with more violent or aggressive customers than places that do serve alcohol,” This seems opposite of what I would expect. I've seen many situations where drunk customers were aggressive and grabby. I do understand, though, that perhaps if there is a group of guys are at a club and drinking, they are perhaps being more sociable than physical.
  • drewcareypnw
    •
    a year ago
    And there goes the mileage. :(
  • Hank Moody
    •
    a year ago
    Yeah, liquor licenses just give regulators a new hammer to hold over clubs’ heads if they don’t abide by the regulators’ rules. Maybe Seattle gets lucky and the progressive government sticks with its prostitution isn’t a crime philosophy but liquor licenses will surely test it. As for the one dancer quoted who believes the club will lower its house fee since it can now make money off alcohol? Fat fucking chance. Yes, they’ll make more money off alcohol but no chance that profit will trickle down to the dancers through reduced fees. Owners will keep it. That’s just capitalism.
  • drewcareypnw
    •
    a year ago
    ^sounds about right.
  • rickdugan
    •
    a year ago
    ===> "As for the one dancer quoted who believes the club will lower its house fee since it can now make money off alcohol? Fat fucking chance. Yes, they’ll make more money off alcohol but no chance that profit will trickle down to the dancers through reduced fees." Idk. At the very least it gives the club the ability to be more flexible in how it charges dancers. When you only have cover charges, dancer fees and house VIP cuts to earn from it doesn't leave much room to maneuver, especially on nights with light customer foot traffic. I've seen plenty of alcohol clubs waive house fees on slow nights in the hopes of keeping dancers on shift and, by extension, retaining more customers for longer once they come through the door.
  • drewcareypnw
    •
    a year ago
    ^tbh, I see this as a route to reduced extras... new flashy clubs, "shows", air dances, pdx style steak and tits clubs, and less dirty vip's. That makes me anxious, but I guess it'll work out to dirty fun in some fashion.
  • Hank Moody
    •
    a year ago
    I am always a cynic. When you offer a business a new source of revenue or income, they are not likely to share it with the staff. And by not likely, I mean never.
  • idletraveler
    •
    a year ago
    The requirement to add a panic button, presumably to private dance rooms, would be a unique twist. Maybe it'd reduce camera watching and increase mileage for respectable customers.
  • drewcareypnw
    •
    a year ago
    @idle: some have this now. My main interaction with them is accidentally putting my jacket on it and the dancer removing the jacket quick so we don't trigger an incident!
  • ArtCollege
    •
    a year ago
    Booze is good in general, and especially for those who want it. For the rest of us, it will probably help. Guys who want to go out and drink will have an option with naked girls, probably boosting attendance, making it easier for girls to make money. As for those who think that companies never cut prices or fees, tell me why gasoline prices sometimes come down? Why Coca Cola is on sale at the grocery store? Why Walmart keeps its prices so low? The downside is with policing. In Seattle and Portland, police don't have the resources to deal with theft and minor assaults, much less prostitution. Needs to be a lot of blood to get their attention. But the liquor control people do have the resources to snoop for prostitution. I think that's why high mileage is a lot easier to find in Seattle than Portland.
  • Jascoi
    •
    a year ago
    selling booze doesn't seem to hurt milage at my favorite club.
  • Winteriscumming
    •
    a year ago
    There’s a reason the strippers who are invested in introducing liquor to seattle clubs are retired—they’re not gonna be in the clubs when the liquor board inevitably raids. Most have never worked anywhere other than seattle so they have no idea the actual implications (legally or financially) of working at clubs with a full bar. They just know what Eric Forbes has told them and trained them to regurgitate. Also Eric is a snake, that man has been making more off of exploiting strippers with high room cuts and house fees and back rent, even above market rate cover charges for customers, ever since the colacurcios lost their clubs. Seattleites can simply go to portland if they want an alcohol environment, so where does this leave the seattle customer base that enjoys the current environment?
  • blahblahblah23
    •
    a year ago
    I don't see how adding liquor to those clubs is a bad thing?? What am I missing here?
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