Strip club hours.

The black clubs that I go to it is generally very slow as far as black customers in very late. The whites seem to go earlier. Sometimes much earlier. Over at the RolLexx, I'm ready for bed hours before the club is supposed to get busy.

The hours you cite seem absurd at first glance.

Yeah, one club here in columbus, OH (TB's favorite) Blue Diamond, is not open on the Saturday or Sunday, and Saturday happens to be the time I go to the strip clubs most often.

Also there used to be a black club in Columbus, OH called Plush that did not open until 10PM, but at least stayed open until 4-5AM.

Just wondering, has anyone been to a strip club that is punctual on opening up on time? My favorite here in Columbus, OH lists 11:30AM as the open time, but the doors usually don't open until 12ish, and no one gets on stage until 12:30ish. It's basically just a bar with music for about 30 minutes.

I've only gone a couple of times to SC's at opening time. Nobody is naked at 11 a.m., maybe noon.

As far as the black clubs go, the "A list" girls don't get to the club until 10 p.m. The rappers don't get there till 11 or midnite. The professional athletes appear about midnite.

Those hours seem to be the busier hours in my opinion. Some may like the quieter hours earlier in the day that larger clubs are open for but those are not the busiest hours from what I've experienced. However I can definitely see an argument that those clubs are missing a lot of busy hours by closing as early as 2 AM. I've seen very busy crowded clubs at 3 and 4 AM. I know of one popular club that doesn't open their doors until 7 PM or later. However the club is pretty much dead until at least 2 or 3 hours later based on the few times I arrived early at 8 or 8:30 PM.

This argument about club hours could be the same one about dancer hours. How can a dancer make money only working 3 or 4 days a week from 8 PM to 1AM? It's not that difficult if most people visit during those hours. However I understand some people do not like to visit when a club is crowded.

It depend on the dancers, too. Some like to take their time with customers. I like the hours here in atlanta. They are usually noon to 4am Sun-thur. 12 to 3am on Fri and sat. South part of Atlanta, it is 12 to 3am Mon to Sat, close on Sun. Dancers can make enough by working only 3 or 4 days if they do enough VIPs and if the club set the proper minumum charge for VIP. VIP 150 or above can make dancers a lot of money. Some parts of ATl, they can charge at min of $100. The price for room can deter many guys from doing VIP. I have seen prices anywhere from $25 to $55 for 30 min VIP for the room.

Many clubs rely on the business suit lunch crowd. The economy has hit those guys hard and daytime clubbing is dropping off. Managers, always looking to make or save a buck (look at all the nickle and dimeing we have discussed), will cut hours to save money. Even though there is no payroll (all are independent contractors) it still costs money to run the lights, air conditioning, etc. Why do it if you are not going to make enough to cover your daily overhead?

Most of the clubs I visit have hours which are close to those in Shadowcat's post, and one sure way they make money is cover charges, or as the Iowa BYOB places call it, "parking" fees. On the other hand, I see why they don't open earlier. One of those places used to have a dayshift, and I went twice, and both times, I was one of less than 5 customers, so I see why they wait til 5 or 6 (depending on the day of the week) to open.

To answer the question about whether clubs actually open on time, I once went to the Flamingo Club in Lawrence, KS at 11:00, and they had the full array of dancers there, and I was not the only customer. So for that one case, they were open on time.

"Why do it if you are not going to make enough to cover your daily overhead?"

To keep your regulars so they still there when times get good. People get into patterns and they get out of patterns. In the book business it took a long time to build up a customer base (I was taking daily losses). Shut down for a few months and boy o boy then you have to work and wait to get regulars back into the habit.

Basically, you need to figure out how much "good will" or "repeat customers" are worth to you and if you can afford some losses. Just look at from a strict profit loss perspective, but over a longer period of time. My boss who was very successful could endure short term financial beatings and did so only due to his LOVE of money. He knew the repeat customers were a gold mine and was willing to bleed to keep 'em.

I heard too many times "you can close early" or "you can close a few days." Not really. You interrupt people's routine and before you know it they're gone. Also, some of these regulars would be making a special trip so disappoint 'em and they're a hell of a lot less likely to make the special trip in the future.

Now the new owner of the bookstore didn't care even a little bit about profits. He told me he was losing money every month and just from what I could see that appeared to definitely be the case. He didn't care about repeat business or the bottom line. And, that worked for him. He didn't need money. For his tastes he had more money than he could spend.

That's one good thing about Vegas, clubs are open 24 hours.

several clubs here in ATL open at 12pm. what a waste of time as there are usually very few girls on duty.

I see 7-2 pretty reguarly... Seems to me some of the places that think of themselves as higher end operate those hours.

Ultimately it is all about supply and demand. There is plenty of money to be made between 7 pm and 2 am if the girls are hot (good supply) and there are plenty of PLs that want to come in and sample the goods. I prefer that clubs open around 3 or 4 so I can get my cootchie ration and get home for supper relaxed. But without the supply of hot girls and the demand of at least a few guys with $$$ to burn, it is pointless to have the club open. CONSISTENCY IS ALL-IMPORTANT. JABLAKE MADE GOOD POINTS IN HIS POSTS ON THIS SUBJECT. If you start farting around with the hours and the days you operate your strip club, you are going to confuse some and piss off others. Need to set a standard and hold to it long enough for repeat business and word-of-mouth to kick in. But why are we talking to EACH OTHER about this. Do strip club owners/managers read our drivel???? I doubt it.

Assuming club was previously a Mo- Sa. club: Maybe club made only 12% of weekly revenue on Mo & Tu, yet staff costs on those comprised 33% of weekly costs. Decrease revenue 12% but decrease one cost component by 33%, and profits will surely follow. Management Consulting 101 at its best. Brilliant!!