I now think that the owner...

I now think that the owner of BJ’s, that Broadway Avenue institution, would shut down the business if he got the right deal for the land, but until then he loves the place too much to not put money into it. In other words, he’s the ideal small business owner. I have seen too many this year that don’t invest in their business and let it go to pot or just quit them altogether. So it’s refreshing to see at least one guy care. In return, the people who work for him, especially the strippers, seem to care about him.

The improvements have come over the past year or so. First of all, if BJ’s was shutting down, they wouldn’t hang the yearly Bud Light sports schedule posters on the walls. They’ve been diligent in putting them up, so I don’t think they’re planning to close down. More notably, the televisions are new. There is a pair of wall-mounted TV’s hanging on both ends of the stage. The old box ones have been replaced with the slim, high-definition, modern ones. The vintage sets were working just fine, so to me, throwing them out is another sign that BJ’s isn’t going anywhere. Hell, they’ve even begun to have music there, for an hour, Sundays at 2.

The girls are … well, some of them have been around as long as BJ’s has, no lie. But I’ve been going to this place for the better part of a decade, and once you get to know the veterans, you find up they’re pretty cool chicks. And don’t discount the young strippers: A lot of them match and even exceed the ones you see at the clubs nearby in downtown Minneapolis. Added bonus: You know they’re smarter than the downtown workers because BJ’s takes fewer fees from them. In fact, the only two dancers I would avoid are Charlie, an obnoxious rip-off bitch who won’t show you her tits, and Jenny, a plain-looking blonde who can only say one thing: “I’m so wet.” Oh, would you like a cocktail napkin?