SR still not ready for Prime Time

I used to go to the Penthouse Club relatively frequently. It was my "go to" club and I always got very high mileage in the VIP. It was one of the few clubs where I thought the VIP was well worth the up charge from typical lap dances. I understand why the place went under - never a big crowd except after a game so it was hard to keep the hot dancers which of course leads to a downward spiral.

I was pleased that the Rhino was going to take its place and reopen. I've now been there twice. As dead as things may have been at Penthouse, it is much worse for Rhino. Why is this the case? Its not too hard to figure out. Its a $10 cover, with high drink prices. I'm OK with both of those -- if its an above average club, above average girls, and a lot of fun. The first time I went I stayed for a couple hours and had lap dances from 3 different girls, none of which would have been worth taking to VIP. This time, I grabbed a beer and waiting to see the dancers on stage. I think there were 3, maybe 4 customers. I know its was early evening, but still. They had a total of 4 dancers. Yes, that's right, 4 dancers. One was fugly, two were not attractive, and the 4th one, who was by far the best looking, would have been in the bottom 25% of any other club. I finished my beer and left. On the way out, I asked the guy at the bar if this is the way it is every night and he said, its getting better every week. Really?? Its simply not possible that it was worse then this last week.

The club itself is very nice, the location that some people don't like I actually think is just fine. However, if they don't improve the quality of the dancers, they can't possibly last. What they need to do is lower the cover charge, maybe run some drink specials, and give the girls around town incentive to work there. They should start offering to let the girls keep most of the money from lap dances and the VIP. Would they lose money -- you bet -- but they would attract better looking dancers who would bring their regulars and because they have the best looking girls, they'd build a clientele for the club. Once it becomes a popular place to go, they can go back to charging the girls exorbitant fees like all the other clubs. I guess they just have to decide if they are going to do something radical, lose some money short term, and end up with a viable club, or, stay the course and be closed in the next 6 months. The math simply doesn't work to continue operating they way they do -- no one wants to pay a premium price for below average dancers no matter how nice looking the club they are dancing in is decorated.