Under new management, needs time to find itself

As per the title, Vanity is as of recently under new management and they're making changes. I previously enjoyed coming to Vanity as a warmup for the night because their Inflation Buster deal was 3 songs for $60 which is a steal for SF. But they're doing away with that special (and with pretty much all of their previous drink specials) to reinvent themselves with a polished brand image. But that will take time.

I visited Vanity on a Wednesday around 8:30pm unaware of the changes and planning to get a couple of Inflation Buster dances before migrating somewhere else. I noticed the sign advertising them was gone so I asked a bouncer and they said they were rethinking the specials and it was an intermediate period. Only the upstairs is open right now despite the staff and the dancers saying the larger bottom floor will be opening up soon. The current layout is somewhat awkward with a bar to the left when you walk in, then a small pole across from the bar with tables and chairs scattered throughout. But the tables/chairs are not clustered around the stage so you have to get up or scoot over to the stage in your seat in order to tip. This awkwardness is why I usually stick with dances here. I ordered a beer for $8 then sat down at a table to scope out the dancers. I recognized a few dancers but many I had never seen before. It definitely seemed like some were auditioning as well - one girl I tipped while she was dancing on stage and she asked if I was interested in a dance to which I replied yes but I later saw her leaving the club in sweats. There weren't many girls (less than 10) and a similar number of patrons so weirdly I didn't spend a ton of time talking to the girls. I didn't like the vibe and the changes meant I was going to have to spend more than I was intending to (3 dances are now $100 and I didn't inquire about room prices) so I decided to leave and hit up Centerfolds.

Vanity had a great little run as a cheap night starter but it's not worth going to during these changes. I'm hopeful that it still remains a great option when the rebrand is complete because there are unfortunately not a ton of replacements for what it used to be these days in SF.