Strip Club 2001 Odyssey reaches out to RNC attendees to gain business. | Photo by Samantha Battersby/The Minaret
Many Tampa businesses have readily prepared for the RNC visitors, and this does not exclude the local strip clubs. Strip joints throughout the downtown Tampa Bay area have put up attention-grabbing signs specifically targeted toward RNC-goers in hopes of upping their profits for the week.
Thee Dollhouse, a gentlemen’s club located off North Westshore Boulevard, advertised “VIP ENTRY WITH GOV I.D.” They also featured Lisa Ann, aka Nailin Paylin, this past weekend. She performed four shows where she acted as a seductive version of former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.
Since Thee DollHouse recently begun renovations in November, they expected more RNC customers. They have even compared their turnout to the Super Bowl.
“We’ve put over probably about 1,000,300 [dollars] into the club getting ready for the RNC… and we put the girls in red, white and blue corsets for a lot of fun,” The DollHouse co-owner Warren Colozzo told CNN. They have even been offering American flag-colored vodka to make customers feel that much more patriotic. Fears of Hurricane Isaac delayed potential business on Sunday and Monday, but, for the most part, strip clubs have seen a steady amount of profit if not a big increase. 2001 Odyssey was optimistic about increased profits during the RNC. They even set up a private entrance leading from the parking lot to the building.
This way, people can go inside without being seen and judged by the public. “Amber,” a stripper in Tampa, told CNN, “I’ve been prepping a lot for the RNC Convention. I’ve been working out. I try to switch my diet up a little bit so I’m eating healthier.” Joe Redner, the man that started much of the stripping success in Tampa, was originally a little unsure about how much the RNC would make for his strip club, the nationally famous Mons Venus. “I don’t expect the RNC to be as busy as Super Bowl. I don’t think those people are coming to party,” Redner told CNN last Thursday.
Overall, the nearly 20 different strip clubs in Tampa are gearing up for business and hoping for the best. “Sales doubled last week with all the RNC guests that came to town,” said Katie, a desk security worker at Skin Lounge in Ybor City. If other customers would have come in between the hours of 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., they might not have seen a large number of politicians in suits. “RNC guests came in after the bars closed at 3 a.m.,” said Fire, a dancer at Skin Lounge.
Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com.
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I cannot believe that these bars tried to hard to get RNC members to sit down at them. RNC members are professionals, not some random people on the streets looking for a good time when they get lonely. I cannot belive that these strip clubs spend so much money just trying to attract the government officials in RNC. in regards to the Skin Lounge, i wish you would have elaborated a little more, if the dancer saw the RNC members, how many where there? how were they acting? this is the kind of information that would make this story so much better. If this detail was added it would spark my interest more. Because there is not enough info, and just stated that a dancer said this, i come to not believe it, and would never think to see any RNC members there. Overall this is a great read, but just needs some more information to tie it all together.
I can’t believe that a strip club would put that much money into it, just for RNC members. RNC members are professional and government officials, what makes anyone think there going to be going to strip clubs all weekend. In a professional environment i cannot believe that they would sacrifice there positions to go to a strip club. In regards to the Skin Lounge in Ybor, how many guests came? could the dancer elaborate? I would want to know what they were doing at this Lounge, how they were acting, and what they were overall doing. I do not believe that in a professional state like the RNC that they would be prancing around Tampa looking for strip clubs. I think that the strip clubs became tacky, trying all there efforts to put up signs to attract them just for to make money.