With so many people out of work and unable to get unemployment compensation, it has become a very critical time for many in our industry. For those club owners who’ve been able to go above and beyond for their entertainers and/or, staff, we want to share that story.
Today’s story of “giving back” showcases the Bucks clubs of Dallas, who have found a way to not only stay connected with their entertainers, but also help feed them and their families. Beginning last Monday, March 30th, Bucks began offering meals on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to Bucks’ entertainers, who have not yet been able to receive unemployment benefits.
“The first day, we served 26 meals — family-sized meals — from 2-5 pm,” says Kevin “Rich” Richardson, the director of operations for the Bucks chain of clubs. “The next day we served, Wednesday, it was 38 meals, and the next day (Friday, April 3) we served 60. When they come for a meal they’re allowed to sign up for the next meal, and just about every person has done that. We’re serving whole meals with the sides; the first time it was a whole chicken and sides, then meat loaf and sides, then brisket and sides.”
“You realize it’s going to be longer, and there are people out there who may need food to get by. We thought, how can we help with resources that we have? We have a kitchen, we have a chef on salary, so let’s cook these people food — we can’t let them go hungry.” – Bucks’ Kevin “Rich” Richardson
As Richardson notes, without a clear timetable for when things will get “back to normal” in our country, Bucks’ owner Curtis Wise and Richardson wanted to do what they could for those in their “family” who were clearly in need.
“Some cities already saying 60 days (for the self-isolation),” says Richardson. “You realize it’s going to be longer, and there are people out there who may need food to get by. We thought, how can we help with resources that we have? We have a kitchen, we have a chef on salary, so let’s cook these people food — we can’t let them go hungry. So we now serve these family-sized meals that can feed four, or one person can eat on it for a few days.”
When they first started the program of serving meals three days per week, one of the biggest challenges for Bucks was getting the word out to their entertainers. They tried a few different avenues, including social media. One of their clubs, Bucks Wild Dallas, had just recently started using the Pole Position app, an app designed specifically for club entertainers. Richardson found out quickly that of all the ways they tried to reach the girls, it was the Pole Position app that turned out to be the most effective.
“It’s a tremendous advantage for us to be able to stay in touch with our entertainers during this time, and because most of them are young, using an app like Pole Position, with its notifications, helps provide an immediate connection. We’re trying to help (entertainers) to figure out how to get self-employed benefits, help them with letters to creditors, share the latest information, and sometimes we just want find out how things are going for them.”
Separately, Pole Position is also attempting to help the entertainers who use their platform. According to their operations manager Caressa, Pole Position is paying for approved tutorial videos that entertainers submit to their platform.
“It can be a tutorial video on anything that is good advice from one entertainer to another,” says Caressa. “Ideas include but are not limited to pole work, floor work, hair, makeup, how to approach a customer, how to build your regulars, what to do if a customer is being inappropriate, what to bring in your stripper bag, how to invest and save, etc. The only people that see the tutorial videos are the other entertainers on the app.”
For more information on the Bucks clubs, visit BucksClubs.com. For more information on the Pole Position app, go here or email ccarter@indywork.com.
