At a spritely 82 years young, Dan Harris, the owner of DC’s Archibald’s, reflects on his almost half-century working in the adult nightclub industry as well as his other passions in life that won’t let him slow him down anytime soon.
(NOTE: This story was written by Kristofer Kay and appears in the January 2025 issue of ED Magazine.)
Dan Harris swears he didn’t have a hangover. On the morning of our conversation in late December, Harris, 82, answered the phone in his office located on the fifth floor of his club with a cadence and delivery most benefitting that of a night well spent. However, the club owner and serial businessman, known by the likes of DC power players and porn stars, didn’t let an evening of convivial, holiday-themed intemperance hinder his ability to recall the decades that got him to where he is today. Plus, and after all these years, he maintains a two-drink maximum. It wasn’t the alcohol speaking, never is, it was just another night in the life of the well-lived Mr. Harris.
Born and raised in the Mid-Atlantic region with severe affection for both the ocean and bodybuilding, Harris’ story would best be told in chapters. From his days as a squad leader in the Marines to his years as a band manager, saloon owner, billiard hall head, comedy club proprietor and jiggle joint operator “Dan the Man,” as he’s called in his native DC, has stories to tell. Perhaps that’s why he’s revered by both his family (married for over 50 years with two grandchildren), his employees who see him every day as well as the feature entertainers who perform at his place and who have helped Archibald’s secure ED’s “2024 Best Feature Club” Award.
In the following conversation, a progression from Don Waitt’s seminal “Founder’s Interview” series, I have the opportunity to speak with Harris to discuss his business philosophy and his views on today’s industry, as well as recall some stories that only a person like him can share. If having time is more important than gaining wealth, then Dan Harris is a prime example of obtaining both in equal measure.

ED: From what we know, your history in this industry goes back all the way to the 1960s and you have some incredible stories. How did you initially get started?
HARRIS: The first club I owned was back in ’67, a go-go bar I named Clancy’s. I ended up opening 10 Clancy’s in and around Washington. Then in 1969, coincidentally on my birthday, November 16, was when I bought Archibald’s for $85,000. And my rent for the building was $1,500 a month. It was a townhouse on K Street that was owned by a dentist.
ED: When people think of go-go bars from the ‘60s they may conjure up the pastels from psychedelia and flower power. Was that what it was like back then?
HARRIS: No, not really. At least not in my clubs. Girls didn’t dance in cages or anything like that. I painted the front windows and left a space where people could see inside from the sidewalk. The streets of Georgetown were very busy with people walking around. Eventually, there got to be so many people on the sidewalk, just trying to see what was going on in the club, the police suggested I cover the entire window with paint. I liked drawing a crowd however I could.
On the second floor of the building I opened the Comedy Cafe and I had everyone come through there at one time or another. Jay Leno was there when no one knew who he was. Chris Rock was another one. Oh, and Dave Chappelle started there when he was 14 on open mic nights.
— Dan Harris
ED: So, was Archibald’s another venue before you came along and bought it?
HARRIS: It was called Tinker Bell’s 1520, since our address is 1520 K Street. And Tinker Bell was a stripper named Marilyn Wayne. I think it was a lesbian bar when I bought it to be quite honest. But I liked the building. I have five floors here. The fifth was the attic that I’ve since converted to our office, but once there was the club, then two apartments. Marilyn lived in one with her cats. When I took over, I got two books on how to name your baby, and out of the two books I picked seven names, and one of the names was Archibald.
ED: Your general manager, Thom Naylor, mentioned that there is a story behind the first girl to audition for you.
HARRIS: So, a young lady came in and I said, “It’s time to audition you.” She stood up in my office, took her blouse off, took her bra off and dropped her pants. I didn’t mean for her to audition in my office. I meant that she would go out and dance on the stage. Anyway, long story short, I hired her.
ED: After that, I hope so!
HARRIS: She became my girlfriend for a year.
ED: What was DC like back then in relation to operating a strip club? Was it more or less restricted being located in our nation’s capital compared to say Baltimore or Philadelphia?
HARRIS: Well I was the first to go topless in the city. I had signs saying that we were DC’s first completely topless club. What I did, actually, was cut holes in a piece of paper and spray the nipples of our dancers with spray paint like they were pasties. Not the greatest idea, but it worked for the time.
ED: Not the most hygienic I wouldn’t think?
HARRIS: Yeah, I don’t think they much liked the spray paint. You know those little paper cups you put mustard or ketchup in? Well, I used those too. Just added a bit of surgical glue (Laughs). Gosh, well I didn’t know anything about pasties as you can see. I’m not even sure if they had pasties back then.
ED: Once you figured out the pastie situation and established Archibald’s you expanded to having a comedy club in the same building. Had to be an odd mix, but it worked?
HARRIS: On the second floor of the building I opened the Comedy Cafe and I had everyone come through there at one time or another. Jay Leno was there when no one knew who he was. Ellen DeGeneres; she was very attractive back then, and it was before she came out. I was hurt that Ellen did not invite me up to her room when I dropped her off at her hotel, but then later, I found out why. Chris Rock was another one. Oh, and Dave Chappelle started there when he was 14 on open mic nights.
ED: How did a 14-year-old Dave Chappelle end up on the second floor of a building that’s typically home to a strip club?
HARRIS: I used to allow him to come as long as his mother accompanied him. His mom would bring him there for open mic nights, and then she would sneak out and leave him there. I bought him a drink on his 21st birthday in Archibald’s. Dave Chappelle, he’s a very cool guy. Wanda Sykes was there. She was local. Who was the guy in the cop movie? There’s a movie about two cops. He was also local. I’m trying to think of his name.
ED: Martin Lawrence?
HARRIS: Yes! Of course, Martin Lawerence. He was another that took part of our open mic nights. There were probably more that came through too however I can’t remember everyone.

ED: Seeing that you have almost six decades in the industry, in the same location in the same market, how would you describe the industry’s evolution over that time period? It’s hard to compare each decade from one another, is it not?
HARRIS: Well, much like how we were the first to go topless, we were also the first to go full nude.
ED: When was that?
HARRIS: I don’t remember. Sometime in the ‘90s. People told me that going nude would kill the mystery; that people want to imagine what the girls looked like under their costumes and to not do it. I did it anyway, and I guess they really didn’t want to imagine because my business doubled when I went completely nude.
ED: What is the day-to-day like now at Archibald’s?
HARRIS: We’re open from 7 pm or 2 am. Before the pandemic, I used to have a waiting line for lunch. Then, after the pandemic, nobody came downtown, so I’m not even open during the day. Now, it’s Tuesday through Saturday night and we’re open until 2 am during the week and 3 am Fridays and Saturdays. We have a good mix of both blue and white-collar clientele. I had a guy in here not too long ago tip us almost $40,000 and gave me a list of people at the club that he wanted the money dispersed to. We get all kinds.
ED: And is it true that you still audition every girl that comes in to dance?
HARRIS: Definitely, and even the servers and the bartenders. I’m not always there when they’re hired, but if I don’t like the way they look, I mean, I remember seeing a girl in there once, and I said, “No figure, no face, no hair, no job.” I’m in the pretty girl business.
The customers are not allowed to touch the girls; we have stage tipping. If I see someone touch a girl, I’ll walk towards them. And I don’t know why, but even people who don’t know me kind of know of me. And they put their hands up and say, ‘I won’t do it again!’
— Dan Harris
ED: Speaking of pretty girls, Archibald’s was the recipient of 2024’s “Feature Club of the Year.” What do you like most about hosting feature entertainers at your club?
HARRIS: I think the features are terrific. Each of them puts on an interesting show and helps draw more guests to our clubs. Some are more theatrical than others, but they deliver a crowd which is what I care about. And they all love Thom.
ED: Tell me more about Thom. It seems like he’s the driving force to getting Archibald’s as one of the preeminent feature clubs in the county.
HARRIS: He’s invaluable to me and the club. He’s been with us for, gosh, five or six years now. With his marketing background and his podcast (“The SidePiece Podcast” on YouTube), we’re getting attention from girls and guests that normally we wouldn’t have .
ED: That’s always nice to hear an owner speak so highly of their GM. He says the same about you. He also mentioned your passion for the ocean. As a Floridian, I have to respect that.
HARRIS: Thank you. I’ve had about 20 boats in my life. I got that from my family, from my father really. I don’t know what you know about boats, but I have a Valhalla V-37 made by Viking. It’s called “Blue Bayou.” I don’t fish anymore, but it is a fishing-style boat without riggers for fishing, and I’m fished out. I usually don’t go very fast anymore. I’ve done a lot on the water. Almost as much as I’ve done on land. It’s all been fun. By land and by sea. It’s been a great ride.
ED: It’s nice to hear that for as long as we’ve been talking you haven’t mentioned retirement once. Are you still as omnipresent in the club as you used to be? I’d imagine your wife would want you to spend more time at home. How long have you been married now?
HARRIS: My wife tells me it’s been about 50 years.
ED: That’s impressive by itself.
HARRIS: I still love what we’re doing sure. But I have cameras everywhere now, so I watch at night and go in for the last three or four hours. When it gets busier, I go in. The critical time is when we’re closing and people don’t want to leave or give their drinks up. Now I have a doorman, but I’m security on my main floor.
ED: You mentioned some of the brawls you got into as a youngster, and of course, during your time as a Marine. Stuff like that never leaves your system, huh? The signs of a tried and true saloon owner.
HARRIS: No, never. Even if I sit way in the back or way in the front — it’s not a big club. Maybe it seats around 85 people. But I’m either way in the back or way in the front, and the customers are not allowed to touch the girls; we have stage tipping. If I see someone touch a girl, I’ll walk towards them. And I don’t know why, but even people who don’t know me kind of know of me. And they put their hands up and say, “I won’t do it again!” So, you know they’re drinking, they get a little out of hand and most of them comply. I just have my club run a certain way. To this day, my way. I’ve been doing this all, most of my life, and I’m still shocked that a man can stand in front of a completely naked girl, and it’s legal. I’ve never gotten used to it.
For more information please visit archibalds.com.