Texas may be known for its cowboys and mavericks, but there’s one woman — Dawn Rizos — who helped revolutionize the way adult clubs in Dallas operated in the ‘90s and 2000s, all the way to the present day. Here, Rizos discusses her club, The Lodge, and the role she played as a female owner in the heyday of the Metroplex’s upscale clubs.
(NOTE: This story appears in the September 2024 issue of ED Magazine.)
She was a female owner in the most competitive club market in the country, but Dawn Rizos didn’t flinch. Instead, she set a template that other clubs in Dallas and around the country would try to emulate, yet never duplicate. With its five-star menu, high-end wine list and stunning décor featuring animal trophy heads from around the world, it’s hard to imagine any club personifying the term understood how to engage customers in conversation, and you have the recipe for massive success. That’s exactly what Dawn Rizos and The Lodge brought to the Metroplex, and as Rizos explains, it’s a successful concept that endures to this day.
ED Magazine Legal Correspondent Larry Kaplan spoke with Dawn Rizos about her experience at The Lodge and how the adult nightclub industry in Dallas has changed over the years.
ED: How and when did you get started in the adult nightclub business?
RIZOS: When I married Nick Rizos, I was 20 years old and had never been a dancer. I didn’t even know what the gentlemen’s club business entailed. Nick had three restaurants; they were all leases. He put me to work at his Olympic Pizza restaurant. One of his other restaurant locations was in the Bachman Lake area near Baby Dolls and other similar clubs, and unfortunately, Nick’s restaurant was doing so badly that he couldn’t pay the rent. So he turned it into Caligula XXI, an adult club. I booked the features, worked with the club entertainers and did its advertising. It was a fun club; the main stage was visible from every vantage point, and all the entertainers put on great performances.
After the clubs pivoted and focused more on food and cocktails as well as entertainment, they became more acceptable and less seedy.
– Dawn Rizos
ED: When did you start to see an evolution in the Dallas Metroplex adult clubs from the old roadhouse-type strip clubs to more upscale environments?
RIZOS: Dallas was world famous in the ‘90s for three things: the Dallas Cowboys, the gorgeous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and the TV show “Dallas.” Our city represented winners, and we were busy as a convention city with white-collar businessmen. Million Dollar Saloon and Cabaret Royale were the first upscale clubs, in my opinion, due to their size and class of clientele. When we opened The Lodge in 1996, we took the bar higher with our five-star menu, high-end wine list and unparalleled décor with animal trophy heads from around the world.
ED: How did that evolution affect club operations, clientele and entertainers?
RIZOS: After the clubs pivoted and focused more on food and cocktails as well as entertainment, they became more acceptable and less seedy. Of course, having higher-end menu items led to higher sales, and having great food led to more repeat business. Customers now have a whole experience as opposed to just coming to our clubs for entertainment.
ED: What defined the Dallas Metroplex club market in the ‘90s and early 2000s? What made your market unique?
RIZOS: As they say, “Everything is bigger in Texas,” and we’ve got some of the most gorgeous ladies in the world here. Texas is known for big hair, big busts and big friendly personalities. All the clubs here in Dallas have their own niche; there’s truly something for everybody in this city. Every concept is different. And all the club owners in this market get along fine. We meet regularly to discuss the common issues we have; we’re supportive of each other. Nobody’s out to get anybody else or steal managers or dancers; there’s none of that.
Business travelers especially liked to visit the more upscale clubs because, back then, they were entertaining clients and it was tax deductible.
– Dawn Rizos
ED: Did you personally like the movement toward high-end clubs or prefer clubs with a less formal environment?
RIZOS: I loved Caligula; it was really fun. Every week, there was a new feature with different shows that were creative and inspiring to the rest of the girls.
ED: What ultimately happened to Caligula?
RIZOS: We had an electrical fire, and the club burned to the ground. My ex-husband, Nick, loved Caligula like one of his children. The people who worked there 25 years ago still hold annual reunions at Nick’s restaurant, next door to The Lodge. That’s how much of a family that club was. It’s missed by all.
ED: In 2000, ED Publications named the Dallas Metroplex the number one adult club market in the US. If Dallas was number one, what made it number one over other strong markets?
RIZOS: Baby Dolls, Cabaret Royale, The Men’s Club and The Lodge — those clubs all ran great numbers. Business travelers especially liked to visit the more upscale clubs because, back then, they were entertaining clients and it was tax deductible. I spent a lot of time in the dressing room, giving the girls topics. I’d tell them to think of themselves as geishas in a Japanese tea room, there to help close business deals; it was fun. There’s not a whole lot to do in Dallas besides watching movies, watching live sporting events and drinking, so our entertainment clubs help add to the excitement of our city.
ED: How has the Dallas adult club market changed in the last 25 years?
RIZOS: The clubs have changed like the whole world has changed. We don’t have much control over what the dancers do today. I used to have gown days and different things that we would do. Now, legally, because they’re independent contractors, there are not many controls we can exert other than ensuring they stay legal.
Larry Kaplan has been the legal correspondent for ED Magazine for 24 years. Mr. Kaplan is a broker in the sales and purchase of adult nightclubs and adult retail stores and the Executive Director of the ACE of Michigan adult nightclub state trade association. Contact Larry Kaplan at 313-815-3311 or larry@kaplanclubsales.com.
