Following in the footsteps of the Lucky Devil Lounge in Portland, the Vivid Gentlemen’s Club in Houston is now offering a drive-thru dance experience. The first of its kind in Texas, the drive-thru is set up inside a makeshift tent-turned-club where customers can park for two songs while they wait for their food order, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Black metal barricades separate the dancers from the cars, as customers continue to “make it rain” via their car windows. Purple and blue lighting bathes the entertainers, most of whom are (wisely) wearing face masks. While restaurants in the Lone Star state are now allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity and bars are still currently shut down (with the option of to-go sales), a strip club’s ability to be open and operating depends on how much food they serve. In an effort “dedicated to supporting their staff,” Vivid Gentlemen’s Club has introduced the first drive-thru club in Texas.
Drivers order their food — bar staples, such as nachos, burgers, chicken sandwiches, jalapeno poppers and pizza — and can also order alcohol as well. The caveat is, the only way to get your food at this drive-thru is via the giant pop-up white tent, where every car has a two-song limit so “you’re able to get some live entertainment” while your food is being prepared, according to general manager Gino DiLollo.
“We racked the numbers and thought ‘should we do it?’ and realized that IF we do it, we’re doing it for the entertainers, the staff and employees,” DiLollo explained to the Houston Chronicle. “Because to keep us open, we just can’t do the numbers. We’re not making any money. This is purely for the staff.
“Here’s the thing, I think we’re essential to the people we employ here to support their kids and whatnot,” DiLollo added. “They rely on us, this is how they make a living. I do think we’re essential.”
In order for strip clubs like Vivid to stay in operation in Texas, they’ll either need to adjust to a similar concept or potentially change the way they operate business entirely. One option is for clubs to begin functioning more like a restaurant.
“We’re trying to get a restaurant license so we can open up as a restaurant and then we’re able to have people in here,” DiLollo told the Chronicle. “Instead of operating more like a bar, we would operate more like a restaurant. We’re trying to adapt to the times and whatever cards we’re being dealt.”
