Bucks co-owner Curtis Wise explains
the history of the Bucks brand as well as what the future holds for it.
In the animal kingdom, antlers serve a double purpose: objects of sexual attraction and weapons in fights. In the gentlemen’s club industry, the Bucks brand showcases objects of sexual attraction.
As co-owner Curtis Wise explains, the original naming of the club—Bucks Cabaret in Fort Worth—was meant to play off of the slang term for a dollar bill.
“That morphed into the current Bucks, which is a little bit more good-ole-boy type of theme,” Wise says.
Since its inception in 2010, the Bucks brand has grown like an antler, spreading in size and function. At first, there was the Bucks Cabaret Fort Worth, which is a topless club featuring alcohol.
Then, there was the Bucks Cabaret Dallas in 2015. That was followed by the new Bucks Wild Dallas. The “Wild” signature implied a full-nude establishment where patrons had to bring their own alcohol. Bucks Wild opened a location in Fort Worth before the Bucks brand traversed state lines this year to Greenville, South Carolina.
But this new territory wouldn’t have the attached Cabaret or Wild insignia, rather it would be a new brew: Bucks Racks and Ribs.
Everybody wants, in this business, to have the white-collar clientele. Quite honestly, that’s a very small percentage of the overall market in any industry. There’s a lot of business to be had in the middle.” – Curtis Wise
“We’re working on a little bit more of a breastaurant brand,” Wise says.
There are also plans to open a Bucks Wild in Houston, which should be open before the end of August.
Wise talks about how vital consistency has been in building the brand. From opening at the same time, to providing the same quality of service consistently.
“We’re not out to sell a $20 drink and hope the customer comes back,” says Wise. “They expect high strip-club pricing; but when your prices are lower, it makes them enjoy their experience and want to come back and visit you again.”
Wise stresses that Bucks aims to attract a middle-to-upper-middle class clientele.
“Everybody wants, in this business, to have the white-collar clientele,” he says. “Quite honestly, that’s a very small percentage of the overall market in any industry. There’s a lot of business to be had in the middle.”
And a lot of that middle doesn’t necessarily distinguish between the various iterations of Bucks as Wise notes that a lot of the clientele is shared between the Bucks clubs.
Let’s face it, despite the consistency of the clubs’ price and service, entertainers can be a constant variable. So Bucks is trying to ensure that the people behind the scenes and on the stage are reason to keep patrons coming back.
“One person can’t do it,” opines Wise. “Two people can’t do it. It takes an entire team. I have to champion the Bucks team and the work that they do.
“Our independent professional entertainers are extremely valuable to our business and we continually look for new ways to help them make money,” Wise continues. “If they make money, they come back. I call it feeding the horses. If you feed the horses, they come back.”
Not only do the entertainers and customers keep coming back, but so does the industry recognition.
Bucks Cabaret has had six straight nominations for the Club of the Year in the Central region at the ED’s Awards, including a nomination at the upcoming 20th ED’s Awards.
“We have some of the most dominant and successful clubs in the Ft. Worth and Dallas markets, no doubt,” Wise says. “There’s really no magic potion, there’s just the hard work we put in every day to put us on top.”
For more information, visit Buckscabaret.com.
