Insights from industry professionals on the realities of the day shift.
(NOTE: This story appears in the May 2025 issue of ED Magazine.)
When we asked your thoughts on the day shift, you answered! Our “Official ED/EXPO Forum” on Facebook is an industry-only hub for adult nightclub professionals, where we share information. We also pose questions and prompts in the group that may lead to your responses appearing in ED Magazine! For our May issue, we asked what it’s like to work during the day, instead of the night. We received an overwhelming response from many of you sharing your replies. These are some:
“Two words…FREE LUNCH!!”
-Jerry Westlund, owner of The Pony Club chain
“It’s almost like working at two separate clubs if you are working both day and night shifts! The day shift has a more relaxed, casual vibe. The music is low and the lights are high. Most of the time, these clubs feel more like a restaurant than a strip club, especially if it is one with lunch specials or a buffet. Lots of regulars on the day shift. Night shift? You meet people you have never seen before and probably never will again. LED lights, music blasting and hustle time.”
-Sam Singh, Entertainer
“The traffic is slower, so your chances of closing a sale are limited by default. You have to be okay with feeling out your guests and having a friend that you can pass them of to if you can’t close. This brings me to another point: day shift is a family. It’s a whole different vibe from nights.”
-Kristi Flores, current Social Media Marketer and former entertainer
“Customers come in to get a few dances, have a drink or two and go their own way. A much calmer environment. The guys aren’t trying to show out for their buddies, they know what they want.”
-Rick Cutchin, Network Administrator, MAL Entertainment
“Like what someone told me in a football analogy, ‘A good day shift is like a good offensive line,’ meaning day shift is critical to set up a successful night shift. Have a personable manager who works well with the entertainers and staff and is great with customers. As well as having an upbeat environment on the day shift with plenty of energetic entertainers. Complementary food, good drink prices and great hospitality. By doing those things, your day shift will be phenomenal.”
-Ken Haynes, General Manager of Christie’s Cabaret in Canton, Ohio
“It’s a very different clientele, usually better and with less drama. People come out on theirlunch breaks and don’t have the same issues as when trying to go out at night. It also allows for a person to not mess up their day-to-day schedule by being out late at night.”
-Nikita Knight, Entertainer
“Sometimes I wonder, at two o’clock in the afternoon and I have a full bar, these people have jobs, but somehow they find their way here. I have staff fighting to get in on those shifts. The girls make a good living and they like it here; it’s a comfortable place to work.”
-John Acunto, owner of Johnny A’s Hitching Post in Paterson, New Jersey
“I find the day shift more laid back. I am primarily a night/prime-time DJ and after 15 years in the industry, I like covering a day shift on occasion. It allows me to try new songs to keep my night sets fresh. The night shift clientele is there for the long haul, to have a great time and party until close.”
– Walter Worek, DJ at The Penthouse Club in Baltimore, Maryland
Want to join the Official ED/EXPO Forum? Visit www.facebook.com/groups/edexpoforum or search “ED EXPO Forum” on Facebook!
