Strip clubs – the “Starbucks” of Portland – are having a hard go of it in Seattle, our retarded neighbor to the north. First the Lusty Lady announced that it’s closing its doors, and now four of the city’s most notorious and well-attended clubs – Rick’s, Sugar’s, Honey’s and Fox’s – are all being sold to the feds to help keep their owners out of jail.
To help punctuate this, um, EPIC TRAGEDY, Seattle Times reporter Eric Lacitis wrote the best story you’ll read all day. Here’s a random bit of it:
In many ways, Wednesday night’s last dance at Rick’s in Lake City, the strip joint that now becomes property of the feds, was just another night of business.
According to the FBI, up to 15,000 customers a month would visit Rick’s, and in 2006 and 2007, the joint grossed more than $10 million.
If you wanted to see female skin, for 22 years, Rick’s was there — seven days a week, 365 days a year, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., for a cover charge of $10 and one minimum $5 nonalcoholic drink.
On its last night — it shut its doors for good early Thursday morning — the curious and the regulars stopped by. The parking lot overflowed with 100 or so cars, and the place was near its capacity of 265.
For the curious, no, there were no overt signs of prostitution in that infamous, dimly lit “VIP area” with the high-sided booths that face away from the main entrance.
Still, you shouldn’t continue reading this if details … well, you’re going to continue reading, aren’t you?
As well you should. As for the clubs and their employees – well, we’re sure some enterprising folks will open up new clubs in Seattle, if such a thing is possible, code-wise. If not, let’s just say there are a few places in PDX where such stripping-type activities occur that might be interested.
______
Cheers to SeattlePI.com for the pic.