With consummate showman Donald Trump at the top of the GOP, fresh off a 2012 convention in Tampa, Florida, where strip clubs geared up with specials, and with Las Vegas in the running to host this year, the 2016 Republican National Convention looked like it was on track to be the most salacious in history.
But Cleveland, which won out over Vegas, Cincinnati and Dallas, instead is preparing for one of the more low-key conventions in recent history — at least when it comes to the extracurricular behavior outside the arena.
Adult clubs in northeastern Ohio say they’re certainly aware of the potential for an uptick in business this week, but they’re seeing far less attention and fervor than what Tampa saw in 2012 — where one establishment went so far as to bring a Sarah Palin look-alike adult star in for special appearances in conjunction with the GOP’s quadrennial meeting.
Bob Fisher, who manages the Christie’s Cabaret club near Quicken Loans Arena across the Cuyahoga River, said that with GOP organizational meetings underway all last week, his establishment has already seen an uptick in business that he expects to continue.
Mr. Fisher said that while there are plans for red, white and blue lights on the building and T-shirts noting the fact that the convention is going on, they’re trying to keep things apolitical.
“Everybody’s welcome in here. Just because you’re a Republican, you don’t get special rights. Just because you’re a Democrat, you don’t get special rights,” he said. “Everybody comes in here. This is a gentlemen’s club. This isn’t a polling booth.”
Frank Spencer, who owns several Crazy Horse clubs, including one downtown near the arena, said he has no idea what to expect because the city’s never seen an influx of people on this scale.
“We’re simply preparing for success, that’s all,” he said. “In other words, we want to be adequately staffed, we want to have adequate product.”
“I wouldn’t even call it a citywide scale. It’s an areawide scale,” he said. “We have clubs on the east side of Cleveland and the west side of Cleveland actually, we have a little theory — and we’re probably wrong, I might add — that the suburb clubs may do better simply because of the congestion and what have you downtown.”
The biggest decision for the clubs was whether to apply for a late-night license. Some 240 establishments, ranging from traditional restaurants and bars to adult clubs, have applied for late-night liquor hours, letting them extend beyond the usual 2:30 a.m. shutdown to 4 a.m.
The downtown Crazy Horse club applied, as did Christie’s and Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club.
“We got our 4 a.m. liquor permit, so that’s great. And then we pretty much just made sure that security is going to be fully staffed and we ordered extra liquor, so everyone will be happy,” said a manager at the Hustler Club, who asked that she be identified by the name London.
She said her club will have a 10-hour happy hour, beginning at 11 a.m., and will offer buckets of beer for $20.
It’s all part of Cleveland’s effort to make the thousands of visitors — GOP delegates, reporters and even protesters — feel welcome.
“Remember when your mom put the guest towels out, the real nice ones? And you wondered why she didn’t have them out for you?” Mr. Spencer said. “You know how when people come over to your house, how your wife runs around and puts all your shaving cream and everything away like you don’t live there?
“It’s kind of like that — that’s the sort of attitude,” he said. “Which is a totally normal and very good and healthy attitude. And that’s the attitude that we have adopted.”
Destination Cleveland, a nonprofit group that effectively serves as a convention and visitors bureau, is estimating direct spending of between $200 million and $250 million for the Republican convention based on the reported direct spending of $214 million in Tampa four years ago.
“I think the general city is making preparations so that [we] put our best foot forward,” said Moe, an employee at Alibi Inn, another adult club.
Diamond Club will be staying open later and offering food and drink specials, while other clubs, such as Magic City and Secrets, reported that they weren’t really doing any special prep.
Andrea, a manager/bartender at Amber’s Cabaret, said downtown clubs like Hustler and Diamond were the ones that could expect to be the biggest beneficiaries if there’s any sort of uptick in business.
“I’m hoping we see business pick up, but we really are just going to play it by ear,” she said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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