Stripper shortage has clubs offering bonuses to lure exotic dancers. ‘This is a problem’
Strip clubs are desperate for dancers, leading some to turn to incentives to sweeten the deal.
The adult entertainment industry, like other industries, is struggling to get back on its feet amid a nationwide labor shortage brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clubs have reopened and restrictions have loosened since then, but businesses say the return to work has been slow.
That’s why Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club in New Orleans is offering a $1,000 signing bonus to new and returning exotic dancers, according to WVUE. General manager Ann Kesler says she hopes the incentive will entice new hires.
“We look forward to reverting back to a seven-day per week operation, just as we were prior to COVID,” Kesler told the news station. “In order to do so, we need to ensure that we have an ample number of entertainers to sustain our guests, which is why we are implementing a signing incentive to both local and out of state entertainers.”
“Believe it or not, New Orleans has everything besides exotic dancers at this time,” she added.
In Nashville, the Deja Vu Showgirls club is making the same offer in hopes of bringing dancers back to work. Both clubs are owned by Deja Vu Services, Inc, which operates dozens of live adult entertainment venues across the U.S. Industry leaders said the problem isn’t unique to Nashville or New Orleans, however.
“This is a problem throughout the entire [adult club] industry,” Deja Vu Showgirls regional director Michael Durham told WZTV.
With strip clubs closed for most of 2020, adult entertainers were forced to find work elsewhere. Bob Tapella, who co-owns Cheetahs Gentleman’s Club in Sunnyvale, California, reported losing at least 60% of his dancers, who left to find work in states where COVID precautions weren’t as strict, Reuters reported.
Those who stayed said they aren’t earning nearly as much as they were before: “A lot of times you’ll see a lot of girls just sitting around” waiting for customers, one dancer told the news outlet.
The adult industry wasn’t spared by COVID-19 and saw revenue dip more than 17% in 2020, according to a report by market research firm IBISWorld. The industry was forecast to grow without the pandemic and is expected to fall another 1.5% this year.
This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Stripper shortage has clubs offering bonuses to lure exotic dancers. ‘This is a problem’."