Thursday, April 15, 2010

Things I've Learned Bartending in a Strip Club #7



#7: The bar is the bartender's stage.

So bartending in a strip club has its perks. The money is good. It's great for people watching. The "scenery" isn't too shabby. Working in a strip club, its obvious that the dominant clientele is going to be male. There are many reasons why men frequent strip clubs. Where else can a guy grab a beer and look at women running around in their underwear, willing to talk to them? This attention comes with a price, but that's what the men come for and they're willing to pay for it.

Believe it or not, there are strip club customers out there who come in for the bar staff and don't get lap dances. I didn't believe it until I started meeting regular customers who would come in and not once ever leave the bar area. That's right. Not everyone coming into a strip club is looking for a lap dance. I have guys who come in during my shifts every week who chat it up with me at the bar and candidly tell me that they have no interest in the ladies performing on stage.

Which brings me to the question I get asked every night:

"So when do YOU go on stage?"

I have customers all the time, at least once a night, ask me if I dance or when it will be my turn to get onstage. My reaction is always the same. I smile and laugh while pointing at the bar and say "This is my stage and I'll be performing here all night." It seems to be working because the customers always come back to saddle up at my bar, each week.

It doesn't matter what type of bar you bartend at. Having a sense of humor and a good personality will always help you build up a regular clientele base, even when you are competing with half naked girls running around all over the place.

2 comments:

law bar said...

ahh...this post again just made me feel so much better about my decision to look into this type of bartending. I think alot of my friends comments got to me, but at the end of the day..its just bartending, just like anywhere else...ive been doing this for years. it will be ok! Thanks for the "things ive learned" series..its been so helpful so far!

Cielo Gold said...

That's right. A bar's, a bar, is a bar. In the end it's really just a bar. It doesn't really matter if there are half-naked ladies running around. How is that really any different from a nightclub anyways?

I have had a LOT of friends who wanted to come by and see me while working when I was bartending at a stripclub. Something tells me it wasn't for my delicious cocktails either. Although, they are quite tasty! ;)