Dozens of dancers were arrested, but today the law is rarely enforced, boosting the city’s reputation. City leaders enacted a rule that barred dancers from getting within 6 feet of a patron. Wyclef Jean referenced Redner’s club in his 2009 song “Perfect Gentleman.” When the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl that year, there were at least 43 strip clubs in the Tampa area, many clustered around the stadium. Reed, the dancer at Scores, said customers may not be going out as much, but they make up for it by spending more when they do, and hopes the same will happen during game week. We are still doing business and we’re still surviving,” Redner said, but acknowledged that business is nothing like it was pre-pandemic. In Tampa, that meant performers and patrons had to wear masks in an attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus - even during lap dances - putting a damper on some of the wild fun. Others got even more creative: They promoted online access to dancers for a fee.Įventually, the clubs reopened. Ron DeSantis allowed bars and nightclubs to reopen, some strip clubs began offering food. Early in the pandemic in 2020, the clubs were shuttered. Strip clubs, like bars and restaurants, have struggled in the COVID-19 era. “People were lined up outside, handing us $50 bills,” he recalled. The last time the Super Bowl was in Tampa - in 2009 - Redner’s landmark nightspot raised its cover charge from $20 to $50 the week of the big game. “This COVID makes it a whole different world.” “I’m thinking we’ll get an increase in business but it’s not going to be like anything it was,” said Joe Redner, the owner of Mons Venus, an all-nude strip club within walking distance of Raymond James Stadium. That leaves the owners and dancers of Tampa’s numerous strip clubs worried about how this year will shake out. Plus, the hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the game, which means fewer people will be traveling and spending money. There’s a global pandemic, citywide mask mandates and an attendance cap of one-third of the stadium’s capacity, so only 22,000 fans can go.
Now, though, making it rain is less of a guarantee. When Tampa was chosen host of this year’s Super Bowl, strip club owners anticipated a windfall week.
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