Amy Sullivan, writing at the Washington Monthly blog points us to this South Dakota story of entrepreneurial innovation.
Bob Reiger started a strip club, the Racehorses Gentlemen's Club, in Salem South Dakota. The local authorities were upset that the club featured naked, dancing women. The authorities took action, denying the club a liquor license.
Reiger decided to innovate rather than close the club. He stopped serving liquor and instead opened a juice bar and strip club.
The authorities then passed an anti-nudity ordinance. Reiger again innovated. He noted that the ordinance had a loophole for movie theatres. The club was reborn as Racehorses Gentlemen's Club and Adult Movie Theatre:
[C]ustomers continue paying $10 cover — actually called an all-day movie ticket — to watch strippers dance. Patrons can sit next to the stage or get a private dance in a small room off to the side. They can also grab a stool at the juice bar and order a $3 soft drink or a $4 juice or power drink.
The local authorities may not be finished with Bob Reiger. He may have to innovate some more. If so, he may want to consult with the Reverend Clarence Love of Bristol Tennessee (link via the Apostropher).
Reverend Love was conducting services for his four-person congregation when two daughters of one of the churchgoers showed up to get their mother. The problem was that the two daughters, Reba Storey and Mary Steele, were wearing pants. The church “forbids women to wear pants.”
A confrontation ensued and ended with the Reverend Love throwing the daughters out of the church saying “You're not wearing pants in my church, you demon.”
Bob Reiger could learn from the Reverend Love. He could rename his facility the Racehorses Gentlemen's Club Church, ask for a $10 offering, and forbid any of the women on the premises to wear pants.
Posted by Dwight Meredith at February 3, 2005 12:51 PM | TrackBackFor one exciting heady moment there I thought you were going to say that the daughters took the pants off and went back into the church. What arrant nonsense!
Posted by: Sarah at February 3, 2005 07:06 PM