As we pointed out last month just as COVID-19 problems here in the States were starting to finally be taken with seriousness by a presumed majority, an under-discussed facet of the novel coronavirus' impact became strikingly clear, i.e. its very real effects on the sex work industry at large.
Resourcefully, strip clubs in progressive-minded cities like Portland swiftly made efforts to adapt to this temporary setback in some truly inspired ways. The latest headlines-accumulating example of such resilience comes from revered city landmark Lucky Devil Lounge, who recently launched a new service they call "Food 2 Go-Go."
"All of a sudden, a lightbulb went off in my head, and I said, 'I think we should do this,'" club owner Shon Boulden toldReuters this week, noting that the idea actually started as a viral tweet about dancers delivering food that was initially intended as a mere joke. Thus far, Boulden said, the response in the city has been "awesome."
For the drive-thru experience, the club charges $30 per car plus an extra $10 for each additional person inside the vehicle. Ordering food, Oregon Livepoints out, is required. The experience itself (excerpted below via photos from Terray Sylvester) usually lasts the length of one song, though if the pace of customers is slow enough, another song may be added and/or those employing the practice of good tipping will be allowed to stay longer.
And yes, Lucky Devil's food delivery service—once known as Boober Eats—is also still available. According to Boulden, however, he and the team had to come up with a new name (Lucky Devil Eats) after Uber responded in a less-than-kind fashion.
Other Portland-area strip clubs have also turned to alternative sources of income while the wait for a return to normalcy continues. Sassy's, for example, has taken up the practice of putting on tips-boosted virtual performances that charge an entry fee via Venmo.
