Why are Clubs So Expensive?

[ATAK]

Well, after hitting on the amount of cover charges in another thread, I thought I'd start one of its own to answer another question.

What exactly does your cover charge go to pay for? We've discussed the enormity of cover charges for single men, but couples rates are still sometimes as high as $75-$100 per event. Having never been to a swinger's club, I'd like to know what exactly is the reason that fee is so high? I do understand that the clubs sometimes have expenses that straight clubs do not have such as hottub expenses, pool and spa, sauna, etc, but do those expenses reach so high as to justify a Ben Franklin?

In other discussions, it's been suggested that the cover was to establish you in a setting not everyone has access to, a preferred member status, if you will, of a group of like-minded people. Additionally, it's been suggested that any price would be acceptable to be able to have the possibility of having sex with another person and their spouse. While this may prove true for some, that cover is not going to the person and their spouse for the opportunity to be accepted into their playtime. So, I'm back to my original question of where does the cover go?


BTW, to John or anyone else that thinks I'm just a cheap-ass looking to get something for nothing, that's not true. If a high cover charge is truly justified, then I don't mind paying whatever charge there is to gain access to something I would otherwise not be able to enjoy, I'm simply asking because I don't know.

[Flori_DAMAN]

Originally posted by ATAK

BTW, to John or anyone else that thinks I'm just a cheap-ass looking to get something for nothing, that's not true. If a high cover charge is truly justified, then I don't mind paying whatever charge there is to gain access to something I would otherwise not be able to enjoy, I'm simply asking because I don't know.

Lol, hey man Im so tight it would take a tractor to pull a toothpick out of my asshole!

I have talked to many many swinger operators, some of which subscribe to this board. Running a swinging club is no way to make money. By the time you add up the costs and labor of doing what is necessary you cannot possibly hope to make much.

Some own the premise but most rent.

First of all you need to plan the event. This falls into advertising and can add up real quick. You don't just get online and say you gotz a club and people cum. It takes promotion to get people there.

Secondly you need to pay rent and have a staff. Peoples time is money. You need a DJ, and people to clean up, cater food, work the web site, and account for the income.

By the time most business people get here they are much better off just not doing it.

Now add the cost of the food, the licensing and regulations, having insurance and an attorney and your time just doubled along with your initial investment.

Wanna make the place look nice? Add the cost of decorations, table cloths, decorating etc.

Some very frugal and smart clubs make pretty good money but few get rich from operating swing clubs.

Most try like hell to break even and most don't do even that.

The club owners that I know earn their money elsewhere and are basically giving their time to make the club work.

Usually market determines prices. If a club could operate by charging 20 bucks to get in believe me they would do it. It is totally infeasible though, if you plan on returning your investment.

The charges are similar across the board. Like every other industry some trash joints charge too much and some very nice places keep their prices reasonable.

Julie and some other sites have links to see what the patrons say and I would endeavor to believe that if you want to get a good value you should depend on what the people that attend the club think. Look for the opinions on single males too cuz you are one. Couples that want exclusive couple only clubs can find them also.

John

[JustAskJulie]

John's right on the money... and that only covered an off-premise club.

If you are dealing with on-premise you have even more to cover. In most cases if it's an On-premis club they DO own the property... there's just too much liability and other issues involved to rent in that situation. Most OFF-premise clubs usually rent a location (VFW hall, or party room at a hotel). That costs money either way you look at it.

In the case of an On-Premise club add in the cost for the things you mentioned, hot tubs, beds, linens, etc and it goes even higher.

While most clubs do make a profit (or they wouldn't keep doing it), it's about like my running this site... the profit I do make on it is enough to pay for the time I put into it.

Is admission worth the price? That really depends on the club. Some club owners are happy to put more money back into the club to make it nice... while others just want to put as much in their pockets as they can.

[Flori_DAMAN]

Support good clubs and advertise for them. They are rare and just because they look good doesn't mean that they are making a mint off of every cover charge, it means they are putting back the money into making the place upscale.

I have been to some real back alley clubs that advertised as if they were a 4 star hotel.

The ones that are nice should be patronized and word of mouth advertising should be employed. If you find a nice club mention it in the clubs section cuz we sure need them.

Julie has set the standard for online swingers sites. If everyone really paid attention to the quality and management of the clubs the board members will make a difference.

Remember to wear you swingersboard t-shirt to every club you attend.

I would like to see members comment on if they have seen any other members t-shirts.

John.

[remox]

What has been said in the previous posts is true, but you should also realize the following. A regular nightclub is typically open 25 or more nights a month (6-7 nights a week). Many swing clubs are open 8 or fewer nights a month and yet have to cover the same costs, rent, insurance etc... In addition, most clubs take a loss on single women because the market demand for single women is very high. If the club has single women it is desireable to couples (low or no profit) and single men (high profit). As to why guys are high profit....it is partly a matter of supply and demand, and partly the need to make back the money lost on single women.

[JustAskJulie]

Originally posted by remox
What has been said in the previous posts is true, but you should also realize the following. A regular nightclub is typically open 25 or more nights a month (6-7 nights a week). Many swing clubs are open 8 or fewer nights a month and yet have to cover the same costs, rent, insurance etc... In addition, most clubs take a loss on single women because the market demand for single women is very high. If the club has single women it is desireable to couples (low or no profit) and single men (high profit). As to why guys are high profit....it is partly a matter of supply and demand, and partly the need to make back the money lost on single women.

Several very good points there.

[biyamamama]

I have to agree; I've been to a few clubs and don't mind paying a higher price for better quality- and a good time! What irritates me are the clubs that advertise as "4-star" clubs and such, but in reality are not well-kept, and usually poorly run by someone who is not really interested in the Lifestyle. Unfortunately, they do exist, and I have visited a few. But thanks to sites like this and word of mouth among swingers, those type of 'clubs' are scarce. The majority of swinger's clubs are clean, well organized and are in existance for those in the lifestyle and those who are curious about it. To those clubs I say: "Thanks, from a grateful swinger!"

Synthea

[Flori_DAMAN]

I went to one in Ft. Wayne once. They advertised 8000 sq foot of space, a luxurious hot tub, and a state of the art sound system with a deluxe set of rooms, including a voyuer room that was connected to a big screen tv so people in the "voyeur room" could watch you.

Well, this place was in the industrial part of town. You felt like you were walking into a war zone when you pulled in. We had to walk about 100 yards around total darkness to find a door that had a little sign on it that named the club. The sign was written in majic marker.

When you pushed open the door you entered a room with a dark stairway in front of you. This place was an old WWII storage facility. You walked up a dark stairway, that they had put glitter on for some odd reason (as if you werent scared enough), then you came into the "main event". LOL. THey did indeed have 8000 square feet of space. The dance area was filled with graffiti and the music was heavy metallic. The crowd was young and unrefined as far as swingers go. The walls had GRAFFITI on them as decorations!

They advertised pool tables...HAHA,,,,they had a couple of 40 year old brunswick tables sitting on concrete with nothing that resembles pool sticks.

They did indeed have a voyeur room with cable attached but I noticed that the cable ran to EVERY room in the joint.......wierd huh?

They advertised the biggest hot tub in Indiana. It was indeed huge. They failed to mention that the tub area was incomplete. The tub was full of MUD LOL.

The social area was an accumulation of junkyard couches that slightly resembled a social club. Basically it was a bunch of couches pointed toward the big screen TV.

The owner was an unabscure fellow that let the dirtiest man I have ever met run the joint.

He claims to be a professor and I guess he is, but man he was WIERD. He was dirty and had long hair and about three teeth.

He advertised the joint like it was the KING of swingers clubs,,,well it wasn't even a pawn compared to what I have seen.

I won't name the club but I will use this as an example.

You just cannot trust advertising. YOu need to KNOW your club and not be afraid to advertise it for the good or the bad.

John.

[remox]

Let me start by saying I am not defending the club that is referenced in the previous post, nor have I been there. But it sounds like a "RAVE" and not a swing club.

The location of the club in an industrial neighborhood is not suprising. In most cases it is illegal to run a swing club in a residential neighborhood. Residential neighborhoods tend to be zoned in such a way that you cannot run a business in them. The business that are allowed in these neighborhoods tend to be schools and churches and unless they were "grandfathered" when the zoning was written, even they will require a zoning variance from the city/town/municipality.

The places that will grant a zoning variance to a Swing Club are few and far between. Few club owners are willing to go to their local government to ask for one.

Just to add my 2 cents worth on this post...

It would be very easy to go to a swing club (Ive never actually been to one, BTW) and wonder why the cost is 10 times that of a nightclub, when the night club might seem to have more money invested in the ambience (decor, sound system, etc.)

Just keep in mind that the night club makes all its money selling drinks. The price of admission is always kept low with the hopes that people will fill the place up and buy LOTS of alcohol.

Ive worked in the hospitality industry before, and I have a pretty good idea how much it costs, and how much labor is involved in running any kind of club. The people who do it deserve to make a profit!

[OhioCouple]

Originally posted by Flori_DAMAN

I have talked to many many swinger operators, some of which subscribe to this board. Running a swinging club is no way to make money. By the time you add up the costs and labor of doing what is necessary you cannot possibly hope to make much.

I am curious, since you have talked to several operators of swingers clubs, what motivates them to invest all the time and money that many can't hope to recoup? Is it just a love for the swinging lifestyle itself? Let's face it, not many will operate a no cash win situation.

Curious Lori

[OhioCouple]

Originally posted by Seymore
... the night club might seem to have more money invested in the ambience (decor, sound system, etc.)

We have been fortunate enough that all the clubs we have been to are well maintained and have invested in the decor and sound systems, comparable to a typical night club. Some were better than others, but for the most part it was like any night club that you can visit in our area, they just don't have hot tubs, pools or open sex occuring. The worst thing about all but one of the clubs we have visited is location. They tend to be in the seediest neighborhoods.

After reading a post in another thread though I guess there are some real horror joints out there. But then again, we could find the same thing just down the road in a mainstream bar or night club.

Lori

[Tanman aka Mike and Marie]

We recently went to Trapeeze in Atlanta and you had to join for at least 6 months ($50) and the nightly door charge was $75

But for that you entered a state of the art club, tastefully decorated with great art on the walls (Fairly new-nice furniture) with a bar staffed by 5 bar tenders(formal attired), a Las Vegas style buffet (included) a great dance floor , locker room with showers (very clean and nice) 3 hot tubs with ceramic tile surrounds, several private and group rooms (at least 8)

Initially we thought it was a lot of money too but considering the big picture it was actually a good value for the entire evening

Good advice: ALWAYS ask for a tour BEFORE you pay

[Flori_DAMAN]

Originally posted by OhioCouple
I am curious, since you have talked to several operators of swingers clubs, what motivates them to invest all the time and money that many can't hope to recoup? Is it just a love for the swinging lifestyle itself? Let's face it, not many will operate a no cash win situation.

Curious Lori

Most of them have other jobs and just decided to fill a void that was open. They usually return their investment, but don't make nearly as much as if they put a similar investment of time and labor into more "generic" companies. They do have a liability and usually incorporate and they are honestly doing this for the sake of making the lifestyle better for those involved. One that stands out is on this board and I don't know if he even recognizes me but he and his wife ran a club in Mich, and after some serious illnesses kept the place going under the most extreme circumstances I could have imagined. I won't discuss them furthur but it is just an example that stands out.

Even under these circumstance there were the mandatory whiners that complained if they ran out of olives or sandwhich meat.

John.

[fun_pairTX]

The Club we attend is on premise and only open two days a week. The donation for a couple is $50 on Fridays and $75 on Saturdays. It is a BYOB with the club providing mixers and setups. The club is immaculate, it has several hot tubs and a pool. There is a cold buffet at night and guests are encouraged to stay overnight, particularly if they drink. Breakfast is served in the morning. They have state of the art sound and video and an enormous house on a very large tract of fenced property. We think their suggested donation is a bargain.