EXPO 2024 kicked off appropriately with the “Legends of Dallas” seminar (Monday, August 26), featuring three key figures in the illustrious history of the Dallas Metroplex club market. Dawn Rizos, David Fairchild and Scott Burch reminisced on the glory days of the Dallas “mega-clubs” and how their innovations altered the course of an entire industry.
(NOTE: This story appears in the Nov 2024 issue of ED Magazine.)
There was nothing quite like the heyday of Dallas Metroplex adult nightclubs. As the rough-and-tumble go-go joints of the ‘70s gave way to the more well-run clubs of the ‘80s — everything from small, blue-collar venues to multi-million-dollar gentlemen’s clubs — Dallas and its surrounding cities experienced a strip club renaissance. In fact, ED Magazine once dubbed Dallas/Ft. Worth the number-one club market in the US.
At EXPO 2024, a select group of 30-year veterans of the Dallas club market — including Scott Burch of Burch Management, David Fairchild of The Men’s Club and Dawn Rizos of The Lodge — took a look back at what made Big D such a hotbed for adult clubs, and discussed how their club market has evolved over the past three decades. The seminar, sponsored by BLUbeem by Brink’s, was moderated by ED Publisher Dave Manack.
MANACK: When did you first see this genesis of the “mega-club?” When did you see this was going to happen or how did it happen?
BURCH: In the case of Baby Dolls, we had an old, worn-out building. We’d been doing some decent business. The city came in with new ordinances, which we followed — went to court repeatedly. We ended up getting major publicity from it which boosted our business and allowed us to buy property around us.
RIZOS: The Lodge was really the last of the upscale clubs to be built. The first was Million Dollar Saloon. I think that really started the trend because it was so successful and they supposedly spent a million dollars to build it.
FAIRCHILD: We had experience in Houston and it was successful. Looking where to expand, Dallas was on the horizon. Our design team for the original Houston club was based in Dallas and we tried to do one better than we did before. All the features we put into the Houston club, we included — the ones that worked — into the design and construction of the Dallas club and then did more. We made it more available for business clientele to do deals. That’s the market we went after initially. Every club we built after that, same thing — we took what we did in Dallas and tried to make the other designs better and improve upon our procedures and processes.
All the features we put into the Houston club, we included — the ones that worked — into the design and construction of the Dallas club and then did more. We made it more available for business clientele to do deals. That’s the market we went after initially. Every club we built after that … we tried to improve upon our procedures and processes.
— David Fairchild
MANACK: When these upscale and mega clubs started opening, how did the higher-spending clientele that came with that transition change the perception of clubs in this market and how did that positively affect clientele?
RIZOS: We joined the Convention and Visitors Bureau (Restaurant Association). John Stossel came and filmed three days at The Lodge a (news) piece about this is where business deals are being made now. That was great for publicity. Things were tax deductible back then — what a fun way to close a deal, getting a pretty girl to help you?
BURCH: We chase, not the $100 hat, not the $1,000 hat. We built our business on volume and then repeat, repeat, repeat. We didn’t want that guy to come in and spend $2,000 and wake up the next morning and say how am I going to pay this off, or maybe he thinks he fell in love with Suzie or Shirley. We just wanted that guy to come in every week, two or three times a week. Whether it was a small club or one of the larger properties. We’ve always chased that medium guy that could afford to come two or three times a week and not spend a ton of money.
FAIRCHILD: As Dawn mentioned, we were all involved in the Commission of Business Bureau. We could advertise at that point in the business magazines — Dallas Business Journal, Texas Monthly. They won’t touch us with a 10-foot pole now. Advertising in those mediums got our name out to the business clientele. But there’s no wrong way. The clubs that exist today, there’s a variety of styles and clienteles and something for everyone. Even back then, there’s no right or wrong way, it’s just what we chose to do for ourselves.
MANACK: Texas is a ‘conservative’ state and we’re a business that’s not conservative. What was it like for you to work with the city councils in a state known for being conservative and not necessarily embracing adult entertainment? How did you maneuver those political situations?
BURCH: Before working with the state, it was a lot easier working with the city council because they’re in your backyard. Working with the state is different because you’re working with people from all over. It’s like anything — you gotta make friends, shake hands, introduce yourself. You have to get the vision out of their mind on what they see in a B-rated movie isn’t who we are or what we do. Over the course of 34 or so years, we’ve built a lot of friends. We saw what it would be like to form a group, fight together. As corny as it sounds, united we stand.
FAIRCHILD: You have to get involved in your local and state organizations and make friends in the state legislature or even the city council. Not everyone’s going to be your friend, but you have to participate and make financial contributions and expect nothing in return. We don’t ask them for anything when we go to a meeting with them to present them as contributions. And over the years, we’ve made sizable contributions, both state and city levels. Not everyone will take it, but we do make more friends (that way). Maybe we ask them to answer the phone if we have a problem that comes up and we need a meeting. We get that usually and that’s what’s important. You just have to go out and meet people. You’ll find out who your friends are pretty quickly.
MANACK: What has been successful for you that you’ve brought with you through the decades, or how have you been able to maintain your level of success with the changing times?
RIZOS: It’s definitely a lot more challenging and a lot less profitable. The key is to not be so greedy with what girls charge the customers because they won’t come back if they have a bad experience. But that’s something I always did enjoy doing, getting the entertainers to imagine they were geishas in a tea room and cut up the customers’ steak. I can encourage and I can incentivize, and that’s how the clubs always were run.
BURCH: It’s still about having fun. It’s about butts in the seats. It’s not selling champagne so much as a guy having fun. When he leaves that place (we want him thinking), ‘Goddamn, I can’t wait to go back.’ That’s all we try to sell.
FAIRCHILD: We try to keep the design fresh, that’s the reason for the remodeling. All of us have to go through repairs of old buildings and things of that nature. We try to make sure when we have to do those repairs, that we’re analyzing how far we are up to date as far as stylistically.
It’s definitely a lot more challenging and a lot less profitable (today). The key is to not be so greedy with what girls charge the customers because they won’t come back if they have a bad experience. But that’s something I always did enjoy doing, getting the entertainers to imagine they were geishas in a tea room …
— Dawn Rizos
MANACK: When you look back on your time here in Dallas, what do you reflect upon most fondly?
FAIRCHILD: Developing The Men’s Club from day one. Buying a piece of dirt in Dallas that was licensable under a new city ordinance that was recently enacted 30-some-odd years ago. Designing a building from the ground up, those types of things, and making it through the construction period, staffing, the grand opening — those are the fondest memories I have about being in Dallas during that time early on. Most of what I deal with today is shit. Doesn’t have to do with our operations, but it’s the legal front, political matters, laws, statutes … those aren’t that fun. But, at least we have business to fall back on. Some of you in the room know exactly what I’m talking about. There are certain things about business we don’t enjoy doing but there are other things that are still fun.
BURCH: I was fortunate to work for my brother (Duncan), and he saw the value of a partnership with the beer and liquor companies and not being a one-way street. So, I guess what I really enjoyed is beer companies sponsor everything in the world, I got to play golf about four days a week.
RIZOS: The theme parties, promotions, charity events we did. My favorite movie is ‘Blazing Saddles.’ We had cows in the parking lot. We had a horse on the stage. There was some wine involved. I was able to have creative plans and execute those. We had a full-time choreographer and skits. That’s what I loved and that’s what I miss the most.
