By Carleigh Kenny
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Although The Penthouse Club recently enjoyed what managers described as a “soft opening” after suing Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and City Council officials, the adult entertainment owners still want to proceed with a permanent injunction to avoid future actions against their businesses.
Penthouse Club owner Andrew Alley is insisting on “a permanent injunction on the Baltimore officials because it was a ban on us.”
Scott and the Baltimore City Council were sued in February by TC Entertainment LLC, owner of the Penthouse Club, when an order was signed calling for the closure of all “indoor recreational establishments” because of the coronavirus pandemic. Officials described the order as broad, banning indoor and outdoor dining and capping the number of visitors to retail and religious institutions, gyms, malls, and museums at a 25 percent capacity.
The lawsuit claimed Baltimore City’s ban on adult entertainment violates the First Amendment.
In late January, Scott relaxed restrictions on many of the institutions named in the order, but strip clubs and cigar lounges were not included. These lounges could reopen their retail operations such as bartending, only at 25 percent capacity. On-site smoking was barred.
Eventually, Scott agreed to lift the ban against live entertainment, which had kept clubs closed since Dec. 11. The agreement was made by U.S District Judge Ellen Hollander in early March.
In an exclusive interview with The Baltimore Watchdog, Alley and employees said they were pleased with the March 5 reopening of entertainment industries because the dancers and other workers are just as much at a disadvantage as employees at other establishments.
“Most of the employees left to another job and now there’s only a few of us left,” said Stephanie who asked that her last name not be used, a nightclub dancer who happens to double as a bartender. “Now there’s only a few of us to fill in the shifts and mine have definitely been shrunk.”
When Scott initially put strip clubs on hold for those 3 ½ months, Stephanie continued “I was barely able to talk with regular customers across the bar, let alone dance.”
With the lifted ban, Stephanie stressed it was awkward on the strip with a mask, “but [I’m] glad to be back!”
Club employees said the COVID-19 protocol includes temperature checks, masks, and social distancing. Guests must sign in on a contact tracing sheet, making it easier to report positive test results.
“The protocol mostly defeats the purpose of the secrecy of a strip club,” Stephanie said.
Alley, however, was overjoyed.
“The recent reopening really helped us kickstart, yeah, but it’s truly about fairness,” he said, referring to the ban. “This is a lot of the reason why I laid out to Mayor Scott just why? In the community approach.”
Alley acknowledged that Scott’s action did impact business a little.
“We’ve lost a few,” he said.
A spokesperson from the Mayor’s Office, Stephanie Mavronis, said efforts will continue to protect Baltimore residents. The mayor’s office stands by being adamant in following public health protocol and appropriateness, she said.