Even before the coronavirus pandemic forced the nightlife industry to go dark throughout the country, strippers and other adult entertainers were among the first professionals to see their bottom lines take a hit as customers dwindled and practiced social distancing from the stage, as well as its performers, out of Covid-19 concerns.
Unsurprisingly, however, strippers and sex workers have also proven particularly resourceful when it comes to reinventing the industry amid a crisis that seems tailor-made to destroy it. Last weekend, Las Vegas strip club Little Darlings began hosting drive-through strip shows and nude hand-sanitizer wrestling. Now, a strip club in Portland, Oregon is putting its dancers to work in an entirely different capacity: topless food delivery.
Lucky Devil Lounge owner Shon Boulden initially pitched the idea, aptly dubbed “Boober Eats,” as a joke on Twitter, Rolling Stone reported. But after receiving legitimate requests from customers, Boulden decided to put the service into action.
For a $30 delivery fee, customers can order food from the club and have it delivered by topless dancers in masks, gloves and pasties. After leaving the food on the doorstep, the dancers then remove their sweaters and “bounce around” at a six-foot distance, according to Boulden.
Working on our first orders now! #luckydevillounge #booberpdx pic.twitter.com/QbHydD4IwK
— Lucky Devil Lounge (@LuckyDevil_PDX) March 17, 2020
Under normal circumstances, Boober Eats would have seemed like a dated gimmick left over from the heyday of the Hooters-style breastaurant, but right now the seemingly silly stunt is a legitimate attempt to keep the club, its employees and performers afloat amid unprecedentedly dire financial circumstances.
While the move may fall short of a full financial lifesaver, with one performer-turned-topless-delivery-girl telling Rolling Stone she’s only making a quarter of her usual income, it does present a rare resource for the many adult entertainers whose standard classification as independent contractors has left them without paid sick leave or any other benefits as the coronavirus shutdowns force them into unemployment.
“We’re trying to continue to employ our employees in a different way that allows us to actually keep our doors open,” said Boulden.
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