‘COVID a mash up mi life like Neko’ - Strip club dancers and owners feeling the pinch

The past several months have been the hardest for strip club operators and dancers who have struggled to keep afloat since the novel coronavirus forced closure of these establishments.

Passion* is a 23-year-old mother of two. She said before the pandemic, she would make enough as a dancer that her children could have the best of everything.

"But right now not even a pen mi can afford to buy for dem for back to school," she said. "I have been dancing and doing little business at bars but it's not the same like what I would make in the club. The man dem a some a the bar dem just waa touch and barely waa tip we. But when we inna di club, we get money fi dance on pole, lap dance and 'business'. COVID a mash up mi life like Neko," she said. Ricardo Kirby, operator of Ovadose nightclub on Port Henderson Road in St Catherine, says although he has transformed the business into a sports bar, his weekly earnings are small. "I would like to know the difference between people congregating during the day from the night," he said. "The markets have more crowd sometimes than ever before. There is just no money, and God bless the one person who may step in from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to make a purchase at the bar."

Kirby said that he still has to pay the $300,000 rent, among other expenses that come along with operating Ovadose.

"Even if the business is closed, we still have to pay the rent because the landlord rent us a building," he said. "So even if is church we going to keep in there to pay the rent, we are going to have to do it." The restriction on entertainment activities, including the closure of nightclubs, was implemented in March as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. The Government has since given approval for the reopening of gaming lounges, amusement parks, and some water attractions, while small outdoor events are permitted under strict guidelines.

"We have indoors and outdoors space so let us utilise it so we can stay alive, please," Kirby said, adding that a recently concluded states of public emergency had forced him to close earlier, further limiting sales. Felix Cookie, owner of Cookies' Nightclub, also located on Port Henderson Road, said although he is losing money, he agrees with the closures.

"The positive cases are rising, so if we have the clubs opening now, it may be worse. So we just have to understand, so we can't blame anyone. So far I only have the kitchen open right now, and although the Government say bar can open, I don't bother with it. I am just using the opportunity to renovate the club now and keep my fingers crossed that by next year, things will be up again," he said. Cookie says he has six staff members who now alternate weeks. "As for the bartenders, when I can help them, I will get some packages together and pass it on to them," he said. Another dancer, who goes by the name Niecey, says she has been working for seven weeks as a bartender and the experience has been far from fulfilling.

"Is just $9,000 every other week because is week on and off, but more time dat a wat mi make as tip on a slow night. Tings ruff, mi nah lie, because mi nuh really get tip a bar because no bag a man can't hitch up in deh again because of the limit; tings ruff bad," she said.

*Name changed