It seems amazing that the theater sales are that small a percentage.

Whenever I have gone in the majority of the people are in the arcade - very few are shopping for toys, etc.

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Each location is different. In ours, there's no arcade just theaters. If there's a dozen guys in there, that's roughly $108 in income. I've seen retail sales approach that number for just a single purchase. I've seen a lot of folks drop 2 or 3 times that in merchandise. Multiply that a few times and it adds up to 4 figures on a shift quickly. Ours sells a lot of sex toys, lube, cleaners (both toy and "VHS" cleaners), rhino pills and such, and even batteries. Those things aren't cheap and it takes a lot of arcade $9 entry fees to match those, and it doesn't happen here in Lincoln. Our other location has been there for years, and has been successful with retail only and no arcade/theater. But that's Lincoln Nebraska. I've seen other shops where the expenditures are vastly different, so it just depends on where in the country you are and how sleazy/active the store permits guys to be, and how many guys are in that area willing to play in the store.

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That is very interesting lonewolf.

I can see where the theater income would be limited - one admission and you can stay as long as you want. There is a porn theater in Hollywood where many of the reviews say it is filled with drug addicts looking for air conditioning who never leave!

But the arcades I would think would be a gold mine. $1 only buys a couple of minutes - keep feeding the machine or get out - use the same videos over and over - so you main expense would be cleaning.

I can imagine the toy sales would be a nice profit - I would much rather go and pay cash and know what I am getting rather than order through the mail. I always think of the cartoon of the box sitting on the doorstep covered in "Dildos R Us" shipping stickers with the caption "they said discrete shipping!"

Luckily out here stores are slowly reopening - some hare reopened their arcades - the theater is still closed. But at least it looks like they will survive. A number of the bath houses have permanently closed.

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I just heard that one of our local ABS that has "theaters" has reopened the theater -

But instead of $12 for the day and you could leave and come back now it is $12 for 3 hours (with an hour in between sessions for "cleaning") but the worst is that they periodically open the door to the theater to "make sure everyone is wearing masks".

If those polices remain I expect to see the theater permanently closed soon.

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That's a stiff price for 3 hours, jonn3, I hear ya! I'm hearing of other places that are using the re-opening as a way to modify pricing--some good, some bad, some indifferent. A couple of the places I frequented in Wichita did that. One kept the daily admission the way it was but added weekly, monthly, and 3/6/12 month pricing structures (if you want to lay out $900 up front for an unlimited use year-long pass). Another instituted a $5/month membership fee in addition to it's entry fee which means the first visit after every 30 days (roughly) means an additional $5 that one time, which is an additional $60 out of pocket a year for those going every month or more. For me, the occasional visitor, it means that I have to basically pay $13 instead of $8 when I go since I'm rarely in town more than once a month. I'm hearing of another theater that went from $10/day with all-day return privileges to $15 a day with no returns allowed.

I have to wonder if this isn't a last-ditch effort for some places to make money before doing away with it all together. Our Romantix has closed the theaters as I wrote above, but I'm hearing that there are at least 2 in Iowa that closed the arcades just from lack of use and the need for a larger retail sales area. The current generation is way less keen on hookup places like this than my generation, who needed them back in the 70s and 80s when things weren't as open as they are now, and online...well that wasn't even a word yet. I hope yours does get to stay open, but I feel your pain on that pricing.

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2 of the bath houses in Los Angeles will be reopening soon (Midtowne Spa & North Hollywood Spa).
Flex Spa reopened a few weeks ago with a capacity limit & lines to get in. They are temporarily closed for 10 days as Netflix is filming a movie there.
Studs Theater (the old Tom Kat--Pussy Cat) in West Hollywood has reopened & is showing regular non-porn movies.
No word yet on when Slammer the sex club will reopen.
Club San Diego has reopened.
CCBC in the Palm Springs area is opened with limited day passes available.

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Unfortunately I think you are right about it being another step towards extinction.

I hear one of our Romantix has closed the arcade - not to expand the retail - just now a smaller store. But I am sure part of that is the rising rents as the area it is in becomes more trendy.

I know the new generation do everything on their phone - but somehow I don't like the idea of downloading some of the apps and telling Apple "I suck cock" (like they or my credit card would care - but in my paranoia they would be sitting in the back room snickering about it)

I guess maybe if I change the apps name and icon - but I am from the same generation where I don't feel comfortable being open and out...

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Unfortunately the Roman Holiday locations both closed permanently during the pandemic.

Studs has reopened with "regular" movies? I wonder how that is going for them! Probably because of concern of an inspection for following social distancing rules and with luck that will end June 15 when most of the COVID rules end.

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Things here have been opening up slowly - although we now may be going backwards.

A number of the ABS have opened their arcades and theaters - but limited days and hours.

One place used to have a gay and straight theater and you could go back and forth all day for $12. Now it is $12 for 2 hours and you have to pick which theater you go to - no changing once you are there.

Hopefully things will keep getting better not worse.

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Oh man. That sucks big time. But unfortunately it's true. Our theaters closed (police not covid), and the ones an hour away are on limited hours (like 9 or 10 hours a day instead of 24/7). I've heard of other places that have implemented either reduced number of patrons, increased prices, or both, or neither. It's all over the board and depends on the locale and management and respect for covid. Some locations haven't survived, like some non-porn retail places. It's a bizarre post-covid world that's still emerging. Keep us posted jonn3, ok?

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One ABS in North Hollywood I understand has closed the arcade permanently.

It is not a big deal - I have not been there in years - but a long time ago I was working in an office about 2 blocks away from there - and I would often walk down on my lunch hour.

Had a lot of fun there - sorry to hear it is gone.

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That's too bad jonn3, even if you hadn't been recently. It removes a choice and possibility for you down the road, so I get it. Seems to be the trend with sex shops, depending on their arcade and retail sales figures. Doesn't appear to be reversing back to normal or pre-covid either. I have to say that ours is doing quite well regardless. MY good friend works there and she tells me some of her shift totals. I think the lack of guys walking in and out of the arcade makes straight couples more comfortable going in and shopping as if it was like a Target or something. You know damn well that they know what's going on "back there" and for some it creeps them out.

We got nothing here anymore, it takes a good 75 minute drive for me to get to an arcade. And it's the only one around, not like it's in an area with other choices as well. I've done the drive maybe 4 or 5 times since our theater closed. It's been worth it maybe 50% of the time. That might not mean anything more than I'm picky or careful. But it does mean a good chance of a chunk of the day being wasted as opposed to 30 minutes when you have a local spot.

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I know what you mean - and I agree with you - but there is something funny about a couple going into a store to buy vibrators and flavored lube getting "creeped out" by people going into the arcade for some fun. But you are right - I have seen the looks.

But I also wonder how many of the husbands / boyfriends have been in that back room when their lady was not around? Or maybe that is the thought that is what creeps the girls out!

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It wouldn't be so bad if the guys coming out of the arcade would be eyes-down and discrete, instead of staring people down and leering at then, male and female, who are in the store just shopping for product and obviously not sex. And I hear you on what the women are afraid of! Sometimes with good reason as we all know. Even some guys that bring their lady with them into the theater or arcade will be back for more later, unencumbered by her tastes and able to play with abandon.

I remember a couple decades ago at a bookstore (long since defunct and torn down) there were several of us hanging (ok, waiting for cock) in the arcade which had gloryholes. Two college guys were in the store, one walked back to the arcade to investigate (there was no admission). He was like all in awe at the booths and gloryholes, like excited. He went back and told his buddy "Dude, you wouldn't believe it back there, you gotta see this!" He brought him back. His buddy had a much different opinion saying "Man, seriously? This is FUCKED!" and turned around and walked out of the store, his friend behind him proverbially wagging his tail. We all started laughing saying "you know the guy who thought it was cool is gonna back in a day or two alone and he's gonna experiment!" Someone wondered if it would be the other guy, using disgust as a disguise. We all pretty much said no, his reaction was too genuine just like the other one that was intrigued. I know that's off topic but it was funny at the time.

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