I've decided to put the gentleman's club on hold.
The restaurant and bar are doing good on their own.
The food is so good the restaurant is starting to attract groups of families, with children.
And having a strip club in the building wouldn't be a good thing.
Thus, the plan has changed.
No exotic dancers, no exotic dancing.
At least on my end.
I saw a damn kid in the restaurant get up and failed miserably at an attempt to twerk, which is the closest thing we've seen to exotic dancing.
Turns out his family gave him too much sugar and the result was a little boy pulling his shorts tight trying to twerk.
I've decided to convert the 2nd floor to the VIP section of the bar.
It's already been retrofitted for bar purposes.
Only thing I had to do was remove the stripper poles.
Although I did leave one, cause hey, you never know.
We had a themed "Couples Night" at the bar.
You come in as a couple and your lady drinks for free.
Singles were also welcomed but their drinks were full price.
You have themed nights and someone tries to pull a fast one.
A gay couple came in, right, heard about the couple's night and he demanded his "woman" should drink for free. Hehehehe😂
My staff were confused. Didn't know what to do.
They asked to speak with the manager.
So I came out, said hi, how you doing?
And they voiced their concern.
I said "All are welcomed at the Devil's Bar.
If this is the man's woman, the man's woman drinks for free. I apologize for the inconvenience.
Pour us all a drink, please."
I sat and spoke with them for 10 minutes and put them at ease.
"We value your business.
Do come again and see us, please."
At 2:45am, precisely, we had another attempted robbery.
Some of the patrons in the bar were among those who were there during the first attempted robbery.
This time it wasn't a gang who tried it.
The local gang was dead already.
It was one person, a kid, really.
We could hear he was just a teenager from the sound of his voice.
A squeaky voice.
He put the ski mask on after he entered.
He would've never gotten the chance to enter the business if he had the mask on when the guards let him in.
Now keep in mind, the guards are two deadly demons.
These are the guys that have fought actually angels and have the battle scars to prove it.
And as this kid was waving his gun around I did him a favor.
I stopped the guards from getting any closer.
Some of the patrons are sitting there naturally scared.
Others are sitting there sipping their drinks, waiting to see what will happen.
The kid demanded our wallets.
I told everyone take out your wallet.
I collected them all, put 'em in a bag and handed it over.
This kid's hand was shaking.
I said you have 2 choices now kid.
Door number 1, you can walk out that door with all our wallets.
Door number 2, is the door behind me.
Return the wallets and come talk with me.
I promise you the life behind door number 1 is far far less favorable than door number 2.
If you walk out that door with those wallets, your life is over and I can't help you.
I really did my best to help him.
And gave him one last clue.
The local gang, do you know where they are now?
Have you seen any of them?
Have any of you?
The patrons said no.
"They attempted to do exactly what you are doing and no one has seen them since.
Have you?"
And that's when he started to really think.
"Return the wallets, kid. Choose door number 2."
I stated before I had very little goodness left in me and there are many I won't waste it on.
Three of us in that bar knew that gun wasn't loaded.
I can see into the heart of things.
And what I saw was a poor kid, who was hungry, and thought he had no choice but to do what he did.
I can forgive that. I can waste some of it on him.
Life sometimes comes down to a choice, doesn't it.
He made the right one.
He put the gun down and one by one he returned the wallets.
And to think, if I were upstairs tending to the gentleman's club, this kid would be dead. No doubt about it.
Instead today he's alive and well, not hungry or starving anymore.
He's back in school.
He has a job, washing dishes.☺️
I mean, I couldn't just outright reward him.
He has to do some penance and be on probation.
He has to choose this new life, every day for some time.
It's really up to him.
He was spared a terrible death and he doesn't know it.
I have him working in the bar as well, wiping down tables and counters.
And in the bathrooms, cleaning up puke.
He apologizes to the patrons whenever he sees one he recognizes.
Some accepts, others have the right not to.
Word has gotten around.
You know how people talk.
But it's been good for business.
The restaurant and bar, a full house.
I may need to buy new space,
soon enough.
I have my eye on an adjacent building on the same block.
Soon enough.
