Who owns spearmint rhino las vegas

Already an institution in the City, where the biggest banks spend lavish amounts entertaining clients, Spearmint Rhino has massive ambitions for the UK, then Europe, then the world. Forget Playboy, Gray's business model is McDonald's. We already have fast food, but the future, according to Gray, is fast fantasy.

Several times he cites the example of Ray Kroc, the burger chain's ruthless founder. The Spearmint secret, apparently, is to give the punter a feeling they are unique.

Whereas other clubs will offer table dancing, Spearmint has its own private booths. We don't want people to feel embarrassed. It's about getting value. It's a one-to-one experience. There's nothing seedy in it. Such attention to detail, Gray says, gives the punters a feeling of self affirmation. It's not reality. We just want to feel we're special to a woman. As such the dancers - who number plus on the busiest days in Gray's biggest clubs - are trained to flatter.

They are taught to remember a name and to use it three times within the first minute. The sentence 'We don't get many guys as good looking as you in the club' is also a regular fixture. It's cloying, but the approach seems to work.

Whereas clubs such as Stringfellows have been unable to move out of London, Spearmint has six clubs already, to add to its 31 back in the US. Gray recently opened a club in Moscow. More are planned in Australia and perhaps South Africa, but it is the UK that Gray believes will be his company's biggest market. He is encouraged by its relaxed advertising standards and the lack of competition in the market. The licensing authorities are not as puritanical as in the US either. You're much more open here than in the US.

Gray's anglophilia is such that he now plans to open clubs within the next five years. The company receives 20 applications a day from potential strippers, lured by the prospect of easy money.

One dancer was given a Mercedes SLK last week. Many have other jobs during the day. One woman farms pheasants during daylight and takes her kit off when night falls. Gray says the dancers prefer his clubs to those of his rivals. Spearmint Rhino takes pride in its decor - think ersatz Dallas - and in the amenities for the dancers. There are showers, lockers, and, of course, tanning beds. And it creates credibility with the authorities. Spearmint in turn takes 20 per cent of every Rhino dollar sold in the club - each of which buys a three-minute dance.

In addition the women give around 15 per cent of their earnings back to the club. It makes money on the quite good food and drink. It seems quite a sophisticated business model. It is also, apparently, a licence to print money.

It had no effect at all. This business is phenomenally recession-proof. There's no logic to it. Nothing comes close to this. It could have worked out very differently. Growing up as an only child in California, Gray wanted to be a law enforcement officer.

He trained as an attorney but to fund his way through law school he ran a construction company in Las Vegas. The firm made so much money, Gray decided to concentrate on it full time. The firm built nightclubs, which weren't that successful.

Went in, had a couple of glasses of wine. Flew down and had the press conference. And the same thing with the president of business ops. It was exhausting. I never interviewed people like that. Foley: Absolutely. I still know nothing, and I recognize that. I told the guys that this morning. I want to learn. It was amazing. You must be logged in to post a comment. Search for:. Share this: Click to share on Facebook Opens in new window.