The SC governor closed strip clubs to stem virus. Why are two still open in Jasper Co.?
Two strip clubs in Jasper County appear to be open despite Gov. Henry McMaster’s March 31 order requiring non-essential businesses to remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Neither of the Hardeeville clubs — Temptations Gentlemen’s Club and Club Karma — has an exemption from the governor’s executive order. Both are open for business, posts from their social media accounts indicate. Neither has responded to repeated phone calls, messages and emails over two weeks requesting comment.
At dusk Friday, July 3, employees and guests streamed into Temptations Gentlemen’s Club on Speedway Boulevard. Down the street, cars packed into the Club Karma lot.
Signs taped to Temptations’ doors on July 11 warned patrons that the club is not responsible for anyone contracting COVID-19. Another sign noted that South Carolina recommends wearing a face mask indoors. Face masks are not required in Jasper County; the County Council passed a resolution last week urging people to wear masks.
“By purchasing and/or accepting admission to the club, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” the sign read. “By entering the club, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19 and agree not to hold Tylor LLC; Temptations; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, or contractors liable for any illness or injury.”
At Karma, a sign listed safety precautions people should take to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
A June 19 post on Club Karma’s Facebook account said, “Open for business ya dig.” Photos from inside the club have been posted more recently. Temptations’ Facebook page lists upcoming events, including weekly “Ladies Nights,” “Military Appreciation Nights” and “2-4-1 Dances Every Tuesday.” One event was scheduled for Tuesday night.
But in a July 2 message responding to questions from the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette, a Temptations representative said the business was open only on Friday and Saturday nights rather than its usual seven days a week. The club did not respond to further questions from the newspapers.
Club Karma is open Thursday through Sunday nights, according to its Facebook page.
Under rules set in place by the state, strip clubs are not allowed to be open at all. In an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, McMaster issued an executive order March 31 ordering all adult entertainment venues — which include strip clubs — to close to the public.
State and local officials, law enforcement and the Department of Health and Environmental Control are authorized and directed to enforce the law. Violators can face fines of up to $100 or imprisonment for up to 30 days.
Jasper County Sheriff Chris Malphrus has not responded to repeated calls for comment about the reopening of strip clubs in the county.
Around the country, strip clubs have been tied to COVID-19 outbreaks. Thirteen cases have been tied to a strip club near Detroit, according to the Detroit Free-Press, and an outbreak has been reported at a Wisconsin strip club, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Now, as COVID-19 outbreaks in South Carolina rank the state among the worst places in the world at containing the virus, recording more than 58,000 cases total Monday, state and local leaders are seeking tighter measures to curtail activities that can spread coronavirus.
On Friday, McMaster announced that bars and restaurants are no longer permitted to sell alcohol past 11 p.m., and those found doing so face suspension of their liquor license.
Adult entertainment venues can be exempt from the governor’s non-essential businesses order if they transition to functioning solely as a restaurant or bar, without a cabaret. Businesses that do not fall in categories specifically opened by executive order may request clarification from the state Department of Commerce on whether they qualify as essential. If a business is determined to be essential, it may continue operations.
Alex Clark, director of marketing and communications at the Department of Commerce, said that submitting a clarification request does not necessarily mean a business will be allowed to reopen.
Centerfold’s of Hilton Head — the only known strip club in Beaufort County — converted into a restaurant temporarily so it could reopen. In an inquiry to the Department of Commerce, Hilton Head Golf and Travel LLC, which owns the club, noted that it was issued a new business license, effective June 3, to operate as a restaurant without a cabaret on a temporary basis for 90 days.
“We are requesting essential status. We have served food since we opened our doors and we have a full kitchen full menu,” Centerfold’s inquiry stated.
The business was deemed essential by the Department of Commerce June 12. According to its website and Facebook page, it is currently closed due to McMaster’s limitations on alcoholic beverages sales past 11 p.m.
Temptations and Club Karma have not submitted requests for essential status, according to the current list of clarification requests.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 10:26 AM.
