Swinging in Cincinnati

Swinger's ClubIf I think of Cincinnati, the first things that come to mind are WKRP in Cinncinnati, and the Bengals. Swingers clubs don’t necessarily pop up in my mind, but maybe that’s just because I just don’t know the region. According to this recent article and one Swingers club owner who is presumably more than a tad biased, greater Cincinnati is one of the “top swinger areas in the country.”

In a neighboring small town, Jeff McGinnis opened “The Cobra Club”, which is a Swinger’s Club/Banquet Hall whose mission is to amp up the sex lives of middle-aged married people in the area. The owner is surprisingly tight about who he lets in the club: no one in “slovenly attire” is allowed in, which seems ironic for obvious reasons. He also prefers the members to be a little older because he believes that younger people get more jealous when they see their partners getting busy.  However, for those of you who are not so nice-looking, it’s ok as he is fortunately unable to discriminate based on looks.  

Mr. McGinnis is hoping to generate more business as people from the neighboring area come into town to buy gas, beer, and ice. I can picture the scene exactly. “Hey, honey, why don’t we stop in at this Banquet Hall? We can leave the kids in the car.”

For those of you wishing to open their own Swinger’s Clubs, the economics of the club are easily defined: it’s five times the price of admission for couples and single men as it is for single women. Currently, a large percentage of the clientele is straight,  but the owner is hoping to have a gay night Wednesdays because, as he rather crassly puts it, “they have more disposable income”. The site is 12,000 square-feet and has 13 rooms, all equipped with queen-sized beds- I have no idea if the beds are vibrating or if handcuffs are included in the entrance fee. His goal is to get roughly $300,000 a year in income if enough people sign up for memberships.

Surprisingly, there is little opposition in the area to the club, possibly due to the club’s low profile and the fact that it is operated under a Banquet license. As of now, there aren’t any zoning regulations for Swinger’s Clubs in the town.