Why clubs and theaters in Richmond fail

STYLE Weekly’s new Back Page,”The City That Fun Forgot,” takes a look at some of the peculiar obstacles those in the nightlife business face in Richmond. It was written by Don Harrison, publisher of Save Richmond, who has written extensively on the crazy crossroads in Richmond, where politics and entertainment meet. When nightspots aren’t riffing […]

April 15, 2009; 2:22 AM • by FTRea

STYLE Weekly’s new Back Page,”The City That Fun Forgot,” takes a look at some of the peculiar obstacles those in the nightlife business face in Richmond. It was written by Don Harrison, publisher of Save Richmond, who has written extensively on the crazy crossroads in Richmond, where politics and entertainment meet.

When nightspots aren’t riffing with the city, they have state alcohol officials to jam with. The local office of Alcoholic Beverage Control has shown itself to be both aggressive in its policing and slow in issuing licenses to qualified city applicants. The agency’s fines — for lights being too dim and corners being too dark — are often authoritarian, and the ABC board’s Prohibition-era alcohol laws that mandate 45 percent in food sales are a big reason many music venues go under. Clubs forced to serve food in R-Town also are hit with a hefty meals tax to go along with the city’s admissions tax.

Click here to read the entire article.

The “admissions tax” Harrison mentions has played a significant role in closing down some of Richmond’s favorite entertainment venues over the years. It keeps shows from coming to Richmond.

Seven percent of the price of all tickets sold for any show in Richmond comes off the top, even when the show loses money. That’s in addition to all other taxes and so forth.

Ask anybody who has ever been in show business in this city what that means.

More will follow on this topic soon.

April 15, 2009 2:22 AM 0