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The Spearmint Rhino is set to open its first Scottish venue by Christmas. The gentlemen's club chain's UK representatives have confirmed with the Herald that they have acquired an existing club in Glasgow and will rebrand it within the coming months.
The story reported that although members of the Scottish Executive's working group on adult entertainment say they have no problem with the club, MSPs and women's conservative groups have already expressed their opposition.
Critics believe that Glasgow City Council, which has as a policy of blanket opposition to strip clubs, is almost certain to try to block the move.
Simon Warr, president of Spearmint Rhino's European division, told reporters that although he was aware the move would upset many within Glasgow City Chambers, their objections were on moral and not legal grounds.
Spearmint Rhino’s acquisition of the previous venue, the Truffle Club — Glasgow's first gentlemen’s club, which opened its doors in 1998 — presents Spearmint Rhino with the advantage of not having to apply for a new license. It will instead simply have to have the existing license transferred, continued the report. Despite claims it will extend over two floors and have a capacity for 900 customers, Warr told the Herald that it would stick to the existing set-up of just one floor.
“We've chosen Glasgow and not Edinburgh or Aberdeen because it is a relatively untapped market, continued Warr. “It's an excellent, vibrant city and, for me, Scotland's first city. We know there will be opposition but these moral attitudes have nothing to do with the law.”
