Reopenings - Silverado, Portland OR

[+ pdxleo]

Portland, and Multnomah County, Oregon were the last jurisdictions in the state to move into partial reopening for business including restaurants, retail stores, and bars. After seeing the reopening of Boxers n Briefs in St Louis, I thought it was time to see how the hometown places were handling this challenge. My curiosity needed to compare and contrast, and I wanted to say "hey" to some of the guys who make the long wet winters here at least bearable. So, here goes my description of last night's visit.

 

First, the major change- hours of operation. PreCovid, Silverado's hours were 11AM to 2 AM, with dancers working 10PM to close. With the current rules allowing bars to be open only to 10PM, dancers are now working from 6 to 10 nightly, with a Sunday matinee from 2 to 6. Entry to the club required a mask (any public indoor space in OR requires that), plus a temperature check with a Flir scanner. No touch, no fuss, not an issue to me. Free entry weeknights, cover charge on Fri/Sat. These hours are expected to be the case for an extended period this summer- the next step of loosening restrictions will allow a midnight closing time, but will require a drop in infection rates and hospitalizations. Rural Oregon is getting there, but Metro Portland is lagging behind- not Phoenix or Houston-like numbers, but not ideal yet.

 

Inside, the social distancing effort is apparent. The large main floor space is divided out by ropes, keeping the video poker and slots in a defined separate area. Tables and stools are spaced out to meet the mandate. Down stairs, the stage room is revamped. No chairs at the stage rail, tips go into a tip pail on the rail instead of into the dancer's drawers. There are still bar tables away from the stage, just fewer in number. The manager estimates a max capacity of 30 to 35, depending on how groups arrange themselves. Masks are required for patrons moving about the room, but if you are sitting at a table and drinking or eating you can remove the mask. However, dancers, bartenders and all staff are required to have masks on continuously. As in STL, it felt a bit strange to watch a dancer get down to nothing on but a mask!

 

Lap dance booths are still in play, but masks are required. other than that, most of the bar rules are the same- I did not partake, but others did. Last night there were only a few dancers, so I didn't feel right tying up the dancer's time with chitchat. There's some stripper drama concerning scheduling and returning to work for some of the old-timers, but really, would you expect anything less? In all, the place is trying to make things work, and it will be interesting to see how a busy weekend works out- with the limited space, crowd control is going to be a challenge and the staff has their work cut out for them.

 

Next up in a few days, I'll head around the corner to Stag- they've got a much smaller space, social distancing my be a greater challenge. Support your local- they need us more than ever before!

[OneFinger]

Thanks so much for this update. I was thinking of venturing out this weekend and your post is very helpful.

[+ pdxleo]

Glad to help.

[SlcArt19]

How is Silverado now? It seems like it's open according to some recent Yelp reviews.

[+ leo2510]

Ya, both Silverado and Stag are back to normal ops, with the exception of Sunday early shows at Silverado no longer available.

[Chidude]

Hey guys.  I’m heading to Portland for the first time next month.  Any advice on Stag and Silverado?  For example, when in Montreal I usually hit up Stock first for some drinks and lap dances before finishing off the evening at the livelier Campus.  Is there a specific order you’d recommend I visit Portland’s clubs on a weekend evening?  Thanks.