A Hollywood, Florida steakhouse offers a nude dining experience on the first Monday of every month.
CLASS Soiree Steakhouse, located at 121 N. 20th Ave. in Hollywood, holds monthly nude dining evenings where guests eat without clothes. Chef and owner Maurad Ali came up with the concept as a way to attract new business and generate some buzz.
Tickets are $250 for men, $150 for women, and $300 for couples.
The price difference between genders sparked immediate interest online—men paying $100 more than women for the same experience.
“I’m the chef and owner, my crew, we are all professionals,” said Ali.
C.L.A.S.S. Soiree Steakhouse launched the private event in July, and it’s already generating plenty of buzz online.
The dinners are held behind blackout curtains, with only ticketed guests allowed inside.
While diners can choose to wear the provided silk bathrobes, many opt to dine without clothing.
“They disrobe pretty much here,” Ali said, gesturing toward the bathroom next to the restaurant’s 14-seat communal table.
“You’d think the main attraction is the nakedness, but for us it’s the food,” Ali said.
“We want people to feel fancy and have themselves an upscale meal.” The next dinner, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3, will feature a five-course menu including filet mignon, Florida lobster tail, truffle mac and cheese, French-style mashed potatoes and beignets for dessert.
The restaurant is expecting around 20 people for the latest naked dining experience.
“Once you walk through the door, I’ll most likely be nude, no clothes on, so when you come in you do feel more comfortable,” said hostess Tashaeba Hart.
The all-clothed staff keeps the experience professional and maintains proper hygiene, Ali emphasized.
“As a restaurateur in this rough environment, we have to be remarkable, and remarkable means people are talking,” Ali said in an interview with Axios.
“Nude dining is not a sexual thing at all.”
The events typically attract about 20 guests, including men and women, some single and some in relationships, according to Ali.
“It’s more so of a gathering to get to know people, new people in the city and the lifestyle,” said hostess Tashaeba Hart, explaining the dinners are about more than the novelty.
The concept has sparked plenty of debate online, with some calling it a fun and unique experience while others question everything from the idea itself to the sanitation.
City officials moved quickly to address legality concerns after the events drew regional attention.
A spokesperson for the city of Hollywood said, “Yes, it’s legal. It’s legal because the staff members working are clothed.”
In the viral moment launched this summer, Ali announced the nude dining experience would occur monthly on the first Monday, offering a five-course dinner in a private setting. The restaurant’s small intimate space of roughly 26 seats became the perfect venue for the exclusive, judgment-free environment. After the concept was announced, the first July event sold out within a day.
The first event sold well, and the second is already nearly full.
The next nude dining experience will be in September in Hollywood.