Mike Dickinson, regional operator of Pony Clubs across the South and Midwest, has begun booking reality TV stars and social media influencers to reverse declining strip club attendance.
Dickinson, who oversees the chain’s locations, told The Post he started with strippers who already had large online followings before branching out to influencers with no prior exotic dance experience. His roster now includes Lauryn Efird, the 24-year-old reality personality known as Pumpkin from “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.”
“She was someone that you wouldn’t think would be a big draw in a strip club, but she’s phenomenal. People come, they line up early to see her,” Dickinson said.
Pumpkin entered the strip club circuit shortly after launching her OnlyFans account, and she has found the work both lucrative and empowering. She said her fanbase follows her into venues they would never otherwise visit.
“My fans follow me everywhere I go, the crowds are insane, at the Pony in Chattanooga we had 200 people in the door before midnight,” she said.
The appearance fees for major influencers range from $5,000 to $10,000 per weekend booking, Dickinson said. Performers also collect tips, and some offer private dances in VIP rooms for additional charges depending on the individual.
Pumpkin said her star power can generate up to $10,000 on a strong night. She described the performances as a “confidence booster” but maintains boundaries around the work.
“Me and my boyfriend tell people it’s a fun event to do once or twice a month, but not something I could do every night,” she said.
Dickinson’s pivot toward influencer talent comes as the broader strip club industry struggles to recover post-pandemic and faces competition from the proliferation of free online adult content.
“The strip club industry never bounced back after COVID; young people have changed, they’re on their phones, they’re not drinking, they’re not having sex anymore,” said Frank Bane, owner of Continental Agency, which represents strippers.
Dickinson framed his strategy in stark terms: “You don’t want to be Blockbuster in a Netflix world.”
The influencer experiment has attracted other unconventional performers. Shanna Brooks, a porn star turned stand-up comedian, has done topless comedy sets at Dickinson’s clubs.
“It’s not what they’re used to, but by the end they gave me a really positive response, people were handing me tips after the show,” Brooks said.
Former UFC and WWE star Matt Riddle has also participated, judging a butt-slapping contest at one location. He endorsed the influencer model as mutually beneficial.
“The girls are excited to have someone to have in their besides customers. It helped everybody out, not just me but the business, the girls,” Riddle said.
Pumpkin’s transition from child reality star to adult entertainer follows her family’s long history in the public eye. She first appeared on TLC’s “Toddlers & Tiaras” alongside her half-sister Alana “Honey Boo Boo” Thompson, then became a central figure on “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” and its WE tv follow-up “Mama June: From Not to Hot.” The Georgia native has since built her own social media presence independent of her family’s franchise, leveraging that following into paid appearances at Dickinson’s venues across the region.
Dickinson continues expanding the influencer roster as he tests which personalities draw reliably across his multi-state footprint.