Cape extends strip club's license

The city of Cape Girardeau will allow a strip-tease club to stay in business for now, despite the club's history of violating the city's adult-business law and the police chief's recommendation against renewing the club's license.

City manager Doug Leslie granted a conditional, six-month license to the club on Thursday rather than renew the adult-business license for Stephanie's Cabaret for a full year because of past adult-business and liquor violations at the 10-year-old club.

Under the city's adult-business regulations, the city manager has the final authority on whether to grant or renew adult-business licenses.

Leslie decided to renew the license after a Thursday afternoon meeting at city hall with police chief Steve Strong and city attorney Eric Cunningham.

Leslie said the conditional license will be for six months and coincide with the city council's decision earlier this month to renew a liquor license for the nightclub at 805 Enterprise St. for only six months and place the business on probation.

"The goal was to make them run concurrently," Leslie said.

The nightclub already is in danger of losing its state liquor license. That also was a factor in his decision, Leslie said.

In March, the supervisor of the Missouri Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Control issued an order to revoke the liquor license for 10 counts of lewdness observed during an investigation last November. The club is appealing the order.

Agents observed 10 violations during the performance of a pornographic film actress, including simulated sexual intercourse with a male patron; a dancer displaying the nipple area of her breast; an employee fondling her breast; simulated sexual act with a beer bottle; and nightclub employees using indecent and obscene language.

The operator of the Paducah, Ky.-based adult business couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.