“It’s all visual and mental, there’s nothing of an actual sexual nature,” Naylor clarifies. “We think we can break down barriers through brunch.”Īlthough the staff at Club ZŌ might be provocatively dressed, there’s no actual sexual activity allowed. “A lot of people aren’t willing or are scared to go into strip clubs, and our brunch can be a good introduction,” Peters says.
Their goal is to destigmatize kink through their one-of-a-kind brunch. While some people might clutch their pearls, Peters and Naylor envision a welcoming and non-threatening environment that’s just as accommodating to patrons who know nothing about alternative lifestyles. It’s a chance to indulge that euphoria in a sexually tinged atmosphere that could still be accessible and appealing to the straight brunch crowd. That’s how the idea for Club ZŌ came about.
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Peters had enjoyed secret clubbing events in other East Coast cities, the kind with minimal rules other than being hip enough to know the password to get in. He describes most of today’s clubs as “white-washed, very brightly lit, gentrified, over-sophisticated bars.”
Naylor was wistful for the underground gay nightlife of years past in dark spaces where sexual liberation was front and center, unlike the bar and club scene today. They quickly found they had plenty in common when it comes to nightlife and what they think D.C.’s scene is missing. Peters was bartending and Naylor was a customer. The duo met at The Dirty Goose, a gay bar on U Street NW. I want a brunch that can get fucking crazy, where you forget about what you’re eating because of the performers and the plating and the lighting and the music, not another boring brunch sitting outside watching the sun shining.” “It doesn’t look or taste or smell different. “I like brunch, but every weekend is the same,” Naylor adds. “They want debauchery that’s not found anywhere else.” “Younger people are hungry for something like this club,” he says. Peters is only 24 but already has years of experience in the nightlife industry in New York and Pittsburgh, as well as in D.C. Peters’ mind is overflowing with different themes to try out.
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While Club ZŌ will have a permanent subterranean presence, the plan is that on brunch days it’ll take over the full establishment with different music, lights, and ambience on each floor. On the ground floor you’ll find Archibald’s main area, while the top floor has smaller “champagne suites” and rooms for private dances. Find it on the basement level of long-running gentlemen’s strip club Archibald’s Gentlemen’s Club at 15th and K streets NW. “Well-educated people with prominent jobs,” he says, enjoy “highly intense play.”Ĭlub ZŌ aims to be a safe place for the LGBTQ community and others to indulge their fantasies and let off some steam. He’s noticed a correlation between how demanding one’s career is and how kinky one’s fetishes are. He joyfully ticks off a couple, but the most printable example is people wanting to be chained to toilets. Peters says he’s familiar with more extreme fetishes. He adds, “I think there have been studies that show doctors, lawyers, people in the military, high-up officers, what have you, are into some very different kinks, legal but very taboo.”Ī peek at the club’s Instagram page hints at what to expect: harnesses, restraints, masks, piercings, and cages. This city has some crazy, crazy stuff going on that everyone pretends not to see.” might project an image to some of a “white-collar, prim and proper city,” he says, “but behind closed doors, a lot of people are very into the kink scene. He’s confident he’ll garner a large customer base. The club, which will also serve as a nightlife spot, can’t get going until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, but Peters is hoping for a grand opening in the coming months. The K Street NW venue will pair mimosas with entertainment in the form of nude dancers, cabaret, and exhibitions of sexual kinks.
Club ZŌ founders Thom Naylor and Christopher Peters promise French toast will be the last thing on customers’ minds. Once it’s safe to do so Washingtonians will be able to enjoy a provocative, “sex positive” brunch with a side of S&M. residents can’t wait to enjoy their favorite meals after the pandemic.