Federal judge allows Texas strip club to reopen as restaurant without entertainers

A strip club in Houston will reportedly be allowed to open its doors but “solely as a restaurant without additional entertainment,” according to court documents seen by KHOU.

A federal judge recently ruled that Club ONYX can reopen in the early phases of Texas’s reopening process but it will not be allowed to feature entertainment from dancers for the time being, “even if the entertainers are fully clothed.” 

The ruling follows the club reportedly reopening earlier this month after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) allowed the state’s stay-at-home order to expire at the end of April and announced the state would be entering the first phase of its reopening process.

As part of the first phase, which began at the start of May, retailers, restaurants, movie theaters and malls were allowed to reopen in the state so long as they limited their occupancy to 25 percent.

However, shortly after the Houston club reopened with additional entertainment, a local ABC station reported that the business had been closed down by local law enforcement.

That’s when the club reportedly brought a lawsuit against the city and a judge granted the club a temporary restraining order that allowed the business to reopen temporarily.

But the club’s preliminary injunction motion against Houston was reportedly thrown out this past Friday. According to KHOU, the club had accused Houston of infringing upon its right to free expression in the injunction, but the court determined that its claim “relates to the orders of the Governor and not the actions the City of Houston.”

“The City of Houston is only responsible for lawfully enforcing the Governor’s order,” the court reportedly added in documents obtained by the station.