Harnett Dispatch

Café Risque has seen its last Dance

The controversial Strip club and café has closed without much notice

The signs that lined the shoulders of I-95 leading to the infamous Café Risque are just a reminder of the once controversial strip club that operated as café and strip club. The building is up for sale and the use of the building and land has no future in the adult entertainment business. Café Risque caused a lash out from many local officials and pastors.  The building and land is on the market for $275.000. After lawsuits between the county and the original owner, Mr. Sullivan agreed to strict terms set fourth that no alcohol sales would be tolerated and that interactions between staff and customers would be controlled to say the least.

From Wral – 2007

Opponents of an adult business protested and prayed, hoping it would fail, but their outcry had little effect on the Cafe Risque in Harnett County. In fact, the dancers there are now taking off even more than before, thanks to a court settlement.

When Cafe Risque opened in March, the dancers wore skimpy bikinis. That was within legal limits, outlined in a law which prompted a lawsuit as owners of the cafe sued Harnett County in federal court. This month, the two sides agreed to settle the issue out of court. The lawsuit has been dropped along with the dancers’ tops.

They dare to bare at the Cafe Risque on Interstate-95 in Harnett County. Now, dancers there can take off everything except their bikini bottoms. The court fight over how much they have to wear is over.

Chris Brown of Cafe Risque said the county saved a lot of money by not trying to fight the business in court.

The cafe wasted little time updating most of its billboards along I-95. One sits right across the highway from a bible college. O. Talmadge Spence, president of Foundations Bible College, was disappointed with the court settlement.

But, county officials say they’ve tried to make the best of a bad situation. Fearing a loss in the courts, Dwight Snow, Harnett County attorney, said they gave in on topless dancing but were able to establish some controls on the cafe’s operations.

According to the settlement, the cafe cannot go totally nude, it cannot expand without permission from the county, and it cannot employ dancers convicted of sex or drug related crimes.

The billboard across from the bible college should be gone within a week or so.