โDollhouse Dennisโ joins Lollipop Bangkok as manager tonight, marking the start of a new era at the Nana Plaza go-go bar.
โDollhouse Dennisโ is Dennis Martino, the popular American manager who has helmed The Dollhouse a-Go-Go on Soi Cowboy for nearly two years. He left last month. According to Stickman Bangkok, โowners (were) unwilling to pay the man who took care of Dollhouse what he is worthโ.
Dollhouse Dennis was popular both with customers and the girls in the bar and the Soi Cowboy bar has seen business dip precipitously since his departure.
โDollhouse Dennisโ Becomes โLollipop Dennisโ
Martinoโs hiring became official late Sept. 22 and he will start work tonight. Lollipopโs outside bar opens at 5 p.m. and the inside go-go at 7 p.m.
His hiring is notable because Lollipop, in its 24-year history has never had a foreign manager. With Nana Plazaโs recent lease renewal, that saw key money, rent and deposit increases, the pressure is on all the bars to boost their revenues and Lollipopโs owners decided a pivot toward expats and repeat customers could boost a bar that, located immediately inside Nana Plazaโs entrance, long has been the first-stop for tourists.
Dennisโ troupe of fans undoubtedly will soon beat a path to Nana Plaza to hang on Lollipopโs large, comfortable patio for Nanaโs best happy hour, or chill inside in the go-go, where Dennis could make some of the same improvements to the playlist that he did at Dollhouse.โ
โItโs great to be back in the game. I missed it. No greater gig than โThe Managerโ,โ Martino said Sunday night. โItโs the truth. Start tomorrow, doing what I do best.โ
โDollhouse Dennisโ came to Bangkok from his previous base in Pattaya. A former club manager and real estate broker in the U.S., Martino made everyone feel welcome at The Dollhouse and drew a crowd of people who came not so much for the ladies at the go-go bar, but to hang with him.
But unlike so many foreigners hired to be a happy host with no real power, Martino had hands-on control of The Dollhouse and introduced early week happy hours and made renovations to allow for professional pole dancing shows.
For Lollipop, which has been a steady presence for nearly 25 years but hasnโt been much of an expat draw, it will be exciting to see what the new leadership brings.
