These are napkins: You're in the middle of a napkin war, a nightlife trend so popular that venues like Cru host dedicated parties on a regular basis. Haven't been invited to one yet? Here's what you need to know so you don't find yourself unprepared and reaching for paper towels at the club.
What Is a Napkin War?
Napkin wars are similar to money fights in strip clubs. They are spectacles in which clubgoers buy bundles of napkins to throw in the club. The patron who throws the most napkins is seen as the most affluent. In the clubs that host them, they are status symbols that come with bragging rights.When Did the Trend Start?
It’s hard to say exactly when and where napkin wars began, but Atlanta's Buckhead Saloon is credited with popularizing Sunday-night napkin wars events as far back as 2020. The interactive, epic battles spread to other clubs in the city, like Compound Night Club, and eventually made their way to South Florida at clubs like Cru's Wynwood and Miami Gardens locations, and Lauderhill's 4 AM Lounge Bar & Grill.How Much Does A Box of Napkins Cost for a Napkin War?
A box of napkins can cost as much as $200 — comparable to buying a bottle at the club — all for the glory of making it rain (but not with dollar bills).Where Are Napkin Wars Popular ?
For now, the realm of napkin wars is limited to nightclubs. But could strip clubs, where making it rain with dollar bills is tradition, also follow suit?Adrian Young, a local who frequents both nightclubs and strip clubs, doesn't think so. He says napkin wars are gimmicks reserved for people who party at regular nightclubs. "Throwing napkins is just something different to do for fun in a regular club," he says. "I don’t think anybody throws napkins in a strip club...The napkins thing is to attract more people and have something different for them to do. It gives them something else to do other than just vibing in the club."
Nick the Bad Guy, manager of Miami's One Gentlemen's Club, agrees that napkin wars likely won't make the jump to strip clubs. "It’s just a trend. It will slowly start to lose that clientele, and [people] will move on to the next trend," he says. He also theorizes that the move would not go over well with strippers: "Dancers are already complaining that they don’t get enough attention," he adds.
"It’s tacky for strip clubs because the entertainers want to make money, not collect napkins," says One Gentlemen's Club bartender and promoter Pebbles. "But to regular clubs: I just don’t see the point of wasting so many napkins," she says. "And people need paper!"
