Lansing Gentlemen’s Club ‘Stripped’ Of Their License By City

The Lansing City Council sent a strong message to establishments that are magnets for crime: keep it up, and we'll take your license. That's precisely what happened after the April 7, 2025, City Council meeting, when the decision was made to strip a local gentlemen's club's cabaret license.

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Cabaret licenses are necessary for strip clubs, as without them, there's no dancing and, therefore, no stripping. This begs the question: Can a gentlemen's club survive without dancing and stripping?

Fatal Shooting Closes the Book on Centerfold's Cabaret License

The club in question is Centerfolds, located at 5910 S. Pennsylvania Avenue on Lansing, Michigan's southside. Though not the sole reason, a February 16, 2025, fatal shooting that took the life of Christopher Bonilla Sr. was the final straw for the strip club.

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According to the Lansing State Journal, the Lansing Police Department looked into past calls before the Lansing City Council meeting and may have contributed to the body's decision to revoke the club's cabaret license.

No Cabaret License Means No Dancing

I reached out to Centerfolds for comment but have not heard anything as of publication. It's unclear if the establishment will stay open without the cabaret license, as they, to date, retain their liquor license, which is controlled by the state, not the City of Lansing.

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If you take away the dancing and the stripping, you're left with a bar and some empty stages. According to WSYM, this is the second cabaret license Lansing has pulled. They did the same to Logan Square's license in 2023.