As the line of people grew longer and the sun set lower, passers-by looked to get a glimpse of a new attraction on one of the busiest avenues in Fresno.
Hustler Hollywood was holding its grand opening on Saturday to an audience that ranged from longtime fans of the magazine to curious college students with free time.
The night included free gift bags with a variety of products found in the store and a meet and greet with a Hustler model, Melody Wylde.
“When we focused on opening new locations, we’ve got a really strong presence in Southern California; in terms of Central California and in terms of the demographics of our core, we really looked at three areas,” said Spencer Dela Cruz, vice president of corporate development.
Of the three locations, Fresno ended up being first.
In comparison to the other adult entertainment stores in Fresno, Hustler Hollywood is one of the main streets, Shaw Avenue and features large windows which open up the store to curious people.
“There’s a welcoming feel to [the store]. We’ve got warm colors. We’ve got high-end finishes, high-end fixtures, and we’re kind of the Louis Vuitton of this type of store,” Dela Cruz said.
A main source of interest for the night was meet Larry Flynt, creator of Hustler Magazine, alongside the Hustler model. But, Flynt was unable to make the appearance.
Even so, people of all ages, including Fresno State students, lined up inside the store to meet Wylde and got a chance to take a photo with her.
“I just like that there’s finally a store here that actually has a lot of the stuff that I’m into because otherwise I would have to go to [Los Angeles],” Alma Sandoval, an art major at Fresno State, said while in line to meet Wylde.
Wylde echoed positive sentiments about the items the sex store offers to students.
“College students have sex, and we have at Hustler a great variety of things for college students to explore their sexuality,” Wylde said.
The store is separated into two sections. The main entrance features lingerie and costuming and the back featuring adult products.
“Everybody is pretty much open. This generation is open to a lot of stuff, and we’re pretty much open-minded,” said Enrique Cabrera, a psychology major at Fresno City College (FCC).
Both Cabrera and his friend, Marquel Amey, a fashion major at FCC, said that the store is a source of entertainment for college students with free time. That’s a good thing for store representations.
“I think in Fresno, specifically, we’ve been a little bit surprised on how much younger our customer [base] is here, and I think that local students might find their way in here,” Dela Cruz said.