Pure Pleasure Megastore Wins License Dispute

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. — The Pure Pleasure Megacenter is once again open for business, at least for the time being.

Hoping to avoid a messy legal battle, the city council has issued a business license to the adult book and video store just three days after a judge ordered the store closed.

Pure Pleasure has been a source of controversy and heated debate for several weeks in the small Jefferson County town.

Under pressure from residents who contended the store would attract criminal activity, Mayor Tom Schilly last month blocked store owner Don Kleinhans’ requests for a license, claiming inadequate lighting.

Kleinhans challenged the denial, contending the store’s floor plan complied with all city ordinances and that he had filed all the appropriate paperwork.

“We tried to talk, we tried to negotiate, but they just refused to even work with us,” Kleinhans said, adding that Schilly rejected the appeal without providing a direct and legal reason why the store could not operate in the community.

Kleinhans then appealed to the City Council to help resolve the matter.

Frustrated with the lack of response and hoping to force the issue into court, Kleinhans, at the urging of his attorneys, decided on March 16 to open the store even without a license, and business was brisk.

“Obviously, there is a silent majority that is happy we are here and ready to buy our product,” Kleinhans said.

The move did get the courts involved. On March 18, just two days after Pure Pleasure opened, Judge Gary P. Kramer ordered the store shut down and scheduled a full hearing for March 28. He noted, however, that he expected the City Council to provide Kleinhans with a response to his appeal.

The city council apparently took Kramer’s orders seriously. Yesterday, the council issued the license, citing that it had no valid reason to keep Pure Pleasure from opening. The license came with one condition, however. The store will not be allowed to have private viewing booths inside.

The Community Interest Voice, a group that has staged several town meeting protests against the store, said they plan to picket the store.

Ironically, Kleinhans believes the publicity surrounding the license dispute, and the possibility of picketers, will be a huge boon to his business.

“We’ve run into this stuff before,” Kleinhans said. “We had a store in Kentucky where it happened, and what intrigues me is our store in Louisville did fourfold [in sales] what the other stores have done within the first six months. The only thing I can attribute it to is the number of protestors. The more protestors we had, the more media coverage we received. Ultimately, what it does is give us about $10 million in advertising.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Brazzers Drops Finale of 'Employee Relations' Series

Brazzers has released the final installment of its limited series “Employee Relations.”

Orion Debuts 'Fluffy Tail Plugs' From You2Toys Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced the Fluffy Tail Plugs from its You2Toys line.

Satisfyer Marks Women's Day, Debuts Mini Vibe

Satisfyer is marking International Women’s Day with the debut of its new Satisfyer Pro 2 Kiss mini vibrator.

Sen. Mike Lee Renews Push for Federal AV Legislation

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah on Wednesday reintroduced a federal age verification bill that has twice previously failed to make it through Congress.

Megan Abbatelli Joins Honey Play Box as North America Sales Manager

Honey Play Box has appointed Megan Abbatelli as its new North America sales manager.

Yhivi Returns to Brazzers

Yhivi has returned to Brazzers alongside Alex Mack in the studio's latest scene, “Unzip & Slip into Her Ass.”

Oxballs Expands 'Night Edition' Collection

Oxballs has expanded its Night Edition collection with 16 new pleasure products.

Eye of Love Expands 'Bloom' Line With New Massage Candles

Eye of Love has added pheromone massage candles to its Bloom collection.

South Dakota Governor Signs AV Law With Criminal Charges

South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden has signed into law a bill imposing criminal charges on sites that fail to perform age verification of users when providing access to adult content.

Orion Debuts 'Sucking Masturbator' Stroker From You2Toys Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced the Sucking Masturbator with Dual Vibration stroker from its You2Toys line.

Show More