From paying bands to bouncers, money taken at the front door varies at many bars downtown.

One49 North, Kamikaze’s, Uptown, The Attic and Cla-Zel are some of the bars downtown which require patrons to pay a cover charge.

Ashley Blankenship, an employee at Howard’s Club H, said the bar uses the money made at the front door to pay bands and sound technicians.

The amount of the cover charge varies from night to night.

“It depends on the night and on the band,” Blankenship said. “Sometimes it’s $3 to $5, big bands we can charge anywhere from $10 to $15.”

Morgan Apaicio said the most she has paid as a cover was $5 at One49 North. She said she has seen some places begin to charge when the bar gets busier.

“Personally, I think it’s stupid but it’s a way to make money,” Apaicio said.

Cody Lucius, alumnus and bartender at Kamikaze’s, said the money the bouncers collect at the door goes to the owner of the bar. From there, the money is used to pay workers’ salaries.

“It all goes to the owner,” Lucius said. “Some of it goes to people working the door that night.”

Kamikaze’s charges $5 because it’s easier to divide out to pay employees at the end of the night, Lucius said.

“Five dollars is easier for our workers because if it was $3, that’s a lot of one-dollar bills,” Lucius said. “It gets people in quicker too.”

Junior Sam White said it was nice not having to pay to enter a bar after he turned 21.

“If they’re under 21, they have to get money from them somehow,” White said.

Junior Collin Yost said it makes sense that the bar charges those who are under 21 because they’re not drinking, but doesn’t agree with some bars’ decision to charge males only.

“If girls don’t have to pay, guys shouldn’t have to pay either,” Yost said.