{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"83236","rtpr_id":"nBwV2G1Ta","ticker":"TRWD","exchange":"OTC","all_tickers":["TRWD"],"title":"TRWD Advances Public-Market Platform for Gentlemen's Club Ownership and Experiential Hospitality Growth","author":"Business Wire","published_at":"2026-07-08T12:00:01.831Z","article_body":"TRWD Advances Public-Market Platform for Gentlemen's Club Ownership and\nExperiential Hospitality Growth\n\nCompany highlights acquisition strategy, Peppermint Hippo operating footprint,\nClub Management Group, and public-company pathway for participation in the\nadult nightlife sector\n\nTradewinds Universal (OTC: TRWD), a holding company in the experiential\nhospitality sector, today issued a corporate update highlighting its\npublic-market platform for Gentlemen's Club ownership, adult nightlife\noperations, and experiential hospitality growth.\n\nTRWD is building a public-company structure\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=building+a+public-company+structure&index=135&md5=fe8967db3c52fd7bc2da1927244a8646)\naround a sector that has historically been dominated by private operators,\nfamily-owned businesses, local nightlife groups, and regional hospitality\nentrepreneurs. The Company's strategy is designed to provide a public-market\npathway tied to the ownership, management, branding, and consolidation of\nrevenue-producing Gentlemen's Club and adult nightlife assets.\n\nThe Company is advancing this strategy\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Fspecial-report&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=strategy&index=136&md5=190917ab412b2af8e0def406489076dc)\nthrough several active platform-building initiatives, including its strategic\nalignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated brands, the launch of its Club\nManagement Group, the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Las Vegas,\nthe appointment of Peppermint Hippo founder Alan Chang to its Board of\nDirectors, the filing process connected to its $10 million acquisition fund,\nand continued preparation for the acquisition and integration of\nrevenue-producing Gentlemen's Club assets.\n\nThe U.S. adult nightlife and Gentlemen's Club sector represents an estimated\n$8 billion to $10 billion annual market\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Finvestor-relations%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=%2410+billion+annual+market&index=137&md5=c5c0d68c15da2fc8eef8946921f87374)\nand remains highly fragmented across thousands of independently owned venues.\nRCI Hospitality Holdings, currently trading on the Nasdaq has served as a\npublic-market reference point for the category, demonstrating that adult\nhospitality and Gentlemen's Club assets can operate within a public-company\nstructure. TRWD is now advancing its own platform focused on acquisition,\noperational management, brand expansion, technology, and long-term venue\nownership.\n\n\"Most people understand restaurants, casinos, bars, nightclubs, and live\nentertainment venues as real operating businesses,\" said Andrew Read, CEO.\n\"The Gentlemen's Club industry is part of that same experiential hospitality\neconomy, but most of the sector has remained privately held. TRWD is building\na structure intended to bring public-company transparency, operating\ndiscipline, and acquisition-based growth to a category that has historically\nbeen difficult for the public to access.\"\n\nA Platform Built Around Revenue-Producing Assets\n\nTRWD's strategy is focused on high revenue-producing Gentlemen's Club assets\nrather than development-stage concepts. The Company's objective is to acquire,\nmanage, and scale operating venues with existing customer traffic, local\nmarket recognition, licensing infrastructure, trained staff, management\nexperience, and established revenue streams.\n\nThe Company believes this distinction is important. TRWD is not attempting to\ncreate a new entertainment category. It is building a public-company framework\naround an existing high revenue producing industry with proven demand,\noperating locations, repeat customers, and multiple revenue streams.\n\nA modern Gentlemen's Club platform can include revenue from admission,\nentertainment, VIP reservations, bottle service, food and beverage, private\nevents, transportation, branded experiences, customer engagement programs,\nmanagement services, financial services and acquisition-driven consolidation.\nTRWD believes these revenue channels can become more valuable when organized\nunder a disciplined platform with centralized branding, reporting, technology,\nand capital access.\n\n\"Gentlemen's Clubs have multiple revenue streams inside one hospitality\nasset,\" said Alan Chang, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Peppermint\nHippo and a director of TRWD. \"A well-run club is not just a room with\nentertainment. It is guest service, VIP hosting, bar operations, private\nevents, transportation, marketing, staffing, security, brand management, and\nfinancial services. That operating depth is why the category has real revenue\npotential when it is managed professionally.\"\n\nPeppermint Hippo and Las Tóxicas Provide the Operating Foundation\n\nTRWD's adult hospitality strategy\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Fabout-us%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=adult+hospitality+strategy&index=138&md5=d8e11e3645aa4d2101bd50e7949cccd1)\nis anchored by its strategic alignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated\nbrands, including Las Tóxicas.\n\nFounded in 2018 by Alan Chang, Peppermint Hippo has grown from its original\nToledo, Ohio location into one of the fastest-expanding Gentlemen's Club\nbrands in the United States. The brand's Las Vegas flagship, located at 1531 S\nLas Vegas Blvd, opened as the only Gentlemen's Club on the Las Vegas Strip and\nrecently has become the operational center of TRWD's strategy.\n\nPeppermint Hippo-branded and affiliated locations include markets such as Las\nVegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Toledo, Ohio; Fayetteville, Arkansas; North\nLittle Rock, Arkansas; Neenah, Wisconsin; New Orleans, Louisiana; Pompano\nBeach, Florida; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The affiliated Las Tóxicas brand\nfurther expands the platform through markets including Las Vegas, Houston, and\nEl Paso.\n\nTogether, Peppermint Hippo and its affiliated brands operate over 12 clubs\nnationwide and generated more than $34 million in revenue in 2025. TRWD\nbelieves this revenue base demonstrates the potential of branded Gentlemen's\nClub assets when supported by experienced management, recognizable concepts,\nmarket-specific execution, and disciplined expansion.\n\n\"The revenue is already there,\" Chang continued. \"These are not speculative\nconcepts. Peppermint Hippo and its affiliated brands are operating real\nlocations, serving real customers, and generating meaningful revenue across\nmultiple markets. The opportunity now is to bring that operating experience\ninto a larger public-company platform that can support acquisitions, branding,\ntechnology, and national expansion.\"\n\nMulti-Market Growth Creates an Acquisition Blueprint\n\nTRWD believes Peppermint Hippo's market-by-market expansion provides a\npractical blueprint for the Company's broader acquisition strategy.\n\nThe brand has operated in major entertainment markets such as Las Vegas and\nReno, regional markets such as Toledo and Neenah, tourism-driven markets such\nas New Orleans, and growth markets such as Pompano Beach and Fort Wayne. Las\nTóxicas adds another branded concept designed to reach additional customer\ndemographics and regional markets.\n\nThe Company believes this multi-market experience is important because the\nGentlemen's Club sector is not limited to one geography or one customer\nprofile. Local-market venues, destination-market venues, branded concepts, and\nregional nightlife assets can each contribute to a broader public hospitality\nplatform when supported by experienced operators and disciplined corporate\ninfrastructure.\n\n\"Peppermint Hippo was built market by market,\" Chang said. \"The advantage of\nour platform is that we understand how to operate in different markets while\nkeeping the guest experience, branding, and management standards consistent.\nThat experience is what TRWD intends to build around as acquisitions move\nforward, and they are moving forward!\"\n\nPlatform Divisions Designed to Support Revenue and Acquisitions\n\nTRWD's strategy is organized around complementary divisions designed to\nsupport direct ownership, management income, brand expansion, and operational\nefficiency.\n\nVenue Acquisition and Ownership\n\nTRWD intends to acquire revenue-generating Gentlemen's Club and adult\nnightlife venues, beginning with Peppermint Hippo-branded and affiliated\nassets. Each acquisition is expected to be evaluated based on operating\nhistory, licensing, compliance, revenue contribution, management quality, and\nability to integrate into the Company's broader public platform.\n\nClub Management Group\n\nTRWD's Club Management Group is designed to work with independent adult\nnightlife operators before formal acquisition. Through management services\nagreements, the division is intended to improve operations, implement\nfinancial controls, strengthen branding, and prepare select venues for\npotential future acquisition. This approach gives TRWD a potential\nmanagement-fee revenue stream while developing a pipeline of acquisition-ready\nGentlemen's Club targets. The company is in negotiations with operators at\nthis time and plans to announce contracts shortly.\n\nBrand and Concept Expansion\n\nThrough Peppermint Hippo, Las Tóxicas, and future affiliated concepts, TRWD\nintends to support a multi-brand hospitality platform capable of serving\ndifferent customer demographics and regional markets. This structure allows\nthe Company to pursue growth through established brands while maintaining\nflexibility across different venue formats and market profiles.\n\nTechnology and Guest Engagement\n\nTRWD has advanced the development of a nightlife reservation and customer\nengagement platform intended to support table reservations, VIP bookings,\nguest retention, loyalty programs, digital marketing, and operational\nvisibility across affiliated venues. The Company believes technology will help\nmodernize the Gentlemen's Club experience while improving customer engagement\nand management efficiency.\n\nCorporate Infrastructure Supporting the Next Phase\n\nTRWD has taken several recent steps designed to support its transition into a\nnational adult hospitality platform, including relocating its corporate\nheadquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada, appointing Peppermint Hippo founder Alan\nChang to its Board of Directors, launching its Club Management Group, filing\nto update its SIC classification, and reserving the name ARC Entertainment\nGroup as the intended corporate identity for the next phase of the Company's\nplatform.\n\nThe Company believes these actions support the same strategic objective:\ncreating a public-company structure for the acquisition, management, branding,\nand scaling of Gentlemen's Club and adult nightlife assets.\n\n\"Las Vegas is the center of adult nightlife, hospitality, entertainment, and\ncustomer experience,\" Read added. \"Relocating TRWD's corporate presence to Las\nVegas places the Company closer to Peppermint Hippo's flagship operation and\nstrengthens our ability to build the next phase of this platform from the\nmarket where the industry is most visible.\"\n\nPublic-Company Structure for a Historically Private Industry\n\nTRWD believes many public-market participants remain unaware that the\nGentlemen's Club sector includes established brands, multi-location operators,\nsignificant annual revenue, and potential consolidation opportunities.\n\nThe Company's objective is to build a public reporting structure around these\nassets so venue performance, acquisitions, management services, brand\nexpansion, and corporate development can be evaluated through a more\ntransparent framework.\n\n\"This is not about treating the Gentlemen's Club industry as a novelty,\" said\nRead. \"It is about recognizing that these are operating businesses with proven\nrevenue numbers, real customers, real locations, and real expansion potential.\nTRWD is building a platform designed to bring that industry into a more\ntransparent and scalable public-company model.\"\n\nAbout Peppermint Hippo\n\nFounded in 2018 by Alan Chang, Peppermint Hippo has grown from Toledo, Ohio\ninto the fastest-expanding adult nightlife brand in the country. Its Las Vegas\nflagship opened in April 2022 as the only gentlemen’s club on the Strip. The\nbrand now operates 12+ clubs nationwide, including Las Tóxicas, delivering a\n“Mini-Vegas” experience. Visit ThePeppermintHippo.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2FThePeppermintHippo.com&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=ThePeppermintHippo.com&index=139&md5=6bbb00ff9fbeecd35db65ef8045ac5b7)\n.\n\nAbout Tradewinds Universal\n\nTradewinds Universal (OTCID: TRWD) is a fully reporting, publicly traded\nholding company acquiring and scaling adult hospitality businesses. The\nCompany is consolidating a fragmented industry under an SEC-reporting,\nPCAOB-audited public structure, in strategic alignment with Peppermint Hippo\nand affiliated brands. Its long-term goal is 100+ venues nationally.\n\nForward-Looking Statements\n\nThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of\nthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements\nregarding TRWD’s operational plans, growth prospects, potential\nacquisitions, and anticipated regulatory developments. These statements are\nbased on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that\ncould cause actual results to differ materially.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708816366/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708816366/en/)\n\nRocco Fuerte\nInvestor Relations, Tradewinds Universal\n(619) 483-1008\nRocco@TradewindsUniversal.com (mailto:Rocco@TradewindsUniversal.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nBwV2G1Ta","title":"TRWD Advances Public-Market Platform for Gentlemen's Club Ownership and Experiential Hospitality Growth","author":"Business Wire","ticker":"TRWD","created":"2026-07-08T12:00:01.831Z","tickers":["TRWD"],"exchange":"OTC","article_body":"TRWD Advances Public-Market Platform for Gentlemen's Club Ownership and\nExperiential Hospitality Growth\n\nCompany highlights acquisition strategy, Peppermint Hippo operating footprint,\nClub Management Group, and public-company pathway for participation in the\nadult nightlife sector\n\nTradewinds Universal (OTC: TRWD), a holding company in the experiential\nhospitality sector, today issued a corporate update highlighting its\npublic-market platform for Gentlemen's Club ownership, adult nightlife\noperations, and experiential hospitality growth.\n\nTRWD is building a public-company structure\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=building+a+public-company+structure&index=135&md5=fe8967db3c52fd7bc2da1927244a8646)\naround a sector that has historically been dominated by private operators,\nfamily-owned businesses, local nightlife groups, and regional hospitality\nentrepreneurs. The Company's strategy is designed to provide a public-market\npathway tied to the ownership, management, branding, and consolidation of\nrevenue-producing Gentlemen's Club and adult nightlife assets.\n\nThe Company is advancing this strategy\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Fspecial-report&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=strategy&index=136&md5=190917ab412b2af8e0def406489076dc)\nthrough several active platform-building initiatives, including its strategic\nalignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated brands, the launch of its Club\nManagement Group, the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Las Vegas,\nthe appointment of Peppermint Hippo founder Alan Chang to its Board of\nDirectors, the filing process connected to its $10 million acquisition fund,\nand continued preparation for the acquisition and integration of\nrevenue-producing Gentlemen's Club assets.\n\nThe U.S. adult nightlife and Gentlemen's Club sector represents an estimated\n$8 billion to $10 billion annual market\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Finvestor-relations%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=%2410+billion+annual+market&index=137&md5=c5c0d68c15da2fc8eef8946921f87374)\nand remains highly fragmented across thousands of independently owned venues.\nRCI Hospitality Holdings, currently trading on the Nasdaq has served as a\npublic-market reference point for the category, demonstrating that adult\nhospitality and Gentlemen's Club assets can operate within a public-company\nstructure. TRWD is now advancing its own platform focused on acquisition,\noperational management, brand expansion, technology, and long-term venue\nownership.\n\n\"Most people understand restaurants, casinos, bars, nightclubs, and live\nentertainment venues as real operating businesses,\" said Andrew Read, CEO.\n\"The Gentlemen's Club industry is part of that same experiential hospitality\neconomy, but most of the sector has remained privately held. TRWD is building\na structure intended to bring public-company transparency, operating\ndiscipline, and acquisition-based growth to a category that has historically\nbeen difficult for the public to access.\"\n\nA Platform Built Around Revenue-Producing Assets\n\nTRWD's strategy is focused on high revenue-producing Gentlemen's Club assets\nrather than development-stage concepts. The Company's objective is to acquire,\nmanage, and scale operating venues with existing customer traffic, local\nmarket recognition, licensing infrastructure, trained staff, management\nexperience, and established revenue streams.\n\nThe Company believes this distinction is important. TRWD is not attempting to\ncreate a new entertainment category. It is building a public-company framework\naround an existing high revenue producing industry with proven demand,\noperating locations, repeat customers, and multiple revenue streams.\n\nA modern Gentlemen's Club platform can include revenue from admission,\nentertainment, VIP reservations, bottle service, food and beverage, private\nevents, transportation, branded experiences, customer engagement programs,\nmanagement services, financial services and acquisition-driven consolidation.\nTRWD believes these revenue channels can become more valuable when organized\nunder a disciplined platform with centralized branding, reporting, technology,\nand capital access.\n\n\"Gentlemen's Clubs have multiple revenue streams inside one hospitality\nasset,\" said Alan Chang, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Peppermint\nHippo and a director of TRWD. \"A well-run club is not just a room with\nentertainment. It is guest service, VIP hosting, bar operations, private\nevents, transportation, marketing, staffing, security, brand management, and\nfinancial services. That operating depth is why the category has real revenue\npotential when it is managed professionally.\"\n\nPeppermint Hippo and Las Tóxicas Provide the Operating Foundation\n\nTRWD's adult hospitality strategy\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftradewindsuniversal.com%2Fabout-us%2F&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=adult+hospitality+strategy&index=138&md5=d8e11e3645aa4d2101bd50e7949cccd1)\nis anchored by its strategic alignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated\nbrands, including Las Tóxicas.\n\nFounded in 2018 by Alan Chang, Peppermint Hippo has grown from its original\nToledo, Ohio location into one of the fastest-expanding Gentlemen's Club\nbrands in the United States. The brand's Las Vegas flagship, located at 1531 S\nLas Vegas Blvd, opened as the only Gentlemen's Club on the Las Vegas Strip and\nrecently has become the operational center of TRWD's strategy.\n\nPeppermint Hippo-branded and affiliated locations include markets such as Las\nVegas, Nevada; Reno, Nevada; Toledo, Ohio; Fayetteville, Arkansas; North\nLittle Rock, Arkansas; Neenah, Wisconsin; New Orleans, Louisiana; Pompano\nBeach, Florida; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. The affiliated Las Tóxicas brand\nfurther expands the platform through markets including Las Vegas, Houston, and\nEl Paso.\n\nTogether, Peppermint Hippo and its affiliated brands operate over 12 clubs\nnationwide and generated more than $34 million in revenue in 2025. TRWD\nbelieves this revenue base demonstrates the potential of branded Gentlemen's\nClub assets when supported by experienced management, recognizable concepts,\nmarket-specific execution, and disciplined expansion.\n\n\"The revenue is already there,\" Chang continued. \"These are not speculative\nconcepts. Peppermint Hippo and its affiliated brands are operating real\nlocations, serving real customers, and generating meaningful revenue across\nmultiple markets. The opportunity now is to bring that operating experience\ninto a larger public-company platform that can support acquisitions, branding,\ntechnology, and national expansion.\"\n\nMulti-Market Growth Creates an Acquisition Blueprint\n\nTRWD believes Peppermint Hippo's market-by-market expansion provides a\npractical blueprint for the Company's broader acquisition strategy.\n\nThe brand has operated in major entertainment markets such as Las Vegas and\nReno, regional markets such as Toledo and Neenah, tourism-driven markets such\nas New Orleans, and growth markets such as Pompano Beach and Fort Wayne. Las\nTóxicas adds another branded concept designed to reach additional customer\ndemographics and regional markets.\n\nThe Company believes this multi-market experience is important because the\nGentlemen's Club sector is not limited to one geography or one customer\nprofile. Local-market venues, destination-market venues, branded concepts, and\nregional nightlife assets can each contribute to a broader public hospitality\nplatform when supported by experienced operators and disciplined corporate\ninfrastructure.\n\n\"Peppermint Hippo was built market by market,\" Chang said. \"The advantage of\nour platform is that we understand how to operate in different markets while\nkeeping the guest experience, branding, and management standards consistent.\nThat experience is what TRWD intends to build around as acquisitions move\nforward, and they are moving forward!\"\n\nPlatform Divisions Designed to Support Revenue and Acquisitions\n\nTRWD's strategy is organized around complementary divisions designed to\nsupport direct ownership, management income, brand expansion, and operational\nefficiency.\n\nVenue Acquisition and Ownership\n\nTRWD intends to acquire revenue-generating Gentlemen's Club and adult\nnightlife venues, beginning with Peppermint Hippo-branded and affiliated\nassets. Each acquisition is expected to be evaluated based on operating\nhistory, licensing, compliance, revenue contribution, management quality, and\nability to integrate into the Company's broader public platform.\n\nClub Management Group\n\nTRWD's Club Management Group is designed to work with independent adult\nnightlife operators before formal acquisition. Through management services\nagreements, the division is intended to improve operations, implement\nfinancial controls, strengthen branding, and prepare select venues for\npotential future acquisition. This approach gives TRWD a potential\nmanagement-fee revenue stream while developing a pipeline of acquisition-ready\nGentlemen's Club targets. The company is in negotiations with operators at\nthis time and plans to announce contracts shortly.\n\nBrand and Concept Expansion\n\nThrough Peppermint Hippo, Las Tóxicas, and future affiliated concepts, TRWD\nintends to support a multi-brand hospitality platform capable of serving\ndifferent customer demographics and regional markets. This structure allows\nthe Company to pursue growth through established brands while maintaining\nflexibility across different venue formats and market profiles.\n\nTechnology and Guest Engagement\n\nTRWD has advanced the development of a nightlife reservation and customer\nengagement platform intended to support table reservations, VIP bookings,\nguest retention, loyalty programs, digital marketing, and operational\nvisibility across affiliated venues. The Company believes technology will help\nmodernize the Gentlemen's Club experience while improving customer engagement\nand management efficiency.\n\nCorporate Infrastructure Supporting the Next Phase\n\nTRWD has taken several recent steps designed to support its transition into a\nnational adult hospitality platform, including relocating its corporate\nheadquarters to Las Vegas, Nevada, appointing Peppermint Hippo founder Alan\nChang to its Board of Directors, launching its Club Management Group, filing\nto update its SIC classification, and reserving the name ARC Entertainment\nGroup as the intended corporate identity for the next phase of the Company's\nplatform.\n\nThe Company believes these actions support the same strategic objective:\ncreating a public-company structure for the acquisition, management, branding,\nand scaling of Gentlemen's Club and adult nightlife assets.\n\n\"Las Vegas is the center of adult nightlife, hospitality, entertainment, and\ncustomer experience,\" Read added. \"Relocating TRWD's corporate presence to Las\nVegas places the Company closer to Peppermint Hippo's flagship operation and\nstrengthens our ability to build the next phase of this platform from the\nmarket where the industry is most visible.\"\n\nPublic-Company Structure for a Historically Private Industry\n\nTRWD believes many public-market participants remain unaware that the\nGentlemen's Club sector includes established brands, multi-location operators,\nsignificant annual revenue, and potential consolidation opportunities.\n\nThe Company's objective is to build a public reporting structure around these\nassets so venue performance, acquisitions, management services, brand\nexpansion, and corporate development can be evaluated through a more\ntransparent framework.\n\n\"This is not about treating the Gentlemen's Club industry as a novelty,\" said\nRead. \"It is about recognizing that these are operating businesses with proven\nrevenue numbers, real customers, real locations, and real expansion potential.\nTRWD is building a platform designed to bring that industry into a more\ntransparent and scalable public-company model.\"\n\nAbout Peppermint Hippo\n\nFounded in 2018 by Alan Chang, Peppermint Hippo has grown from Toledo, Ohio\ninto the fastest-expanding adult nightlife brand in the country. Its Las Vegas\nflagship opened in April 2022 as the only gentlemen’s club on the Strip. The\nbrand now operates 12+ clubs nationwide, including Las Tóxicas, delivering a\n“Mini-Vegas” experience. Visit ThePeppermintHippo.com\n(https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2FThePeppermintHippo.com&esheet=54566838&newsitemid=20260708816366&lan=en-US&anchor=ThePeppermintHippo.com&index=139&md5=6bbb00ff9fbeecd35db65ef8045ac5b7)\n.\n\nAbout Tradewinds Universal\n\nTradewinds Universal (OTCID: TRWD) is a fully reporting, publicly traded\nholding company acquiring and scaling adult hospitality businesses. The\nCompany is consolidating a fragmented industry under an SEC-reporting,\nPCAOB-audited public structure, in strategic alignment with Peppermint Hippo\nand affiliated brands. Its long-term goal is 100+ venues nationally.\n\nForward-Looking Statements\n\nThis press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of\nthe Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements\nregarding TRWD’s operational plans, growth prospects, potential\nacquisitions, and anticipated regulatory developments. These statements are\nbased on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that\ncould cause actual results to differ materially.\n\n\n\nView source version on businesswire.com:\nhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708816366/en/\n(https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708816366/en/)\n\nRocco Fuerte\nInvestor Relations, Tradewinds Universal\n(619) 483-1008\nRocco@TradewindsUniversal.com (mailto:Rocco@TradewindsUniversal.com)\n\n\nCopyright Business Wire 2026"},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-07-08T12:00:02.894050779Z","server_sent_at_ms":1783512002894},"received_at":"2026-07-08T12:00:02.960Z","source_url":"https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260708816366/en/"},"analysis":{"id":"72296","press_release_id":"83236","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure","sector":"Consumer Discretionary"},"redFlags":["Revenue figures cited are from affiliated brands, not necessarily fully consolidated filer revenue yet","Strategy relies on future acquisitions in a niche sector"],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Tradewinds Universal outlined a strategy to consolidate the estimated $8-10 billion adult nightlife sector, focusing on acquiring Gentlemen's Club assets via a public-market platform.\n\nThe company highlighted its alignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated brands, which operate over 12 clubs and generated more than $34 million in 2025 revenue, supported by a $10 million acquisition fund.\n\nOperational updates include relocating headquarters to Las Vegas and appointing Peppermint Hippo founder Alan Chang to the Board of Directors.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"N/A"},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"market_size":"$8 billion - $10 billion","clubs_operated":"12+","acquisition_fund_size":"$10 million","affiliated_2025_revenue":"$34 million"}},"quotedText":"The Gentlemen's Club industry is part of that same experiential hospitality economy, but most of the sector has remained privately held.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Andrew Read","role":"CEO"},{"name":"Alan Chang","role":"Founder, Peppermint Hippo; Director, TRWD"},{"name":"Rocco Fuerte","role":"Investor Relations"}],"products":["Peppermint Hippo","Las Tóxicas","ARC Entertainment Group"],"companies":[{"name":"Tradewinds Universal","ticker":"TRWD"},{"name":"Peppermint Hippo","relationship":"strategic alignment / affiliated brand"},{"name":"Las Tóxicas","relationship":"affiliated brand"},{"name":"RCI Hospitality Holdings","ticker":"RICK","relationship":"competitor / public-market reference"}],"dollarAmounts":[{"amount":"$8 billion to $10 billion","context":"estimated annual U.S. adult nightlife and Gentlemen's Club market"},{"amount":"$34 million","context":"2025 revenue generated by Peppermint Hippo and affiliated brands"},{"amount":"$10 million","context":"acquisition fund"}]},"materialImpact":{"score":2,"reasoning":"Corporate update detailing a strategic roll-up platform in the adult nightlife sector. 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