Ever had the chance to sit in a margarita-shaped Jacuzzi filled with 20 gallons of Sauza Tequila?

Bob Simpson, owner of several popular bars and clubs like Avalon, Aqua, Sidelines, 815, Empire and Tropicana, said he had the jacuzzi set up at Club Aqua a few years ago and is thinking about doing it again.

He said he got the idea of having the &world&s largest margarita& from a popular bar in Atlanta.

&It sparks business and is something out of the norm,& Simpson said.

He said he is always looking for ideas to fight off competition for his bars and clubs that have been around for a long time.

Several other bars and nightclubs in Sacramento have been attracting more people by offering more than just a bar top, strong drinks and music.

Streets of London, a pub off J Street downtown, has been holding trivial pursuit-like quizzes on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. to attract more people to its venue.

&Sundays are pretty lame nights in general and people are always looking for something to do,& said Lew Cave, the pub&s owner.

He said that the game, in addition to the pub&s monthly price specials on beers like New Castle, have increased customer turn-out.

Patrick Vlask, junior and psychology major with a minor in music at Sacramento State, said he likes the pub and that it reminds him of London.

Although he hasn&t participated in one of the venue&s quizzes, he said the pub has good food and beer and is a great place to chill.

Students at Sac State have found fun closer to the campus at Tokyo Fro&s, a sushi bar off Fair Oaks Boulevard.

Natalie Dronberger, senior and communications major, said she thinks the bar is cool because it serves food until midnight and everyone inside is well dressed and not trashy-looking.

The local sushi bar offers half price appetizers, rolls and drinks for students with a valid OneCard during its college happy hour, Monday through Wednesday from 10 p.m. to midnight and for all other customers from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

&It&s totally off the hook and we pack the house,& said Germaine Smith, the bar&s manager.

Tokyo Fro&s has been voted Best Happy Hour in 2004 by the Sacramento Magazine and also Best Place to Start Your Night Off on Thursday Night.

&Our Thursday nights are a powerhouse for us,& Smith said.

Smith said she has noticed a general increase in the bar&s customers from all of the promotions.

Included in the bar&s promotions is karaoke night on Tuesdays.

Alex Sigua, a junior public relations major, said he went to the bar on Karaoke night and watched his friends sing.

&It was pretty packed with lots of loud laughing and singing (people) having a fun time,& Sigua said.

Club Avalon, off 15th Street downtown, is also packed.

&We have to close the doors at 11 p.m. each night the club is open,& said Adina Rivera, mother of one of the club&s owners.

She said she thinks the club is so popular because it&s well known, being a South Beach and San Francisco venue, and has a pleasurable atmosphere with a consistent array of different events and promotions.

&The music is good and it has an upscale atmosphere that attracts people and makes them feel safe,& Rivera said.

Currently, the club is having 24 Hour Fitness Fridays.

On the last Friday of every month, Avalon&s guests get half off the cover before 11 p.m. if they show their gym membership cards.

Once inside, guests can participate in a giveaway to receive things like a free gym memberships, training sessions and guest passes.

The club also held a Nikki Hilton fashion show earlier in the year and had a bikini contest on Thursday, with a $300 cash prize.

The club&s current activities include salsa dance lessons, which will be held from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. this Sunday, and a live performance by Akon, a Universal recording artist who will perform this Wednesday.

Rivera said the club&s VIP lounge is usually reserved two weeks in advance.

Sacramento isn&t the only city that has unique nightlife activities.

Dog owners flock to Toronado, a bar in San Francisco that has been allowing people to bring their dogs into its venue.

Other people who enjoy manicures and the relaxation of beauty salons are attracted to San Francisco&s Beauty Bar, which has hair-dryers for chairs and a manicurist inside.

People looking for a more sober experience in the city, go to the Oxygen Bar where guests pay for 10, 20 and 40-minute sessions of increased oxygen doses through a tube hooked to their noses.

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Sarah Pollo can be reached at

[email protected]