Tradewinds Universal (OTC:TRWD) today announced that it has reserved the corporate name “ARC Entertainment Group” with the State of Wyoming, marking the next step in the Company’s expansion from a single brand into a portfolio of brands and complementary businesses.
The new name reflects how TRWD intends to grow — as a single corporate identity broad enough to house several established names rather than one tied to any individual brand. Peppermint Hippo and its affiliated brands are the foundation, with additional names expected to follow as the portfolio expands.
With the name reserved, the Company’s counsel will work to formally effect the corporate name change. The Company then intends to file for a corporate name and ticker symbol change with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and will update shareholders as each milestone is reached.
Why the Change
Experiential hospitality has become one of the most closely watched themes in the equity markets, as consumers increasingly direct their spending toward live, in-person experiences rather than goods. Gentlemen’s clubs can be understood as one of its original forms — venues built entirely around atmosphere, service, and a night out that cannot be replicated at home or online.
Management deliberately chose a name that does not tie TRWD to any single brand. The goal is to operate a family of recognized names under one roof, and “ARC Entertainment Group” provides the flexibility to grow that family over time. Importantly, the name also gives the Company room to expand beyond venue operations into complementary products and services across both the adult entertainment and financial services sectors.
TRWD also recently strengthened its leadership for this next phase. Peppermint Hippo founder Alan Chang has joined the Tradewinds Universal Board of Directors, bringing the founder behind the brand directly into the Company’s governance and direction.
The U.S. adult nightlife and entertainment sector represents an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion in annual revenue and remains highly fragmented — thousands of largely independent venues with no dominant national chain. That structure rewards disciplined consolidation, and the broader consumer shift toward experiential spending only strengthens the case. RCI Hospitality Holdings, the sector’s leading publicly traded operator, has spent years validating that roll-up model — and as essentially the only public company built around it to date, RCI underscores both the opportunity and how much of the market remains open.
Peppermint Hippo sits at the center of that plan. Together with its affiliated brands, the group generated more than $34 million in revenue in 2025 across a national footprint that includes the only gentlemen’s club on the Las Vegas Strip. TRWD intends to build on that performance — adding brands, venues, and complementary services under a single public structure. The result is intended to be far more than a collection of clubs: a diversified entertainment company with multiple revenue lines and a level of transparency rare in this industry.
“We’re not building another club operator — we’re building a platform,” said Andrew Read, Chief Executive Officer of Tradewinds Universal. “ARC Entertainment Group gives us one public home for multiple brands and the businesses that grow up around them. That’s how we turn a strong start into lasting value for our shareholders.”
“I didn’t build Peppermint Hippo to stop at Peppermint Hippo,” said Alan Chang, founder of Peppermint Hippo and a director of Tradewinds Universal. “Putting it inside a public company like this is how you take one winning brand and turn it into many.”
About Peppermint Hippo
Founded in 2018 by Alan Chang, Peppermint Hippo has grown from Toledo, Ohio into the fastest-expanding adult nightlife brand in the country. Its Las Vegas flagship opened in April 2022 as the only gentlemen’s club on the Strip. The brand now operates 12+ clubs nationwide, including Las Tóxicas, delivering a “Mini-Vegas” experience. Visit ThePeppermintHippo.com.
About Tradewinds Universal
Tradewinds Universal (OTCID: TRWD) is a fully reporting, publicly traded holding company acquiring and scaling adult hospitality businesses. The Company is consolidating a fragmented industry under an SEC-reporting, PCAOB-audited public structure, in strategic alignment with Peppermint Hippo and affiliated brands. Its long-term goal is 100+ venues nationally.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding TRWD’s operational plans, growth prospects, potential acquisitions, and anticipated regulatory developments. These statements are based on current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260611146113/en/
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