Hobart's Glenn Millhouse said he wanted to open a venue in the vein of Moulin Rouge, German Cabaret and the 1930s at the Hub in Launceston's Tamar Street by next March.

He said rumours about underworld links to the club were false.

``I've heard rumours that the bikies are involved and it belongs to the bloody Sydney mafia and all this crap,'' he said. ``I've been a sole trader for over 25 years in business, I don't have partnerships, I don't get involved with anyone else. When I do a venture, I do it on my own.''

Mr Millhouse said it  would offer something unique to the North, with the strip club downstairs and a ``three to four-star'' backpackers' hotel upstairs, which he might seek government funding for.

``I bought the pub because of the capital gains value and for a bit of superannuation down the track but you have to make and operate it as it's no good having it just sit there,'' he said. It would be great to hire local dancers but more likely he'd use mainland companies that contracted out strippers a few weeks at a time, he said.

``You hire them on contract - they basically work for themselves, it's not different to hiring a band or something like that,'' he said.

Mr Millhouse doubted the club would provoke controversy or concern despite its adult nature.

``We're all adults aren't we? We're in the 21st century now not back in the 1900s,'' he said. ``I wouldn't call it raunchy, that's for sure. I want to base it more on the Moulin Rouge style.'' 

He's also interested in buying and converting the next-door Boland Street cottages into a bottle shop. Mr Millhouse's alcohol licence application is with the licensing board and will be decided next week.

He may need a planning permit from the Launceston City Council as well as a place of assembly licence.

The Hub, which closed last year, isn't new to adult entertainment, having previously hosted a gay and straight strip club.