FLORENCE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — Things are often hopping at the HOP Shops in Northern Kentucky, but the crowds of customers aren’t there just to buy snacks or gas up their cars. They’re curious about the big red buttons in the bathrooms.
A sign above the buttons just inside the doors clearly states, in capital letters, “Do Not Push This Button.” But underneath the words is a picture of the chain’s mascot, Hoppy the Frog, and he is winking, implying that the rule is meant to be broken.
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Mary Moss, the manager at the HOP Shop in Walton, said people often come out of the bathroom and tell her they resisted pushing the button even though they were tempted. She tells them to go back in. “We want you to push it!” she said.
One push sets the balls in motion—mirrored disco balls mounted on the ceiling. The main light goes off and colored spotlights come on, sending thousands of light spots spinning across the walls and stalls, ceiling, and sinks. A song from the disco era comes through a speaker. At the Walton store, patrons hear “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. At the Florence store on Mt. Zion Road, Bruce Springsteen belts out “Dancing in the Dark.”