Heard that drag club Lips is closing? Looks like the Fort Lauderdale hot spot has found two saviors in Key West

Rumors of Lips Fort Lauderdale’s demise are greatly exaggerated.

The delicious restaurant/bar/drag cabaret won’t be closing this weekend as recent social media posts from some of the female impersonator troupe would have you believe.

It turns out the venue — officially titled Lips Drag Queen Show Palace, Restaurant & Bar — is set to survive, thanks to new buyers who stepped in Tuesday afternoon promising to purchase the dining and drag destination.

Lips is being acquired for an undisclosed sum by Aquaplex Key West, an entertainment complex featuring five experiences under one roof, including a nightclub and drag bar. The new owners of the two properties will be husband and wife Michael and Jonathan Barrett.

“We had heard the news about the closure and we really didn’t want that to happen,” Michael Barrett told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “We feel like, especially in the context that we’re in, we wanted to make sure that drag remains relevant and alive here in South Florida.”

The sale is expected to be official next week, he said.

Just three days ago, Facebook was full of posts lamenting the closing of Lips from cast, crew and staff.

Amanda Austin, who has been a cast member for over a decade, posted, “Well…the rumors are true! After almost 17 fabulous years, the curtain will finally fall at Lips – Fort Lauderdale after our brunch show on Sunday, August 11th. You only have a few shows left to celebrate, commemorate, and mourn with us. Our final week of shows is expected to be SOLD OUT, so message me ASAP to join us before we all go our separate ways.”

But Tuesday night, the impersonator returned with this message: “Incredible news…with just days to go until closing, Lips – Fort Lauderdale has been purchased by AquaPlex Key West and WILL NOT CLOSING! We are thrilled to continue to offer shows on Oakland Park Blvd. and changes to come…See you this weekend!”

Lips Fort Lauderdale has been a premier drag performance venue since 2007. Unlike other female impersonation venues in South Florida, Lips’ audience is often a mix of straight and LGBTQ+ people, often celebrating weddings, graduations, new jobs, and birthdays. The venue is also a magnet for fundraising events, partnering with charities such as Neighbors 4 Neighbors, Women in Distress, Smart Ride, ArtsUnited, and more.

Other Lips stores, located in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and San Diego, are not affected by the pending sale in Fort Lauderdale.

“Timing is everything. We were fortunate to find a compatible buyer who shares our passion for drag entertainment. The rest is history,” said Mark Zschiesche/Yvonne Lamé, co-founder of Lips. “The magic of Lips Fort Lauderdale has sparkled for nearly 17 years thanks to our incredible cast and crew, as well as our loyal fans. We leave behind a legacy of fond memories and are thrilled to have Michael and Jonathan transition Lips and contribute to its appeal. Lips’ unique style of entertainment will continue to thrive in four additional locations across the United States.”

Michael is originally from Arkansas while Jonathan is from South Carolina. Although their home is now in Key West, the couple spends a lot of time in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to owning Aquaplex Key West, the new owners have experience in the restaurant business as franchise owners of Taco Bell and KFC.

“You know, Fort Lauderdale is where we would come to get away from the island and relax,” Barrett added. “So we knew each other very well. We did Pride together here. We were in the parade and we helped raise money for the parade. We’re still very active here, even though our business is in Key West.”

They plan to bring to Lips Fort Lauderdale the same skills they brought to Aquaplex, which they bought a little over a year ago. Her husband, he says, attended Savannah College of Art and Design, “so he’s an artist and a graphic designer and very technical. He handles the tech side. He’s also a DJ.”

“We’re both very hands-on. We probably go to the bar every day in Key West. They see us a lot. And one of the things we do is every week we rehearse and give feedback. And we also listen to our customers. We let them tell us what they like and what they don’t like. That’s helped us. We’ve increased our business 172 percent in Key West since we bought it.”

As for specific plans for Lips Fort Lauderdale, he added, “We’re going to try to integrate Lips and Key West Aquaplex into what we do best. And what we’ve really done, and what we’ve focused on, is elevate drag. You know, we took half of our queens to Vegas in December of this year…going out, seeing different shows and seeing things that are really relevant to drag today. And raising our standards and what we were doing. And it shows.”