Johnsons Fort Lauderdale (Wilton Manors)

[EZEtoGRU]

5 hours ago, msclwrsper said:

 

I wish I knew Lucas. I go often enough that I should know who that is but I don’t. I’ll have to pay better attention beyond the man who happens to be on my lap at the time! 

Lucas doesn’t go to Johnson’s each night. Sometimes he is only there 1-2 nights per week. Very hit and miss with him.  I was at Johnson’s for two nights last weekend and never saw Lucas. 

[AtlantaDude]

7 hours ago, msclwrsper said:

To bring this back to the dancers…The Argentinian bodybuilder with the tats that you are referencing is probably the one who goes by Tony.  One of my recent faves the last couple of years.  I met him several years ago and he wasn’t in my top 3 of the Argentinians.  But now he is the one I really spend most of my time with, of all the dancers.

 

I wish I knew Lucas. I go often enough that I should know who that is but I don’t. I’ll have to pay better attention beyond the man who happens to be on my lap at the time! 

Do we know who now owns or manages Johnsons? 

[EZEtoGRU]

Not looking good for Johnson’s. I hope this Facebook link copied correctly. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18phNrDM3f/

In short:  last two employees paychecks bounced. Staff in revolt.  Landlord considering eviction.  Sales taxes collected may not have been paid to state. 

[1965mike]

Where are the dancers from johnsons going are they moving to boardwalk.this does not look good for johnsons. This pride company kills all the bussines that they take over. Look at what they did at parliament house in orlando closed. Said going to open 2 new bars never happen. Now both johnsons ft lauderdale and tampa going down.

[AtlantaDude]

We’ve been reading the rumors, but this report on Facebook seems to be fact based.   Seems the demand is there for the male strip club in Wilton and Tampa.   Need proper management.  

[+ azdr0710]

On 7/25/2026 at 3:46 PM, EZEtoGRU said:

Not looking good for Johnson’s. I hope this Facebook link copied correctly. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18phNrDM3f/

In short:  last two employees paychecks bounced. Staff in revolt.  Landlord considering eviction.  Sales taxes collected may not have been paid to state. 

that Facebook clip was hilarious.......breathless "news reporting"......"existential crises"!......even a panel of commentators........ 

Edited Monday at 12:28 AM by azdr0710

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

On 7/25/2026 at 10:37 AM, AtlantaDude said:

Do we know who now owns or manages Johnsons? 

Yes, Bozo is one of the owners. And you can be an owner too.
Last year, Matt sold Johnsons (both Tampa and Wilton Manors) to Pride Holdings Group. Pride Holdings is a publicly traded company - PHSE OTC. It closed today at a bit over 3¢ per share. So if you have 31 bucks to spare, you can buy 1000 shares of PHSE. And if you have $313 lying around the house - less than the cost of an escort for an hour - you can buy 10,000 shares. 
It would not only be an investment opportunity, but Bozo hears that at the annual shareholders meeting, hot young guys in thongs walk around the room serving lemonade, cookies, and cocktail wieners on a tray,

BTC
🤡

Edited Monday at 11:46 PM by BOZO T CLOWN

[AtlantaDude]

Bozo, the CEO of Pride Holdings left last week.   The stock price is as low as ever.  That cocktail weiner may be all you get🤔.

Someone said Pride had sold Johnsons.   As a shareholder, you could ask management.  

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

9 hours ago, AtlantaDude said:

Bozo, the CEO of Pride Holdings left last week.   The stock price is as low as ever.  That cocktail weiner may be all you get🤔.

Someone said Pride had sold Johnsons.   As a shareholder, you could ask management.  

"..the CEO of Pride Holdings left last week."

There is no indication that the departure of CEO Michael Barrett was anything other than his personal choice to retire after a distinguished career with the company:
https://www.newmediawire.com/news/pride-holdings-group-announces-ceo-retirement-expanding-acquisition-pipeline-and-withdrawal-of-proposed-reverse-stock-split-7087841
 

"Someone said Pride had sold Johnsons"

More fake news?
There has been no press release by the company stating that Johnsons has been sold. In fact, the Johnsons logo is prominently displayed on the Pride Holdings website along with some of their other properties:
https://prideholdingsgroup.com/
 

"As a shareholder, you could ask management."

True. But not realistic.
Bozo doesn't want to ruffle any feathers with upper management just in case he decides to run for a seat on the Pride Board of Directors. Perhaps you and other COM members can buy stock and nominate Bozo for the next BOD vacancy?

BTC
🤡

[Atlanta_Guy]

7 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

"..the CEO of Pride Holdings left last week."

There is no indication that the departure of CEO Michael Barrett was anything other than his personal choice to retire after a distinguished career with the company:
https://www.newmediawire.com/news/pride-holdings-group-announces-ceo-retirement-expanding-acquisition-pipeline-and-withdrawal-of-proposed-reverse-stock-split-7087841
 

"Someone said Pride had sold Johnsons"

More fake news?
There has been no press release by the company stating that Johnsons has been sold. In fact, the Johnsons logo is prominently displayed on the Pride Holdings website along with some of their other properties:
https://prideholdingsgroup.com/
 

"As a shareholder, you could ask management."

True. But not realistic.
Bozo doesn't want to ruffle any feathers with upper management just in case he decides to run for a seat on the Pride Board of Directors. Perhaps you and other COM members can buy stock and nominate Bozo for the next BOD vacancy?

BTC
🤡

Distinguished career? ROTFLMAO 🤣 

What a load of sh… I mean fertilizer.  Don’t surprised if there are indictments issued against some of the officers and former officers of Pride Holdings Group.   

 

Based on the information currently available, there are a number of significant red flags that would concern employees, landlords, vendors, and anyone considering doing business with Pride Holdings Group.

Pride Holdings Group: A Pattern of Operational and Financial Red Flags

Pride Holdings Group (formerly Parliament House Enterprises) markets itself as a rapidly expanding LGBTQ hospitality holding company. Its public messaging emphasizes aggressive acquisitions, global expansion, and long-term growth. However, recent events paint a starkly different picture.

Rather than isolated setbacks, the company’s history shows a recurring pattern of ambitious announcements followed by operational failures, unpaid obligations, closures, and disputes.

1. Rapid acquisition strategy followed by rapid collapse

Throughout 2025 and early 2026, Pride Holdings Group announced acquisition after acquisition:

• AquaPlex Fort Lauderdale
• AquaPlex Key West / Birdcage Cabaret
• Johnson’s Tampa
• Club One Savannah
• Lucky’s West Palm Beach
• International properties in Australia, Bali, and Italy

The public narrative was one of explosive expansion.

Yet within months:

• Both AquaPlex locations shut down.
• Lucky’s closed.
• Johnson’s Tampa became the subject of an eviction lawsuit.
• Multiple announced projects have failed to materialize or have largely disappeared from company communications.

A pattern in which newly acquired businesses close shortly after acquisition raises legitimate questions about the company’s integration strategy, capitalization, and operational management.

2. Eviction lawsuit in Tampa

One of the most significant warning signs is the lawsuit involving Johnson’s Tampa.

According to court filings reported by Watermark Out News, the landlord alleges:

• repeated lease defaults,
• unpaid rent,
• unpaid taxes and other lease obligations,
• multiple prior defaults,
• operation of the business without landlord approval following the acquisition,
• continued possession while allegedly failing to make required payments.

Although company management later stated that some rent had been paid and negotiations were underway, the existence of the lawsuit itself reflects serious financial distress.

3. Payroll problems

Perhaps the most troubling allegations involve employees.

Reports from performers and former staff describe:

• bounced payroll checks,
• delayed payroll,
• missed payroll,
• uncertainty about whether taxes withheld from employee paychecks were actually remitted.

If true, these issues go well beyond ordinary cash-flow problems.

Failure to remit payroll tax withholdings can expose a company—and potentially responsible officers—to significant IRS and state tax liability. At present, these are allegations reported by employees and media; I have not found evidence that a government agency has publicly concluded such violations occurred.

4. Constant leadership changes

The company has experienced notable executive turnover.

In July 2026:

• CEO Michael Barrett retired.
• The company announced new interim leadership.
• Management attributed some operational problems to the dismissal of two CFOs whose departures allegedly disrupted financial records and payment systems.

Frequent turnover in senior financial leadership is often viewed as a governance risk, particularly when accompanied by payment issues.

5. History of abandoned business models

Before becoming Pride Holdings Group, the company pursued several unrelated ventures.

Among them:

• hemp/CBD businesses,
• redevelopment plans for the Parliament House brand,
• multiple corporate restructurings and rebrandings.

Several of these initiatives never became meaningful long-term operations, suggesting a recurring pattern of announcing ambitious ventures that either stall or disappear.

6. Promotional announcements versus operational reality

One striking contrast is the company’s public messaging.

During the same period that venues were reportedly:

• closing,
• facing eviction,
• struggling with payroll,
• experiencing financial disputes,

the company continued issuing optimistic press releases announcing:

• record growth,
• global expansion,
• acquisition pipelines,
• $100 million in assets,
• transformational milestones.

While companies often present their best face publicly, the disconnect between promotional announcements and reported operational difficulties is noteworthy.

Overall assessment

Based solely on publicly available information, Pride Holdings Group exhibits numerous warning signs commonly associated with financially distressed organizations:

• aggressive acquisition strategy without demonstrated operational stability;
• multiple venue closures in a short period;
• landlord litigation over alleged unpaid obligations;
• reported payroll disruptions;
• allegations regarding payroll tax remittance;
• repeated executive turnover;
• frequent strategic pivots and abandoned initiatives;
• optimistic public messaging despite mounting operational problems.

Taken together, these issues suggest a company experiencing significant operational and financial strain. While some allegations remain disputed and have not been adjudicated, the overall pattern is one that would reasonably cause concern for employees, business partners, landlords, and others evaluating the company’s reliability.

Edited 22 hours ago by Atlanta_Guy

[EZEtoGRU]

Thanks Atlanta Guy for the input. This serves as a needed balance to the prior comments by our resident clown making light of a very serious situation within the LGBT community. I have been hearing of issues at Johnson’s Wilton Manors for 3-4 months. Staff complaining of delayed paychecks. Upon hearing of the litany of problems months ago, I advised one of the longtime bartenders that he should hurry-up and explore other employment opportunities. He (and many other) Johnsons Wilton Manors employees have since left. 
 

Contrary to what the clown suggested, I advise everyone to stay as far away as possible from investing in Pride Holdings Group.  It has a very dicey track record and its future financial viability seems very much in question. Legal action against the group seems to be a real possibility. 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

2 minutes ago, EZEtoGRU said:

 I advise everyone to stay as far away as possible from investing in Pride Holdings Group.  

While the satire in Bozo's posts is evident, I want to encourage those visiting South Florida to still patronize Johnsons, but to pay and tip in cash whenever possible.  Just because the ownership is bad doesn't mean we can't reward hard-working and good-looking men who provide a much appreciated service!

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

48 minutes ago, EZEtoGRU said:

Thanks Atlanta Guy for the input. This serves as a needed balance to the prior comments by our resident clown making light of a very serious situation within the LGBT community. I have been hearing of issues at Johnson’s Wilton Manors for 3-4 months. Staff complaining of delayed paychecks. Upon hearing of the litany of problems months ago, I advised one of the longtime bartenders that he should hurry-up and explore other employment opportunities. He (and many other) Johnsons Wilton Manors employees have since left. 
 

Contrary to what the clown suggested, I advise everyone to stay as far away as possible from investing in Pride Holdings Group.  It has a very dicey track record and its future financial viability seems very much in question. Legal action against the group seems to be a real possibility. 

 "...Making light of a very serious situation within the LGBT community"?

Really? What happened in Berlin is a very serious situation. Gay bashing is another example of a "very" serious situation. A labor dispute involving incidents of a few staff members working at one gay bar allegedly not getting paid their charged tips and delayed paychecks is NOT a very serious situation within the LGBT community. No need to be overly dramatic. But no surprise there.

Bozo was not advising anyone to invest in PHSE or any other stock. Especially a very speculative and risky penny stock. Although it should be pointed out that the stock rose almost 7% today ☺️. 
In the upthread Bozo was responding to a query about current Johnsons ownership

BTC
🤡

[rojjodc]

23 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

Yes, Bozo is one of the owners. And you can be an owner too.
Last year, Matt sold Johnsons (both Tampa and Wilton Manors) to Pride Holdings Group. Pride Holdings is a publicly traded company - PHSE OTC. It closed today at a bit over 3¢ per share. So if you have 31 bucks to spare, you can buy 1000 shares of PHSE. And if you have $313 lying around the house - less than the cost of an escort for an hour - you can buy 10,000 shares. 
It would not only be an investment opportunity, but Bozo hears that at the annual shareholders meeting, hot young guys in thongs walk around the room serving lemonade, cookies, and cocktail wieners on a tray,

BTC
🤡

 

[Atlanta_Guy]

48 minutes ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

While the satire in Bozo's posts is evident, I want to encourage those visiting South Florida to still patronize Johnsons, but to pay and tip in cash whenever possible.  Just because the ownership is bad doesn't mean we can't reward hard-working and good-looking men who provide a much appreciated service!

If the clown was trying to do satire he isn’t good at it and should stick to something more in line with his skill set such as pie or water gags, balloon twisting, juggling, unicycle riding or animal impressions. 

[Atlanta_Guy]

7 minutes ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

 "...Making light of a very serious situation within the LGBT community"?

Really? What happened in Berlin is a very serious situation. Gay bashing is another example of a "very" serious situation. A labor dispute involving incidents of a few staff members working at one gay bar allegedly not getting paid their charged tips and delayed paychecks is NOT a very serious situation within the LGBT community. No need to be overly dramatic. But no surprise there.

Bozo was not advising anyone to invest in PHSE or any other stock. Especially a very speculative and risky penny stock. Although it should be pointed out that the stock rose almost 7% today ☺️. 
In the upthread Bozo was responding to a query about current Johnsons ownership

BTC
🤡

I wonder how serious it would be if you didn’t get your paycheck after your clown show? What’s that?  Oh, you say you do it for free.  Would that be because no one would hire you to do a clown show?

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

6 minutes ago, Atlanta_Guy said:

If the clown was trying to do satire he isn’t good at it...

Edited 20 hours ago by Vegas_Millennial

[rojjodc]

Some financial analysts are comparing the current stock market environment to the late 99s/early 2000s Internet bubble.  It's kind of interesting because I believe that during that period, another LGBTQ company, PlanetOut, went public and bought up some businesses, including one of the original all gay cruise companies, RSVP Vacations.  PlanetOut rode the Internet bubble and crash --- to bankruptcy, and RSVP sank with it.  RSVP eventually was bought by Atlantis Vacations and never recovered.  It seems like we are seeing a rhyme with Pride Holdings.  Cheap stocks can get cheaper and can go to zero.   I guess many of you don't remember the penny stocks...

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

Just now, Atlanta_Guy said:

I wonder how serious it would be if you didn’t get your paycheck after your clown show? What’s that?  Oh, you say you do it for free.  Would that be because no one would hire you to do a clown show?

You totally missed the point. It may be a serious situation with the individual staff member. But it is NOT a very serious situation for the LGBT community. No more serious than if the Hispanic bodega worker down the block didn't get paid. Using your logic, would that be a very serious situation for the entire Latino community?
Stop the drama already!

BTC
🤡

[EZEtoGRU]

54 minutes ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

While the satire in Bozo's posts is evident

No it isn’t. He’s making light of a situation whilst some people employed by the businesses have lost jobs or aren’t getting paid. Some may not be able to collect unemployment as seemingly PHG didn’t submit payroll collections to the government entity.  There’s nothing funny or to be made fun of this situation. 

54 minutes ago, Vegas_Millennial said:

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

1 minute ago, rojjodc said:

Some financial analysts are comparing the current stock market environment to the late 99s/early 2000s Internet bubble.  It's kind of interesting because I believe that during that period, another LGBTQ company, PlanetOut, went public and bought up some businesses, including one of the original all gay cruise companies, RSVP Vacations.  PlanetOut rode the Internet bubble and crash --- to bankruptcy, and RSVP sank with it.  RSVP eventually was bought by Atlantis Vacations and never recovered.  It seems like we are seeing a rhyme with Pride Holdings.  Cheap stocks can get cheaper and can go to zero.   I guess many of you don't remember the penny stocks...

I had the fortunate experience to enjoy several RSVP gay cruises in the 2010s.  I am glad I have those memories and didn't let the background shenanigans of Atlantis rain on my fun.  With that same attitude, I wish Johnsons Ft Lauderdale much success and hope it remains open for my next visit this winter.  I will tip my dancers and servers well and pay them and my drink purchases with cash, as I always do at such establishments.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

On 7/27/2026 at 1:50 PM, BOZO T CLOWN said:

...Bozo hears that at the annual shareholders meeting, hot young guys in thongs walk around the room serving lemonade, cookies, and cocktail wieners on a tray,

Now THAT'S corporate culture reform I can get behind! (Or in front of 😉)

[Atlanta_Guy]

4 hours ago, BOZO T CLOWN said:

You totally missed the point. It may be a serious situation with the individual staff member. But it is NOT a very serious situation for the LGBT community. No more serious than if the Hispanic bodega worker down the block didn't get paid. Using your logic, would that be a very serious situation for the entire Latino community?
Stop the drama already!

BTC
🤡

No Captain Pedantic (aka Bozo) - you missed the point.  You’re arguing over the label instead of the substance 

Johnson’s isn’t a defining issue for the LGBTQ community..

It’s a serious issue because it represents what happens when a successful business ends up in the hands of people who appear unable to preserve what they bought.

Johnson’s wasn’t some dying club circling the drain. In less than ten years, it built a national reputation and became one of the premier gay male entertainment venues in the country. That’s hard to do. Building a successful business takes vision, discipline, and years of work. Destroying one can happen in a matter of months.

Who pays the price? The dancers wondering if payroll is coming. The bartenders and DJs. The vendors who may not get paid. The landlord. The loyal customers who lose a place they loved. The local community that loses a business that had become a destination.

And the damage doesn’t stop there. Every time something like this happens, it reinforces the narrative that gay nightlife is in decline. That’s one less thriving venue, one less reason for people to go out, and one more independent success story that may disappear.

Whether the cause is incompetence, chronic undercapitalization, or something else is ultimately for the facts to determine. But when multiple acquisitions are followed by closures, eviction actions, reported payroll problems, and growing controversy, people are justified in asking hard questions.

So no, this isn’t a crisis for the LGBTQ community.

It’s something worse in a different way.

It’s a cautionary tale about what can happen when ambition outpaces execution, and when the people entrusted with preserving successful businesses leave them weaker than they found them. That’s why this matters.

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

22 minutes ago, Atlanta_Guy said:

Johnson’s isn’t a defining issue for the LGBTQ community..

It’s a serious issue because it represents what happens when a successful business ends up in the hands of people who appear unable to preserve what they bought.

Agree with this ☝️ 

Thankfully, my visits to Johnsons Ft Lauderdale and Johnsons Tampa after the acquisition by Pride, both last year and this, were still up to the same Johnsons standards I had cum to expect over the years.  Hopefully this bad publicity doesn't keep potential customers away.