Q Nightclub goes straight

FERNDALE – After a complete renovation nine months ago, Q Nightclub in Ferndale is going straight.
"My philosophy in life is I always try to take the high road, and while we're disappointed that Q is closing we are excited and looking forward to the challenge of the future," owner Tom Pearlman said.
Although business at Q, which is now being called The Monkey Bar, picked up after a complete renovation, the 5-year-old nightclub lost business to the refurbished Detroit club Backstreet.
"Backstreet's opening was basically the biggest concern as far as business," Pearlman said. "Business has been disappointing and poor, and we had to make a reasonable business decision … Anyone who's been coming in realizes that business has not been the best."
Most of the staff from Q will carry over when The Monkey Bar opens on June 17.
"The staff is one of our major concerns," Pearlman said.
Pearlman is advertising the new bar in the Metro Times, Real Detroit Weekly and on radio stations.
"All we can do is market it to our target audience and who comes here, comes here," he said.
He won't be making many changes to the bar's appearance.
"We're doing some redecorating, painting, things like that," he said. "We did a major remodel about nine months ago and that was the most of what we're going to do."
Pearlman, who's been in the bar business since 1985 and who also owns gay bar Soho in downtown Ferndale, said he's not closing off the idea of having a gay night once a week, but right now he's focusing on other things.
"I haven't even thought that far ahead," he said. "I'm a gay man, and I would love it to be 100 percent gay and whether we can do something down the line we certainly will consider it … Every other club I've owned other than Q has been straight and we've always had a gay night."
For more information on The Monkey Bar visit http://www.monkeybarferndale.com.