J
orge Pesqueira is on a mission to make his stretch of Colfax "as gay as possible." He's purchased the real estate next door to his gay nightclub X Bar, Champagne Tiger at 601 E. Colfax Ave., for $1.5 million in an all-cash deal.

    Pesqueira plans to keep the business running as is, with its drag shows and outdoor patio seating 240 people. The 3,700-square-foot building, shaped like an alien mothership, has been profitable since opening last August, selling out Sunday drag shows for four months straight.

    The restaurant's owner, Chris Donato, praises Pesqueira as a landlord, saying the business has been a success despite challenges from street construction and crime on Colfax. "I've seen it get better in the last year," Donato said. "When we first opened it was probably the worst I saw."

    Before Champagne Tiger, the building housed Tom's Diner, which closed in 2020 after owner Tom Messina planned to sell to a developer who would have demolished the structure. GBX Group, a Cleveland-based company that specializes in repurposing old buildings, partnered with Messina to save the property.

    Pesqueira is still focused on X Bar, where he's been trying to build a rooftop patio and ice cream shop for five years, held up by city permitting issues. "It's been a difficult process, but I think we're close to getting permits and starting construction by the end of this year," Pesqueira said.