“Everything is a lie.” Those are the words of Matt Colunga, the founder of Johnsons and former employee of Pride Holdings Group (PHG). During an exclusive interview, he talked about big dreams and broken promises from the controversial bar and entertainment company.
He sold the Wilton Manors strip club to PHG with visions of jet-setting around the world as part of an LGBTQ entertainment empire. But reality soon set in. Colunga was told he would live in Australia, running the Stonewall in Sydney and expanding the Johnsons brand. “It sounded exciting. I get to see my brand go worldwide.”
The salary would be $180,000 a year plus travel and other expenses. But the dream quickly became a nightmare.
“On the day of the sale, I asked for my employment package. No contract appeared.” He was strung along for months. Health insurance never materialized. In March 2026, just months after being acquired by PHG, the Sydney legacy bar closed.
Colunga says PHG CEO Tim Majors talked of how much he respected him and the business, and said it would be a perfect fit into the company’s goal of buying LGBTQ venues and running them under one umbrella, the “Stronger Together” theory. Colunga says the Tampa location was struggling and not having the same success as the Wilton Manors spot.
Now, with the bar sold and Australia a bust, he was approached by Mike and Jon Barrett, the men who had bought AquaPlex in Key West and transformed Lips in Oakland Park. “They came in and said go back and forth [between Wilton Manors and] Tampa. My expense reports were rejected. Now I’m doing the same exact job but for less money.”
Behind the Curtain
While PHG spouted rosy, buzzword-laden press releases, Colunga had a front row seat to growing issues. Majors told him “We’re broke” and “We’re in financial distress.”
He says the Barretts used bullying and intimidation tactics to keep people in line and cover up their perceived deficiencies. Colunga says Jon has no bar experience and Mike, who says he once owned several fast food franchises, hasn’t been seen in months. PHG says he took “early retirement” last month and returned millions of dollars in stock. Colunga says Mike’s relationship with Majors was toxic and Mike was fired/retired.
But despite obvious financial issues, the Barretts and Majors kept saying better days were just around the corner, that “angel investors” were coming in with millions of dollars.
“It kept going on and on, lie after lie,” he said. “They had us lie to all these people knowing damn well they didn’t have the money.”
Continuing Chaos
Johnsons is facing a slew of problems. Last week’s payroll bounced, and other recent payrolls have bounced as well. On at least one occasion, staffers took cash from the drawer to cover their credit card tips, which were supposed to appear on their checks.
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the bar was served a utility shutoff notice. The Tampa location is in eviction proceedings and COO Joshua Cooper has said PHG will leave that location by early 2027. Colunga says sales and employment taxes haven’t been paid in months. Johnsons couldn’t order liquor for three weeks because distributors hadn’t been paid.
Despite having quit PHG, Colunga is concerned he could still be held accountable for PHG misdeeds. He and an attorney suing PHG say the company hasn’t done the paperwork to transfer tax responsibility and the liquor license. He filed a police report so he can be on the record about his practical relationship with PHG. “Six months later, bills are still in my name.”
Several PHG assets have closed in recent months, including Aquaplex in Oakland Park and Key West, The Birdcage in Key West, and Lucky’s in Palm Beach County. Former employees say they have been denied unemployment because the state has no record of PHG contributions. PHG’s Lips in Chicago is also being sued.
For now, Colunga is looking for work and wants to see justice for anyone aggrieved by Pride Holdings.
“I’d love to see [Mike and Jon Barrett] go to jail. I’d love to see Tim Majors go to jail.”
Photo via Greater Wilton Manors, YouTube.
