Longtime Owner Sells Lido Lounge, Reflects on Twenty Years in Business

The longtime owner of the Lido Lounge is owner no more.

The paperwork was signed and sealed today finalizing the sale of the iconic West 117th St. adult entertainment establishment to a new ownership group.

Sandra, or as everyone who knows her calls her, Sandy, talked with Scene this afternoon just minutes after her “final day.” It was emotional, though she said it all hadn’t really set in yet.

Scene: How does it feel?

Sandy: It’s been 18 years. After my husband passed away I was going to keep it for two years but then I just ended up keeping it, because I love to work and I love to be busy. It was something that kept me busy. He had it for 37 years before he passed, and I took it over for 18 years after that.

Scene: Were you involved in the business before he passed away?

Sandy: I wasn’t, no. I didn’t want anything to do with it. I tried to never tell people we owned it even.

Scene: What changed?

Sandy: After he passed away it was just there and I had to take care of it. I just kind of saw it as a challenge, to make it a better business.

Scene: It’s been around and stuck around through some weird times and lean times.

Sandy: It’s stayed through a lot. It’s a tough business. It’s not easy, but I’m glad I’m out. I’m not glad about not working anymore. I didn’t really work in the bar, but it kept me busy seven days a week and being there and setting everything up. I think I’m going to be happy.

Scene: You’ve undoubtedly accumulated some stories.

Sandy: Some funny. Some bad.

Scene: Those who know you talk about how much you care about everyone that works there.

Sandy: I do. When I had to tell the bartenders, I asked them to come to the bar and they walked through the door, and I’m going to choke up now, and when they walked in I just started crying. They’ve just been with me for so long. I’m one of those people that if you help me I’ll help you. And I think I get overattached. So it’s been emotional.

Scene: Lido is an institution and has become this thing that people make jokes about but everyone seems to have affection for. Hell, someone made a Lido Lounge squirrel house. What’s that affection and ribbing feel like?

Sandy: It’s all because it’s been around so long. It’s funny, my nephew lives in California, and this was the second time this has happened to him, but he was in an Uber and the driver said he was from Cleveland and my nephew said, Oh, my aunt has a club there. You know, he tells him, and the driver goes, Oh my god, Lido, my favorite place. So yeah, it’s kind of like that.

Scene: Why sell now?

Sandy: There were two different groups that had been interested like the last four years, and they kept coming to me and coming to me and I would tell them I wasn’t ready yet. But now I was. Even today, we don’t tell anyone we know that we own it. I didn’t want my neighbors to know, but some of them found out. But, then again, you dont know if one of your neighbors is also going to Lido Lounge.