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Lucky Cheng's Drops Plans for Ludlow Street Drag Bar

By Lisha Arino | November 7, 2014 2:31pm | Updated on November 10, 2014 8:56am
 Drag queen Cherra Secret performs at Lucky Cheng's Midtown location earlier this year.
Drag queen Cherra Secret performs at Lucky Cheng's Midtown location earlier this year.
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Facebook/Lucky Cheng's

LOWER EAST SIDE — Drag restaurant Lucky Cheng’s has given up on a planned moved to Ludlow Street, and now hopes to find a new home that's big enough to host their new circus-like acts.

The eatery, known for its cross-dressing waitstaff, colorful performances and wild cocktails, applied for a liquor license in the space at 154 Ludlow St., according to the agenda for Community Board 3’s SLA committee meeting in late October.

But plans for the move fell through, according to Richard Huguenot, the restaurant’s general manager. Lucky Cheng’s was in the process of acquiring the space when the landlord pulled out at the last minute, he said.

“Basically, I don’t think the landlord wanted us over there,” he said.

Lucky Cheng's is now searching for a space big enough to host its new format, which will include circus acts, burlesque, contortionists, and aerialists along with its signature drag show. 

Huguenot said the restaurant wants to remain in the Lower East Side, where it first opened in 1993. The ideal space would be about 4,000 square feet and able to accommodate about 150 people, he said.

Lucky Cheng’s has been on the lookout for a new space since its Midtown location closed in July. It has been operating as a pop-up inside the DL at 93 Ludlow St. since August.

“It’s just creating a new entertainment experience where it’s not just drag queens,” he said, explaining that the goal was to give the show a broader appeal.

Until they find a more permanent location though, Lucky Cheng’s will continue its current drag show at the DL, he said.

That change could happen soon – the restaurant already has a few leads, Huguenot said.

“We’ve got two or three possibilities in the neighborhood."