UFO Factory, popular Detroit music venue, not closing; new owner gives details

Last week, it was reported that iconic Detroit music and cultural venue UFO Factory would be closing, but when co-owner Dion Fischer announced it on Instagram, he also teased that it might continue in some form under new ownership.

On Tuesday, it was revealed that the new owner is Roula David, who also owns popular east side nightclub Spot Lite. After pausing UFO Factory operations on June 15, David and her Spot Lite team later this summer will reopen as UFO BAR, also launching David’s newly formed hospitality group Lite House.

UFO BAR will retain the current UFO Factory staff and continue to host live music and events. The most notable change will be the rebranding of Laika Dog, the venue’s vegan-friendly hot dog joint. It will now operate under the Gladys Nite banner with chef Jessica Kindle keeping the legacy of vegan dogs with a different spin.

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“We just met with the (UFO Factory) staff today,” said David. “We’re keeping all the staff; everyone that wants to stay there will have a job and will be brought back on once we open. We don’t want to disturb the fabric of that place at all.”

David said she learned about the business’ availability through a Spot Lite staffer.

“One of our employees used to work at UFO Factory and is really good friends with the owner and staff,” she explained. “He confidentially was like, ‘I think the owners thinking of selling.’ And I was like, ‘Is that right?’ and they said, ‘I think they all want to work on different projects,’ and he says, ‘Can you save this place for us?’

“My staff — that’s their bar. That’s where they go hang out when they’re not working at Spot Lite. So I said, ‘Well, let’s open the lines of communication, let’s see what the deal looks like.’”

David and UFO Factory’s co-owners hit it off right away and began formal discussions about a purchase.

“You know, what they do is very different than Spot Lite, but very much the same,” David said. “It’s a very diverse audience, a very close-knit community. They’ve built a lot of community there; they have a lot of staff that have been with them for a really long time. They have a record story in there, they have an outdoor space, a little bit of food, just like we do. So we sought for it to be a complementary business to ours, where it’s a small, underground, alternative version of Spot Lite — a little bit more punk rock, a little bit more queer.”

A purchase agreement was signed the second week of May, and David is waiting for the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to transfer the bar’s liquor license to her name.

“We can’t take possession of the business, per MLCC law, until I have the liquor license in my name,” she said. “They tell us anywhere from six to eight weeks, which will put (a reopening date) at mid July or the end of July. They will not give us a hard date until we get closer to the finish line. So, you know, we will probably have a soft open once we get the license in hand, and then schedule a grand re-opening.”

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit music venue UFO Factory not closing; new owner gives details