The corner of Truman and Simonton will get a little sexier this summer, when Better Than Sex dessert restaurant moves into the familiar building that for five decades housed The Deli Restaurant.

Dani and Len Johnson, who opened Better Than Sex at 411 Petronia St. four years ago, will lease and renovate the space, with plans to reopen in early July, Dani Johnson told The Citizen Thursday.

"We're planning the same intimate setting and feel for the new space with the same quality of food," she said. "But we'll be able to accommodate more people, and the kitchen is so much larger. Now, we've been completely maxed out in terms of space and creativity."

Interior renovations will begin next month and the Johnsons will appear before the Key West Historical Architectural Review Commission on May 23 to seek permission to paint the exterior of the building red, Johnson said.

"So if anyone wants to come support us and our request, we'd certainly welcome it," she said.

The Petronia Street location will continue nightly operations from 6 p.m. to midnight during the renovations on Truman Avenue, and the owners are anticipating a three-day closure, at most, during the transition.

The Johnsons opened Better Than Sex in May 2008 and have been looking for a larger space for more than a year.

The business specializes in decadent desserts paired with a variety of wines in an intimate setting that caters to couples and small groups.

mmiles@keysnews.com