Franco's Lounge

Franco's Lounge was located at the south end of the Cordova Mall parking lot, near the corner of 9th Avenue and Bayou Boulevard. For more than five years, Franco's had been Pensacola's largest, freestanding, live entertainment venue. This was due in part to the facts that the civic center had not yet been constructed, and the Municipal (later Bayfront) Auditorium had been under alternating management between the City of Pensacola, and Escambia County authorities.

During those five-plus years, many "B" and "C" circuit entertainers performed at Franco's. They included Elvin Bishop, Iron Butterfly, Vince Vance and The Valiants, Bebe Buell, The Back Doors, Clevelend, Truc Of America, and others. Most notably was The Producers, who performed several separate concerts there. Their list of original songs included such radio hits as "I Love Lucy"; "She, Sheila"; and "What's He Got (That I Ain't Got"). A few more of the popular bands that performed more than once at Franco's were Midnite Special, 24K, Baghdad, Four In Legion, Saint Savage, also Pensacola's own Exodus, Slayer, X-Statics, and Flame and The Heaters.

The Sept 17, 1984 closing of Franco's Lounge left a longtime void in the accessibility of a large venue for local fans of live rock and roll music. and it was many years before a comparable building was used for touring musicians.