| Latest revision |
Your text |
| Line 20: |
Line 20: |
| | | divisions = | | | divisions = |
| | | subsid = | | | subsid = |
| − | | owner = [[Wilmer Mitchell]] | + | | owner = [[Willmer Mitchell]] |
| | | company_slogan = | | | company_slogan = |
| | | homepage = [http://www.rosies.com/ www.rosies.com] | | | homepage = [http://www.rosies.com/ www.rosies.com] |
| | | dissolved = | | | dissolved = |
| | | footnotes = | | | footnotes = |
| − | | mapcode =<googlemap lat="30.409671" lon="-87.213002" zoom="16" type="map" width="250" height="140"> | + | | mapcode =<googlemap lat="30.409671" lon="-87.213002" zoom="17" width="250" height="180"> |
| | 30.409639, -87.21301, Seville Quarter | | 30.409639, -87.21301, Seville Quarter |
| | </googlemap> | | </googlemap> |
| Line 34: |
Line 34: |
| | | | |
| | ==History== | | ==History== |
| − | ===Beginnings===
| + | [[Image:RosieOGradysWarehouse.jpg|thumb|left|The original "Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse," photo © Nelson K. Hamilton]] |
| − | Seville Quarter started as "Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse," a beer-and-peanuts saloon specializing in Dixieland jazz. It was founded by [[Bob Snow]], an ex-Navy pilot and former trumpet player for the Minneapolis symphony whose band, South Hangar Six, played jazz at private parties and nightclubs around Pensacola.
| + | Seville Quarter was founded by [[Bob Snow]], a Dixieland trumpet player and former [[Navy]] pilot. It opened in the former [[Pensacola Cigar and Tobacco Company]] building as "Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse" in August [[1967]]. |
| | | | |
| − | Snow rented a dilapidated [[Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse|brick warehouse]] on East [[Government Street]] (formerly home of the [[Pensacola Cigar and Tobacco Company]]) for $140 per month, and he and his bandmates made repairs and built a small bandstand. His total startup budget was limited to a last military paycheck of $400, $1,500 for the sale of his sports car, $1,700 from pawning an antique shotgun collection, and $50 from some old bottles he found behind the warehouse.<ref>J. Earle Bowden. "Seville Quarter entertainment complex needs new touch of genius." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 14, 1986.</ref> When an air conditioning contractor demanded up-front payment for the $3,500 cooling system, Snow couldn't afford to pay. Luckily, attorney [[Wilmer Mitchell]] was able to convince the [[Citizens and People's National Bank]] to issue a $5,000 loan.<ref name="newbeat">"Rosie O'Grady's good times return with a new beat and look." ''Pensacola Journal'', May 13, 1983.</ref>
| + | [[Willmer Mitchell]], Snow's lawyer and partner, recounted that "Snow's Dixieland band was gaining a good bit of attention, as was his idea of opening a 'beer and peanuts' saloon in what was then an almost derelict area of Pensacola."<ref name="birthday">"Happy Birthday ROSIE!" ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 10, 2007.</ref> Mitchell helped Snow get the [[Citizens & Peoples Bank]] loan that enabled him to open the nightclub. The first performance was by banjoist Tutti Lockhart playing "Dear One, the World is Waiting for the Sunrise." Snow later joined in to play "The South Rampart Street Parade."<ref name="birthday"/> |
| | | | |
| − | [[Image:RosieOGradysWarehouse.jpg|thumb|right|The original "Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse," photo © Nelson K. Hamilton]] | + | In [[1972]], Snow began a similar venture in Orlando called [[Wikipedia:Church Street Station (Orlando)|Church Street Station]], which benefitted greatly from that area's tourism boom. His attentions divided, Snow sold Seville Quarter in [[1984]] to a group of investors who later defaulted on their payments. Despite doing $4 million in business for the year, the complex was forced to close. |
| − | Opening night was [[August 16]], [[1967]]. An early writeup of the club described the scene:
| |
| − | <blockquote><p>In Rosie's, you find old timey silent films with such stars as Charlie Chaplin and W. C. Fields. You'll find the twangy, happy sound of banjos.</p><p>And sing-alongs. The words are flashed on a screen and when the banjos begin plucking away, it'll take a real music hater to keep from singing along with those nostalgic melodies!</p><p>But most of all there's the great sound of Dixieland music. And what music!</p><p>"This music makes me go," says a college gal when the Dixie Racing & Marching Society Band opens up. "Something happens inside — and whammo!"<ref>"Rosie O'Grady's: Step Back Down Memory Lane." ''Pensacola News-Journal'', October 1, 1967.</ref></p></blockquote>
| |
| | | | |
| − | The Monday after the opening weekend, Snow was able to repay the bank loan and get his shotgun collection out of hock.<ref name="newbeat"/> He later purchased the warehouse building for $28,000.
| + | Snow bought it back in [[1986]], but remained too occupied by Church Street Station and other projects to run the smaller business, so it remained boarded up. He said while seeking a buyer, "The terms are very negotiable … I'm anxious to dump it."<ref>"Snow sets $3.5 million price for Seville Quarter." ''Nation's Restaurant News'', February 22, 1988.</ref> |
| − | | |
| − | ===Additions & renovations===
| |
| − | {{sectstub}}
| |
| − | | |
| − | After the success of Rosie O'Grady's, Snow expanded the Seville Quarter complex with the Lili Marlene Aviator's Pub immediately west of Rosie's. It opened on [[March 19]], [[1971]].
| |
| − | | |
| − | In [[1972]], Snow began work on a similar venture in Orlando called [[Wikipedia:Church Street Station (Orlando)|Church Street Station]]. In the meantime, he continued to add rooms and antique furnishings to the Pensacola complex.
| |
| − | | |
| − | The Palace Oyster Bar opened [[September 7]], [[1973]].<ref name="palaceoyster">"Flavor of Old Pensacola Fills Palace Oyster Bar." ''Pensacola Journal'', September 8, 1973.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Orlando's Church Street Station, with its "Rosie O'Grady's No. 2," opened in July [[1974]]. It is widely regarded as the inspiration for Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island.
| |
| − | | |
| − | In [[1980]], Seville Quarter was named an "official" state attraction by the Florida Attractions Association — one of the only such attractions in North Florida at that time.
| |
| − | | |
| − | On the morning of [[August 17]], [[1981]], a malfunctioning air purifier in Phineas Phogg's mezzanine caught fire, causing about $250,000 in damage to the room. After a $350,000 "facelift," including a 1,400-square-foot extension to the northwest corner of the building, the discotheque reopened on [[February 18]], [[1982]].<ref>"Phineas Phogg's peels brown paper." ''Pensacola News Journal'', February 11, 1982.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | By late [[1982]], the original Rosie O'Grady's room had become unpopular compared to other areas of the complex, and Snow decided to close the room for a major renovation. "Rosie's needs a breath of fresh air, and that's what I'm going to give it," he said. Seven months and more than $300,000 later, Rosie O'Grady's reopened on [[May 4]], [[1983]].<ref name="newbeat"/>
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Sale & closure===
| |
| − | As Bob Snow devoted most of his attentions to his Church Street Station complex in Orlando and other ventures, he began seeking a buyer for the Pensacola operation.
| |
| − | | |
| − | In May [[1985]], Snow sold Seville Quarter for about $3 million to the group "[[Seville Entertainment Complex|Seville Entertainment Complex Inc.]]" (SEC), at first comprised of Pensacola real estate developer [[Bill Goliwas]] and New Orleans restaurateur [[John Trauth]], who added [[Alan Bunt]] and other investors before closing. Goliwas later sold his 25 percent share to Bunt. Other shareholders included [[Susan Ragan]], [[Don Lanier]] and [[Bob Gatwood]].<ref name="woesincourt">"Seville Quarter's woes in court." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 24, 1986.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Snow retained a $1.7 million second mortgage on the complex, in addition to the first mortgage of $850,000 held by [[First Mutual Savings Association]]. | |
| − | | |
| − | In August [[1986]], Snow began foreclosure proceedings against SEC and sought to have a receiver appointed to oversee operations. SEC filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on [[September 25]].<ref>"Bankruptcy filing buys time for Seville Quarter." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 26, 1986.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | SEC closed Seville's doors on [[January 5]], [[1987]] and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy shortly thereafter. According to Bunt, the initial debt service was "unserviceable" and had doomed the new ownership. "We never had a chance from the start and Snow knew that and so did the two guys [Goliwas and Trauth] who put together the deal we got. They knew it was just a matter of time from the beginning."<ref name="closesdoors">"Seville Quarter closes doors." ''Pensacola News Journal'', January 3, 1987.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | Bob Snow refuted those claims and stated his desire to "get Seville Quarter into the hands of competent operators who know the business and have the money to make it into the institution it once was."<ref name="closesdoors"/>
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Reopening===
| |
| − | On [[November 23]], [[1988]], Bob Snow's longtime attorney [[Wilmer Mitchell]], who had maintained his law offices in the Rosie O'Grady's building even during its closure, announced a lease/purchase agreement with Snow to reopen Seville Quarter and operate it a a "Mom and Pop affair" with the rest of the Mitchell family.<ref>"Good times to roll again at Seville Quarter." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 24, 1988.</ref>
| |
| − | | |
| − | After about $60,000 in initial costs, several of the rooms reopened on [[December 16]], [[1988]].<ref>"It's showtime tonight as Seville Quarter reopens." ''Pensacola News Journal'', December 16, 1988.</ref> Complete renewal of operations took over a year and several hundred thousand dollars.
| |
| | | | |
| | + | It was finally purchased by Willmer Mitchell in [[1988]], who now runs the business with his wife and seven children. |
| | ==Rooms== | | ==Rooms== |
| | [[Image:SevilleQuarterCorridor.jpg|thumb|right|A hallway inside Seville Quarter]] | | [[Image:SevilleQuarterCorridor.jpg|thumb|right|A hallway inside Seville Quarter]] |
| Line 98: |
Line 62: |
| | | | |
| | ===Fast Eddie's=== | | ===Fast Eddie's=== |
| − | Fast Eddie's Billiard Parlor (former Coppersmith's Galley) is Seville Quarter's pool hall. | + | Fast Eddie's Billiard Parlor (former Coppersmith's Gallery) is Seville Quarter's pool hall. |
| | | | |
| | Among the salvaged furniture are doors and wheels from old ships, English chandeliers, New Orleans cypress doors, benches from the old [[L&N Passenger Depot and Express Office|L&N Passenger Depot]]. The wainscot and wall paneling were fashioned out of solid wood doors from the [[American National Bank Building]]. | | Among the salvaged furniture are doors and wheels from old ships, English chandeliers, New Orleans cypress doors, benches from the old [[L&N Passenger Depot and Express Office|L&N Passenger Depot]]. The wainscot and wall paneling were fashioned out of solid wood doors from the [[American National Bank Building]]. |
| Line 115: |
Line 79: |
| | ===End O' The Alley Bar=== | | ===End O' The Alley Bar=== |
| | ===Heritage Hall=== | | ===Heritage Hall=== |
| − | Heritage Hall, which occupies the former [[Barrios and Acosta Building]] slightly east on [[Government Street]], was added in May 2003 as a space available to rent for banquets, meetings and private parties. | + | Heritage Hall was added in May 2003 as a space available to rent for banquets, meetings and private parties. |
| | | | |
| | ==Images== | | ==Images== |
| Line 128: |
Line 92: |
| | | | |
| | ==External links== | | ==External links== |
| − | *[http://www.sevillequarter.com/ www.sevillequarter.com] - Official site | + | *[http://www.rosies.com/ www.rosies.com] - Official site |
| | | | |
| − | [[Category:Bars & nightclubs]] [[Category:Seville Quarter|Seville Quarter]] | + | [[Category:Bars & nightclubs]] |
