Changes

Trader Jon's was founded by [[Martin "Trader Jon" Weissman]] and his wife [[Jackii Weissman|Jackii]] on [[January 1]], [[1953]]. Trader was a World War II army paratrooper who was honorably discharged for an ankle injury before being deployed to Europe. The couple had previously operated bars in Miami and Key West before moving to Pensacola. The bar's location at 511 South [[Palafox Street]] (now known as the [[Trader Jon's building]]) dates back to [[1896]] and was previously occupied by such tenants as [[Samuel Charles]]'s shoe repair shop and [[Birgar Testman]]'s ship chandlery. It was already a bar when Weissman purchased it.

The bar was widely known for the eccentricities of its owner. Weissman did not set prices for drinks; rather, they varied depending on his mood and how well he knew the customer. He was known for wearing mismatched socks and gave free drinks offered a reward to patrons any patron who caught him in a matching pair. He also exchanged drinks for bits of Navy memorabilia, which led to the bar's signature collectionand helped reinforce his "Trader" moniker.

Trader Jon's closed in [[1998]], a year after Weissman suffered a debilitating stroke that kept him from work; he died on [[February 18]], [[2000]]. A group called the "Trader Jon's Preservation Squadron," led by former [[Blue Angels]] leader [[Bob Stumpf]], raised $300,000 to preserve the bar and its contents as a kind of museum. Their purchase offer was rejected by Weissman's family, who wanted to see the club remain open.<ref>"[http://mysite.verizon.net/pitcairnsquadron/newjons.htm Navy pilot, wife plan to reopen historic 'Trader Jon's aviators' pub]." Associated Press, August 10, 2000.</ref> Navy flight instructor [[Matt Heckemeyer]] and his wife [[Kerry Heckemeyer|Kerry]] purchased the bar business for $465,000 on [[August 8]], [[2000]]. After spending an estimated $150,000 on renovations, they reopened the bar on [[September 1]] of that year — what would have been Weissman's 85th birthday. The Heckemeyer's hired [[Mientje Green]] as the general manager. Green had previously managed the famous [[Wikipedia:Tipitina's|Tipitina's]] club in New Orleans with her husband Jim. They planned to cater to a wider clientele by making Trader Jon's a live music venue. ""We're thinking about blues, Cajun, zydeco, jazz,'' Green said. "We want to give the people something different and something they'll support.''<ref>"Trader Jon's back in business." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 31, 2000.</ref> On [[January 16]], [[2001]], a fire erupted in the "Blue Angels Museum" portion of the building, but was quickly extinguished with minor damage.

The bar closed for good on [[November 89]], [[2003]]. Matt Heckemeyer, who had divorced his wife since buying the bar, said his inability to return Trader Jon's to its former glory had "a lot to do with the changing environment" of a Navy that frowned upon excessive drinking.<ref name="partyends">"Last call at historic downtown watering hole." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 5, 2003.</ref> The [[Trader Jon's building ]] was sold for $562,500<ref>[http://www.escpa.org/details.asp?qAcctNum=154347200 Property appraiser's record]</ref> to [[Sarah Brown|Sarah]] and [[Walter Brown]], who planned to expand their retail clothing store women's boutique [[Sarah's]] into the space, but these plans were scrapped after — months before [[Hurricane Ivan]] destroyed the store's main location in the adjacent [[Phenix Building]]— but these plans were later scrapped.  The collection of Navy memorabilia, appraised at approximately $2 million, was purchased by law firm [[Aylstock Witkin & Sasser]] and donated to the [[Naval Aviation Museum Foundation]]. It will be featured in the [[Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center]]. Before his death, [[Admiral Fetterman]] stated his desire to see the "Trader Jon's" name return in the form of the museum's restaurant.