Seville Quarter is an entertainment complex in downtown Pensacola comprised of several "rooms," each with its own theme: Rosie O'Grady's, Lili Marlene's, Fast Eddie's, Apple Annie's, Palace Oyster Bar, Phineas Phogg's and End O' The Alley Bar. The rooms are connected by covered brick alleyways. An open-air courtyard with fountain sits on the north side of the complex. Another building, Heritage Hall, was added in May 2003.
| Seville Quarter | |
| |
| Type | Nightclub/restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 1967 |
| Founder | Bob Snow |
| Headquarters | 130 East Government Street Pensacola, FL 32501 |
| Owner | Willmer Mitchell |
| Website | www.rosies.com |
| <googlemap lat="30.409671" lon="-87.213002" zoom="17" width="250" height="180">
30.409639, -87.21301, Seville Quarter </googlemap> | |
The complex is decorated in a largely Victorian style with furniture and other elements salvaged from historic buildings from Pensacola and across the world.
Contents
History
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.
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."[1] 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."[1]
In 1972, Snow began a similar venture in Orlando called 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.
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."[2]
It was finally purchased by Willmer Mitchell in 1988, who now runs the business with his wife and seven children.
Rooms
Rosie O'Grady's
Rosie O'Grady's was the first room of Seville Quarter, opening in 1967 as "Rosie O'Grady's Warehouse" and also known as "Rosie O'Grady's Goodtime Emporium."
The Rosie's building was previously the Pensacola Cigar and Tobacco Company. The door to the main entrance was salvaged from a mansion in Mobile.
It is the home of Seville's "Dueling Pianos" show. The featured drink is the Flaming Hurricane.
Lili Marlene's
Lili Marlene's World War I Aviators Pub is located across from Rosie's. It is adorned with model biplanes that hang from the ceiling.
The Lili's building originally housed the Pensacola Printing Company. The bars in Lili's came from the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago and date back to 1880. The long wooden benches hail from London, chairs from the Massachusetts Supreme Court, pub mirrors from Edinburgh, Scotland, and light fixtures from an Atlanta mansion.
Lili Marlene's has several big-screen televisions used to watch sporting events. It is also where Krazy George hosts karaoke several times a week.
Fast Eddie's
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. The wainscot and wall paneling were fashioned out of solid wood doors from the American National Bank Building.
Sports memorabilia on display include Jerry Pate's U.S. Open 5 iron, Emmitt Smith's Bowl jersey, Ken Stabler's Sugar Bowl seat and Roy Jones's boxing gloves.
Apple Annie's
Apple Annie's Courtyard is a large reception room used for various functions. In addition to standard fare, the bar also serves a variety of frozen drinks.
A large fountain is located in one corner of the courtyard, topped with a stone eagle from the Chicago Fraternal Order of Eagles building. Apple Annie's also features wooden beams salvaged from the ballroom of the Casino, Pensacola Beach's first tourist attraction, and glass doors from the Ursuline Convent in New Orleans.
Palace Oyster Bar
Phineas Phogg's
End O' The Alley Bar
Heritage Hall
Heritage Hall was added in May 2003 as a space available to rent for banquets, meetings and private parties.
Images
An old Rosie O'Grady's marquee promoting performers and drink specials. Photo © Nelson K. Hamilton.
Bob Snow sings with the "Rosie O'Grady's Sixie, Racing & Marching Society Jazz Band." Photo © Nelson K. Hamilton.
References
External links
- www.rosies.com - Official site