Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Gonzalez.
Ed, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
At 14 years old, I had to obtain a work permit from my high school so I could start serving tables at a place called the Marriott Horizon Club in Deerfield Beach, FL. At 18, I started bartending there. From ages 21 to 26, I worked at The Polo Club of Boca Raton for several years, then traveled the country the next couple of years. I spent time in Colorado, New Jersey, New York and worked multiple jobs in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Once I returned home, I started frequenting Georgie’s Alibi in Wilton Manors. Suddenly, one day I received a phone call from Alibi owner George Kessinger offering me a job. I barbacked there for a year before I was asked to transfer to their soon to open St. Petersburg location. Just months after it opened, I was basically thrown the keys to it and was the GM of that iconic establishment until I decided to leave and move back to South Florida in late 2012.
Once in South Florida, just about everything that could go wrong for me did. I found myself unable to find a good job, broke, and miserably unhappy. After spending 2013 in utter misery, I returned to St. Pete, and through the persistent urging of a number of my former Alibi employees/friends, I decided to try to open my own bar. Suddenly, it was as if in a complete reversal from how nothing went right in South Florida, everything seemed to magically fall into place. I was put in contact with my current business partner Michael Kohl, who barely knew me but agreed to finance “the Enigma project.” That allowed me to design and create the Enigma Bar & Lounge that many in St. Petersburg know today. It turned out to be a partnership made in Heaven, and here we are, over seven years later, thriving in paradise!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Though we have had challenges such as issues with the building, multiple landlord changes, hurricanes, a current pandemic, and worst of all… the loss of our beloved bartender Ryan Stroehlein to a motorcycle accident, the actual operation of the business has been mostly smooth.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a bar and dance club located in St. Pete’s booming EDGE District next to Tropicana Field. One of the things we’re best known for is how friendly and overall great our staff is! What probably sets us apart is the diversity of our clientele. It doesn’t matter what your age, race, gender, or sexual orientation is. Everyone who comes here feels welcome in an uncommon, liberated way. We are most proud of the loyal relationship we have built with the community. We are constantly featuring the artwork of local artists. We offer a very clean, safe, relaxed, yet upbeat, fun environment. We are open seven days a week from 1:00 pm-3:00 am. We offer a great 2-for 1 happy-hour every single day from 1:00 pm-9:00 pm. We have a pool table, a dartboard, lots of seating, a great covered outdoor patio & bar, great drink specials, two great drag shows every Friday, and lots more that we will resume once the pandemic is finally behind us.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
The things we like best about St. Pete, besides obviously the weather, are the people, the relaxed vibe as opposed to most other booming cities, the art and music scene, and the fact that it just continues to get more beautiful.
Contact Info:
- Email: EnigmaStPete@gmail.com
- Website: EnigmaStPete.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/EnigmaStPete
