FORT MYERS, Fla. — A new two-story speakeasy is coming to the Richards building in downtown Fort Myers.
Your Fort Myers community correspondent, Miyoshi Price, has been following the controversy over the Richards building for months. Now, the business owners are moving in, and tell Fox 4 the speakeasy will add to the historic beauty of downtown.
Watch below to take a look inside the speakeasy:
"Thomas Edison, Connie Mack, Ty Cobb, and RC Richards were all in this building itself," says Brad Cozza, co-owner of Escondido Lounge.
He named a few historic names that paved the way for the new speakeasy, Escondido Lounge.
Cozza goes into detail about the conversation he had with RC Richards's great-granddaughter, Whitney. She spoke on behalf of her family when she learned the color of the building was different from the original paint and her family's name was removed from the building.
Fort Myers City Council voted to leave the white stain as is, which Whitney says hurt her and many people in Fort Myers.
Cozza says he hears the community and wants his business to reflect some of the town's history.
Cozza contacted Whitney on Facebook and asked her to come downtown and check out the place. He told Fox 4 that she gave him the full history.
"She brought all these original photographs and gave me the full," says Cozza. "It literally was about an hour of just diving into the history of this building and how much of a force RC Richards was."
So, they named a cocktail after him.
"He's going to be the smoked old fashioned," says Cozza. "So we're super pumped to put his name back on this building."
Cozza tells Fox 4 that when you're upstairs overlooking the entire lounge, you will be standing in the 70s-themed RC Richard's loft.
The owners say they have been working on the speakeasy for over a year.
The tenants had a few setbacks, with maintenance and the controversy over the building's color change.
"We've had roughly about a 60-day permitting delay," says Cozza. "So we're just anxious to get the final inspections done now that the new fire suppression system for the whole building has been installed."
Cozza says the lounge will give locals an elevated experience, true to the speakeasy fashion.
"There's a lot of different eclectic rooms and different types of decor in each room," Cozza said.
They even plan to put a glass case underneath the bookshelves to hold a piano, with the player, and occasionally a DJ hovering over a couch.
Engulfed by the red tint, a Victorian chandelier and low lighting, it's like an old-style movie night on the town.
Cozza is sticking to the speakeasy vibes with the entire experience.
"Our entrance is going to be a walk-in cooler," says Cozza. You will have to go through Taco Works off of Hendry and walk to the back as if you were going to the restaurant, where you must find the secret door."
Cozza says he was really anxious to open up something like this in southwest Florida, but hopes it's successful.
The grand opening is Nov. 20 and their second location will be in Cape Coral, opening sometime in early 2025.
