Florida Club For Sale

George Generoso, owner of the iconic Five O’Clock Club in Sarasota, Fla., will sell the live music venue and bar.

Logo courtesy of Twitter.com/5OClockClub – 5 O’Clock Club
A logo for 5 O’Clock Club.

Generoso came into ownership of the 62-year-old bar in 1996. After 21 years, he decided it was time to retire.

“I’m in my 60s now, it’s time to retire and try to start a new life,” Generoso told the Herald Tribune. “This is a business for young people – the bar business is a business for people that are young and energetic and ready to take on the world. I was like that back when I started it.”

At the time Generoso became owner, the bar was primarily a blues club. Under his supervision, more rock and reggae acts started to regularly play at the club. Artists such as The Allman Brothers Band’s Dickey Betts, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and The Police’s Five O’Clock Club were hosted at the venue while Generoso was owner.

He also helped raise more than $1 million by hosting an annual concert benefit for All Faiths Food Bank. The benefit, dubbed Giving Hunger the Blues, grew in popularity and eventually moved out of the venue and became a block party.