At the age of 14, Ed Gonzalez asked for a work permit to start working at a Country Club in South Florida. Many years later Ed has run, owned and operated two of Tampa Bay’s most iconic establishments: Georgie’s Alibi and Enigma St. Pete.
Through role models like his father and mother and his strong work ethic and attention to detail, he has made sanctuaries for all of us to feel comfortable and call home. I’ve had the privilege of working for this amazing man for upwards of 13 years and everything I’ve learned about the hospitality industry I owe to Ed. When you work for him you become family to him. Any employee past or present will tell you that if you ever need anything he is always there to help.
This year Enigma suffered a devastating tragedy with the loss of our beloved Ryan Stroehlein. Ed wanted to help Ryan’s family navigate through this and flew Ryan’s family down from upstate New York for a memorial to share all of our love for him. With his huge selfless heart Ed has worked with countless nonprofits like METRO Wellness, EPIC, Pet Pal, Easter Seals and many more holding fundraisers, shows and benefits, often times matching the money raised and donating it from his own pocket.
I am honored to have been chosen to write about Ed for this year’s “Most Remarkable People “and I am proud to work for such a humble, giving and REMARKABLE man.
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