In the late sixties Bob Snow started Rosie O’Grady’s Good Time
Emporium in a derelict area of downtown Pensacola, Florida.
This effort resulted in Seville Quarter, an entertainment and dining
complex which is still the largest tourist attraction between New
Orleans and Orlando and is considered the first urban entertainment complex in
America.
About the same time, he started Rosie O’Grady’s
Flying Circus, and as the chief skywriter and
balloon pilot, spread the goodtime word across the
skies of America with this exciting nostalgic aerial extravaganza.
With world class balloonist Col. Joe Kittinger, his VP of Flight
Operations he flew gas and hot air balloons across America,
Europe, Australia, Africa, and Russia. Together, as the USA team,
they won a number of national and world competitions, and set
some world
records in the
process.
In 1972, Bob put together a larger operation in
Orlando, Florida which became Church Street
Station, the fourth largest tourist attraction in
Florida. At one point the complex employed
over 900 people and was the largest privately
owned food and beverage operation in the
country when he sold it in 1990.
Both Operations were credited with the total downtown revitalization and restoration of their
respective cities.
Bob subsequently opened the Main Street Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then
moved back to Orlando to create his worldwide project consulting company, Snow & Associates.
Bob has worked on joint venture development projects with his friend Jim Rouse’s Enterprise
Development Company in cities around the world. Together with Jim, he has worked on the design
and development of numerous urban entertainment and casino projects including MGM, Harrah’s,
RKO Pictures, Station Casino, Universal Studios, and Main Street Station.
In addition, Bob has received numerous architectural and civic awards including
the Florida Businessman of the Year, the John Young Award, and the Synergy
Award from The Society of American Registered Architects.
The City of Orlando dedicated a prominent downtown street, “Bob Snow Lane” in his honor in
1992.
Prior to a near-fatal accident that ended his US Navy career, he flew many Navy aircraft including
Beechcraft T-34s, North American T-28B, and carrier qualified in a North American T-28C. He
then flew Bell H-13s, and Sikorsky
H-34s, and Bell 206s. Later, as a civilian, he accumulated a total of 6,500 hours in Boeing N2S
Stearmans, North American SNJ-4 skywriters, Beechcraft C-45s, as well as lots of assorted single
and multi-engine aircraft. His favorite plane was his Beechcraft Staggerwing D17S and his open
cockpit 450hp Stearman, which he owned for 30 years.
Bob is a commercial, instrument-rated, multi-engine, sailplane and gas and hot air balloon pilot.
For many years he was one of only two licensed sky writers with FAA waivers in the US. He has
managed to stay alive after many interesting flying adventures, and considers it a result of good
luck and fate, and not so much to do with flying ability.
Bob lives with his wife Linda in a home on a lake in downtown Orlando.
Awards and Achievements
•
Board of Directors - Downtown Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
•
American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame - 2019
•
Colonel Joe Kittinger Award - Greater Orlando Aviation Authority 2019
•
Synergy Award – Distinguished Service Award – Society of Registered Architects - 1999
•
Board of Directors - Themed Attraction Association - 1993-present
•
Ten Most Important People in Orlando’s History - 1989
•
Hosted weekly National TV Series “Church Street Station
Live from the Cheyenne Saloon” - 1982-1989
•
Man of the Year - American Marketing Association - 1988
•
Central Florida Restaurateur of the Year - 1985
•
University of Central Florida Advisory Board - 1980-86
•
Board of Directors - Orlando-Orange County Convention & Visitor’s Bureau - 1984-86
•
Voted favorite person to have dinner with in Orlando - 1984
•
Florida Award for Downtown Improvement, American Institute of Architects - 1984
•
Man of Vision Award - Florida Chapter – Society for Prevention of Blindness - 1983
•
Master at Large - City of Orlando - 1982
•
Changed laws in Florida as Chairman of the Florida Entertainment & Dining Association
making it the first state in the US to legalize craft breweries - 1981
•
Formed the Florida entertainment & Dining Association - one of the top 100 attractions
in Florida with restaurant and beverage licenses - 1979
•
Top Three Small Businessmen in US - 1976
•
Businessman of the Year - State of Florida - 1976
•
Downtown Development Board - Founding Member - Pensacola - 1975
•
Businessman of the Year - NW Florida - Pensacola News Journal - 1974
•
Chairman of Tourism Committee - Pensacola Chamber of Commerce - 1972-74
•
Downtowner of the year - Pensacola - 1972-74
•
Board of Directors - Pensacola Chamber of Commerce - 1970-72
•
Designed concept for“Palafox Street Restoration” in Pensacola which led to its award
as “Top 10 streets in the USA - 1970
•
Rinehart Holmes Community Service Award - Pensacola JayCees - 1970
Robert JS Snow
A loosely organized confederacy of independent developmental renegades
