Dwight Thomas plays Chattanooga Choo Choo at Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes

Dwight Thomas plays Chattanooga Choo Choo on the Wurlitzer theatre Pipe organ at Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes in Ellenton, Florida

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Wurlitzer
• organ
• pipe organ
• Florida
• Roaring 20s
• Dwight Thomas
• Chattanooga Choo Choo

[njguy2]

Sadly, Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes closed on June 6, so we will not hear the Wurlizer again, unless a new owner takes over.

[COMALiteJ]

But how good is the pizza? ;-)

[njguy2]

@COMALiteJ

To be honest, the pizza and the food isn't that great, but the organ music is fantastic. That's why I go there.

[njguy2]

Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes is actually on US 301 in Ellenton, Florida about 10 miles north of Sarasota. You are right about the lighting with the pipes/horns/vibes on the walls and ceilings. LED lights are illuminated when an instrument is being played by the organist. The sound is much better than I could capture with a small camera.

[337nicole]

It was illegal to record video of the organist. If you had been caught you would have been kicked out. And the reason it doesn't exist anymore is because everyone who came was cheap and would buy a drink for $2.00 and sit there for 3 hours listening to music. You were never charged an entrance fee, which you should have, yet everyone was still pissed they had to buy food. I don't think any of you realize how expensive these organists are..and how much money goes into this building every year.

[gtothereal]

ROARING 20s PIZZA AND PIPES RULES!!

BILL VLASAK RULES!!!

DWIGHT THOMAS RULES!!

FROM MOE, LARRY, and CURLY (THREE STOOGES)

[ironwolf9999]

@337nicole i always placed 5 to 10 dollers in tip jar

[ironwolf9999]

i miss the plaze they had good pizza and the music was essilent and u were never forced to leave when you were done eating

[aceladude2251]

I can't belive this place turned into a library :(

[raamjames1]

@njguy2 I used to go to the one in Grand Rapids MI when I was a kid back in the 70s. They closed down about 30 years ago. I remember their pizza being great back then.

[wljmrbill]

Sorrry to hear it closed. When I lived in Sarasota I went there a number of times and I did buy cd's too as well as food and it wasn't that bad. But I am an organist so music was most impotant even if only had bologna sandwiches.

[JonasClark]

@EccentricRichard The only remaining ones are Organ Piper Music Palace in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and Organ Stop Pizza in mesa, Arizona, which shows similarities to Roaring 20s in its interior design, the rotating lift and the black console. It used to have the same Modernistic/Waterfall console, too. Organ Stop is the 2nd largest theatre organ ever put together, at 78 ranks. There are rumors that a pizza place with a 5 manual, 36 rank Wurlitzer (not all original) may open in Reno, NV in 2012.

[EccentricRichard]

@robwilke - I've heard of pizza restaurants with organs in NY, Nevada and AZ too...

[Organsk8er]

@badgerman1949 Good pizza is exactly the reason we're still around. Most of these places closed because the food was very sub-par. This one included, from what I understand. I apologize for the lack of the "entertainment" factor at the Organ Piper...but I'm happy to report that it's coming back. Much work has been done since just before Christmas. I invite you in to check it out! I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And the food won't disappoint you. :-)

[evandolah]

I too am sad to see that this place has closed, but it doesn't surprise me. The "Mighty Wurlizer" was truly a gem, but it wasn't enough to keep me coming back. The food was not very good and the service was minimal (you had to order at the counter and then pick it up yourself. I will miss the Wurlizer, but not the restaurant.

[choirfreak26]

My grandmother and I drove down to Roaring 20's last week only to find out it had closed. We ended up at another restaurant and asked what had happened and the stewardess said that even the employees didn't even know the place was closing; they showed up for work and the place was closed. I wish we had been there 6 months ago when it was still open. I would have loved to see this jewel of an instrument :)