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When it comes to Five Central Houston owner Tony L. Council, he is a jack of all trades, and a master of all. The North Carolina born entrepreneur’s day job is as a registered professional engineer, where his eponymous company, TLC Engineering, does work for Houston and its surrounding areas, New Orleans, Miami, Los Angeles, and more. When the day is over around 5pm, Council heads to his second job, as head of Five Central, where he works alongside co-oner Terry Williams to make sure their adult entertainment Mecca runs like a Swiss watch. “We wanted to do something that was out fo the norm, hadn’t been done before,” says Council of the space. “We were looking at the facility—I was originally brought in as the engineer—and saw that this beautiful, historical 103-year-old space had exactly what we needed.”
And what they needed was space to open Upper Kirby Bistro, a casual neighborhood eatery; Red Peacock, a live entertainment venue featuring everything from music to stand-up comedy; XX3 (read: 23), a craft cocktail bar where the mixologists can concoct anything you throw at them; Elie, a wine bar with a chic, inviting atmosphere; and Downing Street Social Club, a cigar bar where ladies and gentlemen can relax with a nice cigar after a long day.
Old Fashioned Breeze: Jim Beam Black, Angostura bitters, orange juice, cranberry juice, simple syrup, cherry, orange
Peach Whiskey Sour: Jim Beam Peach, Jim Beam White, lemon juice, peach simple syrup, Angostura bitters, egg white, peach slice
Sweet Ginger Breeze: Jim Beam White, ginger beer, agave nectar, orange, mint
“My dream is for Five Central to be a one-stop-shop and business social club, where people will come have good food and good drink while discussing business and cutting deals somewhere other than the golf course,” he says. And when the prominent Houston business man isn’t at a gathering with his brothers of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, or a board meeting of the Coastal Water Authority, where he sits as the first Vice President, you will find him at Five Central with an Old-Fashioned in hand. Because he’s a man who wears a lot of hats, and he finally has a stylish place to set his down.
Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% ALC./VO ©2022 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.
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