PANAJI: Nightlife doyen Ricardo D’Souza claimed in a social media post on Monday that he had sold Club Titos – one of the country’s most popular party destinations and an iconic hotel brand of the state – and their “entire Goa business”. because of “harassment” by “officials” of the state government in an undisclosed amount.
D’Souza did not name the buyer, but said: “Personally, I suffered the least because I was adequately compensated and my future generations will not have to work either”.
Although he blamed the state government for selling his entire family business, he thanked Prime Minister Pramod Sawant and a few others.
He claimed that the development left him with “sadness and anger” and made many of his employees unemployed, and asked “the officials” to hire his employees “since I never plan to do business in Goa”.
Aside from the fact that he did not identify the buyer, Ricardo also did not indicate whether the Tito brand would be continued. “End of an era!” he posted.
Ricardo and his brother David ran Club Titos, Bollywood Discotheque and Café Mambo – all part of the Titos brand – and were together with Lucille Dsouza also the directors of Titos Resorts and Entertainment Ltd.
As part of the Tito Group, the two brothers owned at least 15 different businesses with diverse interests such as home decor, creative publishing, hospitality, construction, and even water sports. While some of the companies are active, others have been removed from the registry.
In his post, Ricardo said: “By ‘officials’ I mean all the harassing masses, such as the police, planning and development authorities, coastal regulation zones, NGOs, panchayats and sarpanchas, block development officers and deputy collectors.”
However, he did not hold Calangute Sarpanch Shawn Martins responsible for the harassment.
Tito’s Goa was founded in 1971 by Tito Henry de Souza and was a popular place for hippies and world travelers who wanted to escape the chaos of the world. When international tourists flocked to Goa in search of Tito’s, domestic tourists followed suit, setting Tito’s Goa as a party destination.
The sale of Tito’s has shocked the country with many internet users expressing dismay that they could no longer party in the clubs.
“Very sad, I still remember going there regularly since my college days, sometimes even with my books to study because I had to take my exams the next day. What a memory! The place had some magic, ”said Lokesh Kavlekar.
Over the past two decades, Club Tito’s has become the hangout for anyone looking to party, and over the years it has spawned many competitors. The fan who followed him was so passionate that Tito’s Gasse became an address everyone knew.
“End of an era. It won’t be the same without you,” the entertainer and entrepreneur Bhumika Singh replied to D’Souza’s post.
D’Souza thanked everyone who helped make Titos a global brand. While the two brothers kept a stoic silence, speculation made the rounds about Ricardo’s leap into politics.
Goa: Titos has been sold, claims its co-owner | Goa news
