From the category archives:
A few weeks back, dirt began to be moved and sand was brought in for something all new to Pier Park in Panama City Beach. Just across the street from the new Miracle Strip @ Pier Park, in the long-vacant and undeveloped lot, they’ve moved in 3,600 tons of crystal white sand that rivals the perfect sand we walk on, on our beaches every day. What is the meaning of this, you may be asking yourself. I’ll tell you.
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Pier Park is pleased to announce two new stores, several amusement rides, and a Toys R Us Express.
“We’re so pleased to offer these new retailers, and amusements to the community and our visitors,” said Felicia Cook, director of marketing and business development at Pier Park. “With perfect timing for summer fun, these additions are another reason Pier Park is the place to be!”
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If you’ve been wandering Pier Park in Panama City Beach in the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed they’re moving a lot of dirt across the street from Miracle Strip @ Pier Park and east where the sand volleyball court is. This large swath of undeveloped land has been waiting for something exciting to occupy it since the beginning of Pier Park, and it finally has a future.
In a few weeks time, the fine folks at Pier Park will be moving in 3,600 tons of “Emerald Coast Beach Quality White Sand”, creating a real white sand beach in Pier Park, with all the fun except the water. To keep everyone cool in our hot Florida sun they’ll be putting in four 40′ by 40′ staggered canvas shade structures that will be supported on all four corners by brightly colored poles of varying heights. If you’re trying to get a mental image, picture the shade structures they have at the pool at Frank Brown Park, in Panama City Beach.
Some of the activities to take place in this new beach include shell digs, treasure hunts, archeological dig (sponsored by the Jr. Museum – still tentative right now though), sand sculpture contests, corn-hole toss games, and tons of other games the talented staff of Pier Park can dream up of.
So get your flip-flops ready, put on your shades, pack your beach towels and come on out to Pier Park, and don’t forget to say hi when you see me lounging in my beach chair.
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If you’re looking for a cool, healthy treat in this hot summer sun, you’ve got to check out the new new frozen Yogurt shop in Pier Park. YoGurty’s Yummy Yogurt, located right next to Red Brick Pizza in Pier Park is one of the newest food shops in the 1.1 million square foot shopping facility that has played a huge part in changing the face of Panama City Beach over the last two years.
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By now we’ve all heard the talk or felt the excitement about Miracle Strip reopening at Pier Park. Up until a few weeks ago, the speculation has proven to be little more than a variance approval, concepts and lots and lots of rumors. In mid December, the Miracle Strip at Pier Park facebook fan page, here if you want to be a fan, announced a completion and opening in March 2010 and, honestly, I was skeptical until a recent visit proved the announced date worthy of all the excitement. Many of the old rides have already been restored and are in the installation process. Ticket prices and annual passes have been set and, as you can imagine, the buzz for preceding the opening is startling.
The progress is so exciting, it almost makes me forget that it is opening during March, better known as Spring Break, the only time of the year that most locals don’t want to go. Still, I for one, will definitely be in line, come April maybe May, to catch a ride on what parts of my youth I thought would never be rebuilt.
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1 – Big Top Treats
Nestled on the festival grounds of Pier Park in Panama City Beach, two local Realtors are opening a Seaside-esque Airstream (silver bullet) snack shack coming fully stocked with everything you need to keep you cool in the summer sun. With everything from packaged ice creams to sodas to funnel fries and pretzels, Big Top Treats is sure to keep you feeling super cool. Expansion is already in the plans for the future of this new addition with it to morph into a full restaurant sometime in the next year.
2 – The Miracle Strip Carousel
Resurrected from the Original Miracle Strip Amusement Park, Teddy and Jenny Meeks brought an old memory factory back to life and put it center stage in Panama City Beach’s most popular place to hang, Pier Park. An original 1960′s Herschel Carousel, this ride was built to last. Swarms of people have literally come out of the wood-work to relive memories and create new ones with friends and family alike. Rides are $3 or you can get an all day pass for $5.
3 – Hawaiian Snow Cones
With three locations, you can’t miss the opportunity to savor some super sweet flavored crushed ice. Notoriously overpriced, these syrup drenched cones are always worth it, and if you’re a parent, you know how much your kids just have to have one. Located across from Tootsies, close to the Starbucks and Henna tattoo place, and across from Old Navy, you can’t miss their cute little carts.
4 – Repiccis Italian Ice
What’s the difference between Italian Ice and Snow Cones you say? Well, actually not much. However, Italian Ice tends to be “shaved”, whereas Snow Cones are more ground to a snow-like texture. And, the typical flavors tend to vary. Situated in front of and ran by Popcorn Kingdom, this Italian ice stand offers fruit flavors from mango to orange to lemon and is sure to quench your thirst in our crazy humid and hot weather.
5 – Tropical Beach Knick-Knack Shack
Ok, so I made up the name, but the place is for real. Located right in front of As Seen on TV and Blender, Roger and his wife sell all sorts of hand-made-by-them knick knacks that would feel perfectly at home in your garden or around your home. With tons of really cute stuff from palm tree signs that rest upon wood “posts” to Tiki Signs, if you are looking for some cute beachy stuff, this is the place to go.
6 – Little Tiny Turtles and Hermit Crabs
If you are here on vacation looking for that perfect pet, pick yourself up a tiny little turtle or a hermit crab. These little guys are so cute, and come with their own little habitat for $27. I personally wish these guys were in their natural environment instead of available for purchase, but if you promise to be very nice, you can go buy one.
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As if it were physically possible for Pier Park to get better, it just did by adding a few new features everyone will enjoy.
Here are the new additions:
The Miracle Strip Carousel – This carousel was purchased from an auction of the equipment used at the Miracle Strip Amusement Park, which closed in 2005. The carousel is a 1964 Allen Herschall 36-foot model featuring 30 horses and 2 chariots.
Transportation Booth – Owned by a local entrepreneur, this booth offers surrey rentals and Pedi-cab rides throughout the Pier Park property.
Train – Don’t miss out on the five-car train that travels up and down Pier Park Drive. Hop on to rest your feet and enjoy a tour of the property.
Euro Bungee Jump –This dynamic bungee experience slings groups of four people at a time 35-feet into the air!
Coconut Tree Climb –Up for a challenge? Grab your friends and see who can scale this 30-foot simulated coconut tree the fastest!
Spider Mountain -Spider Mountain welcomes children of all ages to safely scale up to 35-feet using a labyrinth of ropes, nets and safety harnesses.
Manhattan-style Hog Stand –Enjoy delicious refreshments like hot dogs, cotton candy and an array of drink options after a fun afternoon at Pier Park.
If you haven’t yet ventured out to Pier Park, or even if you are a frequent visitor, now is the time to grab the family and check out these new additions. Not only has Pier Park added attractions, but new stores as well. Feathers Shoe Boutique has recently opened while fashion retailer Rue 21 and Spring Ridge Welcome Center will debut in May. Happy shopping.
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Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, a chain of family-friendly restaurants with retail stores, opened its fifth restaurant-retail concept in Panama City Beach, Florida last week. The new 10,000 square foot restaurant is located in Pier Park, a one million square foot, open-air, lifestyle center across from the beach in the heart of Panama City Beach. Pier Park was developed and is owned by Simon Property Group.
Currently with four coastal locations in the southeast including Grand Cayman, Marco Island, Key West, and Orange Beach, Alabama, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants offer a variety of Americana fare and fresh, sustainable seafood in a unique dining atmosphere. The décor is accented with Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine, wildlife original art and prints, and Guy Harvey Artist’s Collection Wines can be paired with each dish.
Guy Harvey enjoys a storied career as a world-renowned artist, photographer, diver and scientist whose focus has always been beneath the waves. His artwork is in galleries, stores, and at fishing tournaments, and his conservation efforts to save marine life in the oceans are well known. So, it’s only natural that Harvey should enter into the restaurant business with Guy Harvey’s Island Grill. Each Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurant offers not only fresh, sustainable seafood in a casual dining atmosphere, but also a retail store and gallery that features original Guy Harvey artwork, signature clothing, and giftware.
“The restaurant-retail store concept, first established in my hometown of Georgetown, Grand Cayman, has proven so successful, that we have chosen to expand the Guy Harvey brand through this prototype into other markets including Panama City Beach,” said Guy Harvey. “With a booming local market and more than 7 million tourists who come each year for the fishing, sun, and surf, Panama City Beach is an ideal location to expand the Guy Harvey’s Island Grill concept. We believe this will be a very successful market for us,” concluded Harvey.
“Despite the volatile economic environment, 2008 was a banner retail sales year for Guy Harvey, Inc. and we are continuing to introduce the Guy Harvey Island Grill restaurant-retail store concept into additional growth markets throughout the southeast,” said Steve Stock, President of Guy Harvey, Inc. “Our new location at Pier Park in Panama City Beach fits perfectly with our expansion plans into select coastal markets.”
“Guy Harvey’s Island Grill will be an excellent addition and important asset to Pier Park. Its combination of Americana food, impressive array of retail selections, and commitment to conservation, all under the Guy Harvey brand, are very powerful and productive,” said Felicia Cook, Director of Mall Marketing and Business Development for Simon.
By expanding its restaurant-retail store concept to additional markets, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill hopes to increase awareness not only for Guy Harvey’s restaurants, Guy Harvey Wines, artwork and licensed products, but also for his efforts to save and conserve the ocean’s marine life.
As part of his ongoing commitment to researching and conserving the ocean’s marine life, Guy Harvey has insisted his restaurants serve only carefully selected seafood that has not been over-fished. Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants do not serve over-exploited or threatened species such as swordfish, grouper, Chilean sea bass or any species of billfish or shark. By excluding these fish from its menus, Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants aid in the long-term improvement of these fish stocks. A simple, responsible seafood guide, detailing what fish to eat and avoid, is available at all Guy Harvey’s Island Grill restaurants to raise awareness of carefully selecting seafood for sustaining the oceans and marine wildlife.
Additionally, a portion of all proceeds from restaurant and retail store sales of Guy Harvey artwork and licensed products fund marine research for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. Through Guy Harvey’s Ocean Foundation, new marine research and educational outreach programs are conducted to better inform recreational and commercial fishermen and the public of the need for additional conservation and best management practices for a more sustainable marine environment.
In the end, whether it’s Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, with its carefully appointed seafood menu, Guy Harvey’s distinctive marine wildlife art, or his marine research and conservation efforts, it’s all about the ocean
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About two weeks ago, a buddy of mine and contributing author, Teddy Meeks emailed me sharing that he had a new venture that he was embarking upon. He has purchased, and is installing right now, the original carousel that was in the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Pier Park.
Teddy was telling me that he had the idea of putting a carousel in Pier Park about a year ago, that’s when the search began. They looked all over with the employing the assistance of several brokers before finally finding one that looked promising.
This particular carousel had been in storage since 2004, and the listing included a picture. “This carousel looked familiar, I think it’s the one from Miracle Strip, the original from the 70′s,” Teddy said. “No way, that thing was auctioned off after the sale of the park!” said his wife.
Teddy said that after inspection, they were able to identify it as the original from 1970 that was used at Miracle Strip Amusement Park.
When they approached Pier Park with the idea, they were, of course, ecstatic. This is a great opportunity to blend a little nostalgia with the new. The historical aspect will be a great addition to Pier Park.
The carousel will open by April 1st.
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Red Robin to give away FREE Child ID Kits and donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold during grand opening week to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Red Robin) – known for serving high-quality gourmet burgers in a kid- and family-friendly atmosphere for the past 40 years – will open a new Red Robin(R) restaurant in Panama City Beach, located at 100 Bluefish Drive, off of Highway 98 in the Pier Park development, on Monday, March 9, at 11 a.m. To support child safety efforts in the Panama City Beach community, Red Robin will give away Child ID Kits for FREE* during grand opening week from March 9 to 15. In addition, to celebrate Red Robin’s ongoing commitment to kids and families, the Panama City Beach restaurant has partnered with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to host a Burgers With A Heart(R) fundraiser during grand opening week. Red Robin will donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold during this time to NCMEC to support its child safety initiatives.
“We look forward to serving crave-able gourmet burgers to the community in the Panama City Beach area, while also supporting child safety efforts in the local community through our Child ID Kit program,” said Eric Houseman, Red Robin president and chief operating officer. “We invite everyone to come to Red Robin to enjoy one of our more than two dozen high-quality gourmet burgers, learn more about child safety, and help us support the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.”
Red Robin focuses its philanthropic support on local and national causes that promote the health, welfare and education of children, families and citizens in the communities it serves. Because Red Robin is all about kids and families, its ongoing partnership with NCMEC continues to grow through the company’s new restaurant openings and additional programs such as “Red Robin’s Kids’ Cook-Off.”
“On behalf of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I would like to thank Red Robin for their generous support of our mission,” said Robbie Callaway, NCMEC co-founder and past chairman of the board. “It is important that we empower families to make safer decisions for their children, and communication and education are vital tools in that effort. With Red Robin’s support, we are able to reach many more families across the country through our child safety initiatives.”
The 5,495-square-foot Panama City Beach Red Robin(R) restaurant will seat 164 guests and offers:
For more information about Red Robin and to find additional restaurant locations, please visit www.redrobin.com.
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