Month: July 2009

25 Pier Park Restaurants – Complete Guide to Dining in Pier Park

Hundreds of people land on pcbdaily every month searching for Pier Park Restaurants, so I thought I’d give you guys the most complete list in Panama City Beach for restaurants in Pier Park.  The list is broken into three categories:

Food Via Wait Staff
  • Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House
    Fresh seafood restaurant right across the street from the Gulf of Mexico.  Dine on traditional seafood platters in a casual and laid back atmosphere. Sandwiches from $10 to $14, and dinner from $16 to $25.  Back Porch is located at the corner of Front Beach Road and the main boardwalk area of Pier Park.

    • Bootleg Barbecue
      “We live our lives like we smoke our meat, slow and on the beach.”  Bootleg owner Josh Daugherty comes from a back ground in high-end cuisine, but with solid roots in slow roasted pork butts, he returned to BBQ.  Bootleg Barbecue restaurant in Pier Park is truly one of a kind, bringing the sweet savor of BBQ sauce and quality meat and sides in a fun environment.  Sandwiches from $8, plates from $13, and huge party feast catering with special pricing!  Bootleg is located in the “festive” grounds, right next to Starbucks.

      • Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
        Dubbed “Panama’s Football Headquarters,” Buffalo Wild Wings in Pier Park brings the traditional combination of watching sports on a gazillion flat screen TV’s and eating messy, spicy wings to Panama City Beach.  If you love sports and food, this is the place to go.  Not to mention their phenomenal wing specials and sauce that will literally make you cry (it made me cry, and I was heckled because of it, but it was worth it).  They are one of our advertisers, be sure to say PCBDAILY and get $5 off on orders $20 or more!  BWW is a restaurant located right across from Five Guys on the main boardwalk area of Pier Park.

        • Guglielmo’s Italian Grill
          “If you love authentic Italian cuisine. . .  Guglielmo’s is the place to be.”  Located in the middle of the action in Pier Park, Guglielmo’s is a big-box chain that brings little Italy flavor to all their dishes.  I have no idea what the pricing is as they don’t have it on their web site – sorry!  Guglielmo’s is located in the “festive” area, next to Bootleg Barbecue.

          • Guy Harvey’s Island Grill
            What would Panama City Beach, much less Pier Park, be without one of Guy Harvey’s four Island Grills.  Fans of Guy Harvey can buy authentic shirts and other apparel along with art and more in the gift shop, then dine on a menu consisting of no protected fish.  Guy Harvey’s is located on the main boardwalk area, on the east side close to Front Beach Road – you can’t miss it!

            • Hofbrau Beer Garden
              All I have to say is German Beer and German Food.  And, don’t forget they are also an advertiser of pcbdaily!  They’re doing a special for the whole month of August: $8 liters after 8 pm for the entire 8th month of the year!  Hofbrau Beer Garden is located in the main boardwalk area, right across from Red Brick Pizza and across from Tootsies Orchid Lounge.

              • Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
                Seriously, the best location in Pier Park.  Located directly on Front Beach Road, they have an unobstructed view of the Gulf of Mexico and those amazing sunsets that come with that view.  You can eat here from $7 to $14.  Margaritaville is located right on Front Beach Road on the west side of the main boardwalk area of Pier Park.

                • Longhorn Steakhouse
                  Mmmoooooo, yeehaa!  Lookin’ for a steak?  This is the place to go.  With a lunch and dinner menu you can get anything from burgers to chicken to their legendary steaks.  Longhorn Steakhouse is located on the north side of Pier Park, right on Back Beach Road or Panma City Beach Parkway, next to Olive Garden.

                  • Olive Garden
                    You know the saying, “When you’re here, you’re family.”  And last time I was there, I sure felt great when I left!  My wife and I spent around $30 after tip, a little more than we usually spend, but we were extremely happy with the service.  Olive Garden is located on the north side of Pier Park right on Back Beach Road, next to Longhorn Steakhouse.

                    • The Cantina Bar and Grill
                      If you love Mexican, you’ll love The Cantina. Authentic Mexican food in an amazingly cool environment, this place is definitely sure to please. As if great food wasn’t enough, The Cantina also plays host to weekly trivia on Wednesday nights and regular salsa dancing lessons. The food is prepared from the freshest ingredients and features dishes from Baja Fish Tacos to burgers and wings. Plus, they have the largest selection of Tequila around.

                      • Red Robin Gourmet Burgers & Spirits
                        There’s a lot of hype about this place, but bring your wallet because they ain’t no Five Guys.  The burgers were good, but the fries weren’t all they were cracked up to be.  But, that’s just my opinion, tons of people love these guys, don’t let me stop you from enjoying their really fun atmosphere!  Burgers from $9, fries included.  Red Robin is located in the north section of Pier Park in the same building as the Great American Cookie Maker, across from where Baja Grill was and down from the AT&T store in Panama City Beach.

                        • Reggae J’s Island Grill
                          Like reggae music?  What about seafood with a Caribbean flare?  This is your place.  Owned by the same people who own Back Porch Seafood and Oyster House across the street, you know the seafood will be local, fresh and great.  Sandwiches from $9 and dinner from $12 to $20.  Raggae J’s is located in the boardwalk area of Pier Park (south section of Pier Park), right on Front Beach Road, on the east side opposite of Margaritaville in Panama City Beach.

                          • Tootsies Orchid Lounge
                            Honky Tonk and good ‘ol Nashville BBQ.  This is where the country boys and anyone else who loves lively honky tonk go to hang out.  Already Tootsies has brought celebrities to our little town, including Jamey Johnson, Kelsey Grammar (yes, Frasier), Kenny Chesney, and several others!  Go out, you never know who you might see.  Tootsies is located on the boardwalk area of Pier Park, across from Hofbrau Beer Garden and Red Brick Pizza

                            Food Via Order at the Counter
                            • Five Guys Famous Burgers & Fries
                              I love this place.  Seriously, these guys should be advertising with us, I tweet them so much.  I remember when I first published a story about them, someone remarked how expensive they were, but I’ve found the exact opposite.  Any place that I can go and get a soda, a few burgers, dogs and fries and feed myself, my wife and a couple of my kids for $20 is a huge winner for me, especially if the food is great.  If you can’t find Five Guys Burgers and Fries in the south side of Pier Park (the main boardwalk area), you need new eyes.  That building is probably one of the most visually appealing in the whole lot, and Pier Park is very beautiful.

                              • Hana Japan
                                All Japanese food, all the time.  Hana Japan is located right next to Marble Slab on the main boardwalk area, which is across from Five Guys and Buffalo Wild Wings.

                                • Panera Bread
                                  For anything from sweet flat-bread sandwiches to fresh pasties to party catering platters, Panera has got it all.  This is my favorite place to go with my wife in the winter.  With each of us getting the “You Pick Two” and a couple sodas, we rarely spend more than $20 for a date – love this place!  Panera Bread is located on the north part of Pier Park where Target is.  In fact, you can see Target from the front doors of Panera.

                                  • Smoothie King
                                    Oh man, I love smoothies. They’re so delicious and healthy and filling and so worth the trip over. Whether you are looking to “trim and thin”, partake in their Workout and Sports Nutrition smoothies, or you just want a delicious chocolate banana strawberry flavor cream dream smoothie, you’ll be happy.

                                    • RedBrick Pizza
                                      Having recently eaten there, we got a large Red Brick Gourmet Works and a couple sodas for around $23.  A little high for a lunch for us, but the pizza was fantastic, atmosphere was good, and we had a great time.  Red Brick Pizza is located in the south section of Pier Park, also called the boardwalk area, and is across from Hofbrau Beer Garden and Tootsies Orchid Lounge.

                                      Eateries
                                      • Candymaker Candy Store
                                        All types of home-made candy, enough to rot the teeth of you and your family, if you’re into that kinda thing.  I know my kids are, but I’ve had one too many root-canals.  Candymaker Candy Store is located in the “festive” area, which is right across from the movie theater, The Grand.

                                        • Great American Cookie/Pretzelmaker
                                          I love cookies, and they have specials here all the time.  Located in the north side of Pier Park, right across from that fateful AT&T store that I spent 5 hours at buying two sweet sweet iPhones, you can spell the delicious aroma wafting down the sidewalk.

                                          • Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream
                                            Love LOVE their ice cream and home-made chocolates.  They make chocolate and fudge right there under that roof, and I think they make the ice-cream too, but just not there.  There is a Kilwin’s in Destin (which is where it all started) and they’ve been successful here.  Kilwin’s is located in the main boardwalk area, on the east side, right down from Red Brick Pizza and Smoothie King.

                                            • Marble Slab Creamery
                                              The name says it all.  If you like goodies in your ice-cream, this is the place to get it fresh.  Using huge, chilled marble slabs and heavy thick metal “crushers”, the staff at this tasty treat shop mix up anything you want in your ice-cream, from gummy bears to Oreos to M&Ms.  Marble Slab is located on the main boardwalk area across from Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

                                              • YoGurty’s Yummy Yogurt
                                                Self-serve frozen yogurt is all the rage in the midwest and northeast, but a total first for our area. YoGurty’s brings a very unique and absolutely delicious twist to this summer delight. With 8 flavors to choose from and fresh toppings (I witnessed them chopping up toppings with a chef knife), this is a very tasty way to keep cool in the summer. Hint: try the Red Velvet Cake flavor, if you like chocolate, this flavor is simply amazing.

                                                • Polka-Dots Toys and Gifts
                                                  Selling all the retro toys and gifts that you can’t find anywhere else, Polka Dots also has snacks and other eatery items.  Polka Dots is located in the main boardwalk area of Peir Park on the east side, in the same building as Hofbrau Beer Garden and Buffalo Wild Wings.

                                                  • Popcorn Kingdom
                                                    This, my friend, is the place that dreams are made of.  Popcorn literally fills every nook and cranny of this magical place.  If you can dream it up, this place has the popcorn to open your eyes.  Popcorn Kingdom is in the boardwalk area of Pier Park in Panama City Beach, on the east side, same building as Buffalo Wild Wings.

                                                    • Smoothie King
                                                      The name says it all.  Smoothie King is located in the main boardwalk area of Pier Park, on the east side, in the same building as Red Brick Pizza and Kilwin’s Chocolate.

                                                      • Starbucks Coffee
                                                        Again, everyone knows Starbucks.  Starbucks is located in the “promo” area, and can be seen from The Grand Movie Theater.

                                                        Oaseas Resorts Has You Covered with SPF 99 – Sale Protection Factor

                                                        Book any Oaseas Resorts property now for $99 and protect yourself and your wallet from higher rates. Come to Panama City Beach in August or September and stay at any one Oaseas Resorts’ six locations for a budget-friendly $99 a night. Don’t go to the beach without your SPF 99; make your reservations by August 9, 2009, by calling Oaseas Resorts Vacation Specialists at 1-877-808-4323.

                                                        Superlative vacation is savings value
                                                        The affordability factor just went up on Oaseas Resorts spacious and amenity-laden properties. Apply SPF 99 to any one of Oaseas six Panama City Beach properties and enjoy a champagne beach resort vacation on a beer budget. These one- to four-bedroom condo units are resort-gorgeous with many of the properties featuring Gulf views, oversized and private balconies to take advantage of those spectacular views. There are pool decks—a couple that can only be described as lavish, plus whirlpools, fitness rooms and equipment, tennis facilities, Game Room and other recreational activities.

                                                        Oaseas Resorts SPF 99
                                                        Rates are $99 per room per night based on room type available and apply to stays in August and September. Reservations must be made by August 9, 2009. Not valid on holiday weekends. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts.

                                                        Call Oaseas Resorts Vacation Specialists at 1-877-808-4323 and book your SPF 99. Click here for more information:
                                                        http://www.oaseasresorts.com/beach-vacation-specials.html
                                                        http://www.oaseasresorts.com

                                                        A Little About Oaseas Resorts
                                                        Oaseas Resorts, a condominium and rental management company with properties from Panama City Beach to South Walton Beach, represents only the finest in accommodations, both in value and location. Offering a complete vacation destination experience, Oaseas Resorts comprises properties of various sizes and for all budgets, many of them overlooking the Gulf. Oaseas Resorts underscores its commitment to customers by providing on-site management so guests always receive personal service and someone to take care of them and by partnering with watersports recreation services, restaurants and area attractions. To learn more about Oaseas Resorts and its properties, visit http://www.oaseasresorts.com or call 1-877-808-4323.

                                                        Hosting kids is “A Day at the Beach” for Oaseas Resorts

                                                        In keeping with its mission of reaching out and offering assistance throughout the year to area shelters and organizations, Oaseas Resorts is hosting “A Day at the Beach.” On Tuesday, August 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the condominium and rental management company will entertain a group of children from the non-profit tutoring program, ASAP (After School Assistance Program), at Cabana Cay, one of seven high quality-to-upscale properties Oaseas Resorts represents. Through its summer camp program, ASAP provides morning tutoring and recreational activities to 60 children from two locations (Pana Villa and Glenwood).

                                                        “This is in keeping with our charitable giving efforts to the community,” says Oaseas Resorts founder Annie Holcombe, vice president of business development and marketing. “Our focus is on women’s and children’s issues and homeless issues.”

                                                        A tropical paradise
                                                        With its tropical atmosphere, Cabana Cay is an idyllic resort for “A Day at the Beach.” Multi-level pools cascade from one to another and flow toward a refreshing mushroom-style fountain. Two whirlpool tubs, overlooking the pool and shaded beneath palm fronds, offer a relaxing soak. A lavish 17,785-square-foot deck surrounds the pool, providing plenty of space to stretch out and catch the rays.

                                                        For some Bay County children, Oaseas Resorts’ chaperoned “A Day at the Beach” will be the first time they have been to the beach or even swimming.

                                                        “We want the children to come and enjoy the cool pool and a cookout,” says Holcombe, who requested that all property managers who have the time plan on participating in the event. “We really want the children have a wonderful time.”

                                                        The After School Assistance Program (ASAP) is a non-profit, 501(c)3 tutoring program that uses mentoring, drug education and role models to effect learning improvements and lifestyle changes. Established in the Pana Villa Apartments in June, 1993, and in the Massalina Housing Complex in August, 1995, its target age range is from six to 16 years old. Basic goals are to place children in a positive, supervised environment during the hours most prone to juvenile crime and violence. Children learn basic life skills, get help with their homework and receive drug awareness and resistance education by Panama City Police Officers, as well as behavior education by counselors provided by Children’s Home Society and Florida Therapy. Volunteers spend time, one-on-one and in group settings, to provide mentoring to the children.

                                                        Oaseas Resorts is a condominium and rental management company in Panama City Beach, Florida, that represents only the finest in accommodations, both in value and location. With experience ranging from large upscale projects to smaller high quality projects and with a team of seasoned executives, the company brings a keen understanding to current trends and market changes to offer clients the best of services in a fast-paced and ever-changing economy. Dynamic and creative, Oaseas Resorts chooses to manage properties along the Gulf Coast that are unique and provide first class experiences to owners and guests alike. To learn more about Oaseas Resorts and its properties, visit http://www.oaseasresorts.com or call 1-850-249-0109 or 1-877-808-4323

                                                        Episode #16 – 2 BR in SummerBreeze for Only $180k

                                                        The Beach Show is your ONLY internet TV show all about Real Estate on Panama City Beach.

                                                        This week we feature three waterfront DEALS that are phenomenal. Folks, there are so many great deals right now in Panama City Beach, if you’re on the fence, now’s the time to hop off on the Beach Side. Give us a call and we’ll get you in something special.

                                                        Remember, it doesn’t cost anything to work with us if you are a buyer.

                                                        Click the “more” tag for show notes and pictures.

                                                        Call us at 850-527-5651 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.


                                                        Show Notes

                                                        Deal 1 – 4 Bedroom Home on West End for $177k

                                                        • List Price: $177,500
                                                        • Square Feet: 1,482
                                                        • Price/SqFt: $119.77
                                                        • 4 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
                                                        • Built in 2001
                                                        • This home is a fantastic deal in a west-end neighborhood that needs a little work. Located in quiet Riviera Beach, this home is a steal at $119/foot. You’ll need to bring some new appliances and some plants. This is a foreclosure listing.

                                                        Deal 2 – Summer Breeze Home for $180k

                                                        • List Price: $179,900
                                                        • Square Feet: 1,300
                                                        • Price/SqFt: $138.38
                                                        • 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
                                                        • Built in 1984
                                                        • If you’re looking for a great move-in ready home in a popular neighborhood that has it’s own fenced in yard AND pool, this is the deal for you. What’s more, is that it’s only $180,000 with super low association fees. This is a pre-approved short sale.

                                                        Deal 3 – Bay-front Super Nice Townhome only $325k at over 2300 sf

                                                        • List Price: $325,000
                                                        • Square Feet: 2,357
                                                        • Price/SqFt: 137.89
                                                        • 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bath
                                                        • Built in 2000
                                                        • Wow, this is a rare deal and won’t last long. This place is super nice and sits right on the water. Located in the nice Pelican Bay, on the way back to Bay Point, this neighborhood is well known for staying nice. This townhome has a two car garage and tons of square footage to move around, along with tons of storage closets.

                                                        Call us at 850-527-5651 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.

                                                        4 Questions (and answers!) About the Homebuyer's Tax Credit

                                                        Somethings in Real Estate can wait but getting a move on with the HOMEBUYERS TAX CREDIT cannot wait. So, this is a timely message for all of you home buyers that have been doing my favorite exercise. . . Procrastination. I have addressed this before but thought since time is running out for this great savings, I should bring it to the forefront again. As I always do I am going to answer some ACTUAL real life questions that people have brought to my attention and have consulted other legal resources for my answers. (Federaltaxpayerscredit.com)

                                                        Q. What if you have already owned a home or you are married and your spouse has already owned a home, can you qualify?

                                                        A. This is a big misconception that people have when you talk about the First time homebuyer credit because YOU CAN qualify even if you have already owned a home per the “Economic Recovery act” definition is as follows:

                                                        “The law defines “first-time home buyer” as a buyer who has not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. For married taxpayers, the law tests the homeownership history of both the home buyer and his/her spouse.”

                                                        For example, if you have not owned a home in the past three years but your spouse has owned a principal residence, neither you nor your spouse qualifies for the first-time home buyer tax credit. However, unmarried joint purchasers may allocate the credit amount to any buyer who qualifies as a first-time buyer, such as may occur if a parent jointly purchases a home with a son or daughter.

                                                        Q. What if you already have a partnership in a vacation home can you still qualify?

                                                        A. Ownership of a vacation home or rental property not used as a principal residence does not disqualify a buyer as a first-time home buyer. This is a big question I have gotten from many people and the answer was quite surprising to me as well. What a great surprise!!!!

                                                        Q. How is this home buyer tax credit different from the tax credit that Congress enacted in July of 2008?

                                                        A. The most significant difference is that this tax credit does not have to be repaid. Because it had to be repaid, the previous “credit” was essentially an interest-free loan. This tax incentive is a true tax credit. However, home buyers must use the residence as a principal residence for at least three years or face recapture of the tax credit amount. Certain exceptions apply.

                                                        Q. How about short sales at this stage of the game? Should I buy a short sale or a foreclosure?

                                                        A. Now that could be a whole other article. Let me preface this by saying. . . “don’t shoot the messenger!” All short sales are not inherently bad, but I would at this point ask your Realtor if it is possible to close in time. It may be a risky venture for a home buyer and they should know the time frame going in. Most foreclosures are not complicated and can close in a timely fashion so they should be just fine. Again seek the consult of your trusted Realtor and lender, and they can help you with this on a case by case basis.

                                                        A big thing to remember that makes this so wonderful is that this is NOT a deduction, it is a CREDIT meaning that you actually get the check up to $8,000 if you qualify. You may use the money as you see fit. You may want to pay yourself back for the down payment or closing cost or you may purchase a home that needs a little face lift. You DO NOT have to justify your expenses it is your money to spend. Another huge bonus is that in addition to this money you also will be able to take a tax deduction for interest payments.

                                                        So now that you know and you have just enough information to get excited, give us a call and we will send you a Reference guide to the “Economic Recovery Act of 2009” You can also call your lender and he will help walk you through this process but you only have until November 30 to close so. . . on your marks – get set – GOOOOOO.

                                                        Rates Hold, Home Sales Picking Up

                                                        Mortgage Rates have managed to survive some significant volatility in both the equity and bond markets over the past week to remain at 5.50% for thirty-year, fixed-rates. Stocks reacted positively last week after some better than expected initial corporate earnings but have since pulled back on more sober earnings reports and a second monthly decline in consumer confidence. Bond market volatility has been driven by a reaction to stocks along with a massive $200 billion government debt auction this week.

                                                        It is expected that the Chinese and others will readily buy up this new debt but concerns linger as to how much of an appetite they will have in the long run as the Federal Reserve raises an unprecedented amount of cash to pay for stimulus and the purchase of mortgage-backed securities. As I have discussed before, it is this delicate balance between the issuance of new government bonds, creating excessive supply, and the purchase of mortgage-backed securities, to create demand, that has managed to keep rates low thus far. If bond prices can hold up through this week we should see reduced volatility and perhaps a slight dip in rates next week.

                                                        Last Friday the National Association of Realtors released June existing home sales figures that, while showing an increase of 3.6%, also showed prices of existing homes were 15.4% lower than in June of 2008. Still, the 3.6% increase in sales was slightly better than the 3.4% most economists had expected. On an even more positive note, the government said on Monday that new home sales rose by a whopping 11% in June to a seasonally adjusted 384,000 homes. And while that was still 21% below the same month last year, it still easily beat economists’ forecasts of 352,000 new homes sold.

                                                        Perhaps the best news of the week came on Tuesday when the Case-Shiller index of home prices was released for May showing that home values rose on a monthly basis for the first time in nearly three years. The .50% increase was the first month-over-month increase since July of 2006. The Case-Shiller index also showed that home prices for May were off some 17.1% in the 20 major markets but May also marked the fourth straight month where the year-over-year decline lessened in those markets.

                                                        I have been reporting a lot of real estate statistics over the past eight months and what jumps out at me most is that in January it seemed for every positive report on housing, there were two that were negative. . . a kind of ‘one step up and two steps back’ scenario. By the middle of the spring, I was reporting roughly a 50/50 split between good news and bad news but now, for the last several months, all I am seeing is positive news. Granted, much of it, though positive, has not exactly been enough to make one jump for joy for a resurgent real estate market but it has been encouraging nonetheless. Two things are abundantly obvious in the recent data. Home sales, both new and existing, are rising and home prices are stabilizing. This has what has long been needed to correct the oversupply of housing through lower prices and increased demand. Let us hope this positive trend continues.

                                                        New Airport 65% Complete

                                                        On Tuesday, July 28th, Panama City Airport Board met to discuss current financial activities, award bids for NAV AID and exterior signage, but the topic that dominated the short meeting was the airport relocation process, specifically how close to “on schedule” work at the new site edged.

                                                        An airport construction representative with KBR said the new airport construction was 65% complete, with most the projects ahead of schedule, only a few, albeit an important few, lagged slightly behind.

                                                        Stormwater ponds are 90% complete and the utilities 63% complete Gulf Power awaiting a DEP clearance. Water and sewer is over 90% complete. The terminal is 44% complete and is currently two weeks behind schedule as well as the control tower. Cargo maintenance is ahead of schedule and the roof is nearly completed at 90%. The representative said, “Although a few projects are behind schedule we are working hard to maintain the May completion date. The building’s getting dried in…the baggage handling system will run down to the wire. But we are confident in the original commitment.”

                                                        In related news, the bid for the NAV AID package was awarded to High Power for $1,728,800 with an additional $331,000 for center line lighting. The bid for Exterior Lighting was awarded to local company, Bell Sings, for just over $691,000.

                                                        Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-28

                                                        The Madness That Is Krystal Burger: A Personal Experience

                                                        img_0502There are times when a very little story can suddenly become big news. Case in point, the newly opened Krystal Burger on Hutchison Blvd: where so many cars and people gravitated you’d think they were giving away burgers for free or someone glimpsed the Virgin Mary in a chilli cheese pup.

                                                        While you may not be a fan of the tiny, tasty burgers, it has become apparent that a lot of people are. In my lifetime, I’ve never witnessed the type of spectacle I saw at Krystals. First of all, it was nearly impossible to get into the parking lot as traffic on Hutchison trying to turn in was backed up severely. Once I got into the place, I noticed one uniformed police officer managing traffic and I thought, “at the height of the tourist season you’re managing drive thru traffic at Krystal burger?” It was then that I realized he was not the only badge-wearing fellow on drive-thru detail; there were in fact four, yes four, fully-armed police officers monitoring traffic at Krystals. Stunned, was I.

                                                        img_0498After I passed the first officer, I saw that the drive-thru itself was very strange, split in two by orange cones, a route reminiscent of a line at the Disney World Magic Mountain, as it wrapped around the building twice, whipping 360 degrees just to get to that all important intercom order stop. The process proved surprisingly quick and I made the first turn, then the second, the third and reached the intercom feeling a bit like a nascar racer. I was greeted by a woman at the intercom. I told the lady I wanted 4 of those savory burgers. Her voice, delightful in a rather raucous scene, told me my total and said, “it’ll be my pleasure to serve you at the first window.” When I drove up to that first window and it slid opened, half a dozen workers in light blue shirts, still obviously new to the system, tried hurriedly to get my order out. The whole process took about twenty-minutes–twenty minutes worth of armed guards, high-traffic and an amusement park drive-thru all for a soft, flavorful bite of a burger many have ached to finally get their hands on. And as you are reading this, you are probably asking yourself, “was it at least worth it?”

                                                        The answer is a simple, contented, muffled-by-a-mouth-full-of-burger, “definitely.”

                                                        Send Us Your Events and Deals – We'll Put The Word Out

                                                        Everyday on PCBDaily.com and SeePCB.com, I’ve receive loads of emails from tourists who want to know what’s happening when; big events, small giveaways–whatever, they want to know and we want to make sure they see what you’ve got going on Panama City Beach.

                                                        Let us help you get the word out. All you have to do is email your event to me, cebo@toocreative, or Jason jason@pcbdaily, and we’ll take care of the rest.

                                                        If you have something as big as a city-wide festival or something as small as a two-for-one special, drop us a line and we’ll publish that information on seepcb.com, on the facebook fan page, give it a few tweets and, if it’s a weekend event or special, we’ll run it in our new “Weekend Wednesday” column detailing what’s happening every weekend on Panama City Beach. Even if that event is months away, send it to us and we’ll place it on our online calendar for everyone to see. When the date nears, we’ll post an article. All you have to do is send us the info.

                                                        No event or special is too big or too small.