Panhandle shopping center open for business
PANAMA CITY - A restaurant modeled after one of Germany’s most famous beer gardens, a stationery and gift boutique opening its second area store and several eateries fill the list of Pier Park retailers opening today, as the Panama City Beach development starts its first round of 2008 store openings.
Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group released a list Wednesday of 16 restaurants and retailers scheduled to open today or Friday.
Target, Panera Bread, Longhorn Steakhouse and the Grand 16 movie theater already are open at Pier Park, and Simon expects about 40 other retailers to be open by March.
Valerie Peacock, a Simon spokeswoman at Pier Park, said doors will open at 10 a.m.
“There’s a lot of giveaways (today),” Peacock said.
Peacock said visitors should follow signs and ask security officers for directions to individual stores. She said parking would be available and all construction completed in the stores opening today.
Several of those stores used Wednesday as an opportunity to make last-minute preparations.
No Regrets Stationery and Gift Boutique, which also has a Harrison Avenue location, is one of the Pier Park stores opening today.
Owner Barbara Kleinhoff said she would be at the store late Wednesday to put the final touches on everything.
Kleinhoff said she expected many of customers from her downtown store to pay a visit today and wanted to make sure everything was in order by March 1, in time for Spring Break, and the expected openings of stores such as Dillard’s and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville.
“That’s why I wanted to get open. Those businesses will bring a lot of people here,” Kleinhoff said.
Peacock said anchor stores such as Dillard’s, JCPenney and Old Navy likely will open in March, although she was not sure of exact opening dates.
Yvonne Berkowitz, co-owner of Pier Park’s Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream location, conducted a final training session for employees Wednesday.
Berkowitz said she had filled all of her ice cream cases and expected a large crowd today, based on the number of phone calls she already had received about the store and personal feedback.
“The smell is wonderful. The ice cream is a good 20 below zero. So we’re ready to go,” Berkowitz said.
When it completes it store openings at Pier Park, Simon expects to introduce about 40 new stores to the Panama City Beach market.
New stores opening today include Hofbrau Beer Garden, Bootleg Barbeque, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Red Brick Pizza, Mermaid Trading Co., Emerald Coast Photography and Fish Tales.
Pier Park stores scheduled to open this week:
• Red Brick Pizza
• Emerald Coast Photography
• Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream
• Sunglass World
• Fish Tales
• No Regrets Stationery and Gift Boutique
• Tatoe Tots
• Mermaid Trading Co.
• Hofbrau Beer Garden
• Buffalo Wild Wings
• Irene & Company
• Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries
• Marble Slab Creamery
• Starbucks Coffee Co.
• Camille’s Sidewalk Café
• Bootleg Barbeque