More Stores Decide to Berth at Pier Park

By Daniel Carson, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

Feb. 8–PANAMA CITY BEACH — Anew list of coming Pier Park retailers released Wednesday includes a cosmetics store with full-service salon and an Italian restaurant, and a Simon Property Group official said additional announcements would come today and Friday regarding additions to the Panama City Beach complex. New Pier Park businesses announced Wednesday include ULTA Cosmetics, Calabria’s Italian Grill, Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe Candymaker Candy Stores, Trader Tom’s Shells & Gifts and Del Sol. Wednesday’s announcement brings the number of retailers to 13. Les Morris, a Simon Property Group spokesman, said the Indianapolis-based retail real estate company likely would announce a new Pier Park anchor store today. “We plan to roll out one each day, culminating with our appearance Friday at the Chamber event,” Morris said, referring to the Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber of Commerce’s “Friday at the Beach” program. The chamber’s monthly breakfast Friday will be held at the Edgewater Beach Resort and begins at 7:30 a.m. So far, Target has opened at the 900,000-square-foot complex, and the 16-screen Grand 16 Theater is slated for completion in May. Panera Bread’s 5,000 square-foot restaurant will open in April, while Old Navy, Back Porch Seafood House, Reggae J’s Seafood Grill and Ron Jon Surf Shop will open stores at Pier Park. The ULTA store will be 8,500 square feet and located near Target, according to Simon. Calabria’s Italian Grill’s menu features Northern Italian cuisine, with seating for about 160 people, including 30 to 40 outside. Camille’s was founded in Tulsa, Okla., and has been named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 500 Franchise List for the past five years. The Candymaker store will feature fresh salt-water taffy, chocolates, southern pralines and peanut brittle. Its first store opened in Destin in the 1990s. Morris said it was a little unusual to pack all of the announcements into a three-day period, but he said many committed retailers just signed leases in the past week. He said Simon plans to continue Pier Park announcements after this week as more companies enter agreements to set up shop at the complex.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The News Herald, Panama City, Fla.

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