Business Archive

Food has been delivered on wheels for centuries. People selling fresh produce and other food products would travel from town to town with a cart or wagon. In the 19th century, the “chuck wagon” emerged to feed hungry cattlemen and cowboys while they drove cattle across the American West.

With summer upon us, more and more tourists are flocking to Navarre Beach and the rest of Santa Rosa County to soak up the sun’s rays and find new adventures. At a recent meeting of the Tourism Development Council (TDC), Tourism Development Office (TDO) Director Julie White noted a sharp increase in visitors from one of the largest cities in the south, thanks in large part to the county’s marketing efforts.

Pensacola State College is starting an Aviation Airframe Mechanics and Aviation Power Plant Mechanics (A&P Mechanics) program. To help future students enrolled in the program, Pensacola State College has accepted the donation of a plane from InDyne CEO and President Don Bishop. Pensacola State College Leadership, the Pensacola State College Foundation, and local and regional partners of the College were present at the donation ceremony, held at ST Engineering’s airframe maintenance facility at Pensacola International Airport. The ceremony was Tuesday, June 11.

Whenever a new development is announced for the Navarre area, residents voice their opinions on restaurants they’d like to see come to Navarre. One of the most popular desired developments is Chick-Fil-A. According to a recently submitted development plan, those people might just get their wish.

Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians about a concerning cybercrime tactic called “malvertising.”

Scammers are leveraging sponsored links and ads on search engines to mimic frequently visited pages, leading unsuspecting users to malware-infected websites, the Attorney General’s Office says.

Navarre may soon be home to Panera Bread, the popular restaurant known for its soups, salads and sandwiches. The restaurant chain’s Navarre store will be 3,200 square feet and one story, with parking. The overall site is around 32,000 square feet. The building will also include a drive thru.

Navarre may soon be welcoming its second McDonald’s restaurant.

After 13 years at the helm, Phyllis and Al Smith have stepped aside and handed the reins of Alphy’s Catfish House to someone new. The restaurant’s new owner, Cody Pitre, officially took over May 6 and brings 40 years of experience in the restaurant business with him.

On Thursday, May 9, Keller Williams Emerald Coast in Navarre presented a check for $4,800 to Emerald Coast Exceptional Families, a 501c3 nonprofit which provides support services to special needs families. The money will go toward funding for the SAFE program, something ECEF started with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in 2022. The SAFE program is meant to foster better communication between law enforcement agencies and the special needs community.

The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) has handed down an emergency restriction on Gulf Breeze plastic surgeon, Dr. Ben Brown’s license. The emergency restriction of Brown’s license was filed by FDOH on May 2. Multiple complaints and litigation have come from former patients. Staff and witnesses have also contributed reports of violations of state law pertaining to medicine. These reports included allegations Brown was allowing non-licensed individuals to perform cosmetic procedures, performing the wrong procedure on a patient, failing to keep legible medical records, and not applying proper supervision during procedures.