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What's New in Walton County Spring 2022

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What’s New in Walton County for Spring 2022

 March 21, 2022 Spring is here and we’re celebrating with a roundup of new businesses, events and other happenings in Walton County. Whether you’re looking for a new restaurant to try out or a new exercise routine, there’s something for everyone in Walton County.

New Businesses:

Down Island Gulf Seafood Restaurant is one of South Walton’s few chef-owned and family-operated restaurants. It is the brainchild of Chef Brannon Janca, co-founder of Stinky’s Fish Camp. Down Island combines Chef Janca's passion for modern-casual dining and Gulf South cuisine to create a fun, creative and inviting atmosphere for visitors and locals alike. The menu features elevated regional favorites, including wood-fired seafood and raw bar selections. Chef Janca's wife Stefani is also a dietitian, so one can expect plenty of options for non-seafood lovers and accommodations for those with special diets and allergies, as well.

  • Website: downislandsrb.com  
  • 2780 US-98, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
  • (850) 777-3385

THE CHICKEN SHACK Now Open! Brought to you by Chef Jim Shirley and found right in the heart of Seaside, The Chicken Shack is a family-friendly, walk-up restaurant serving up the best fried chicken in the panhandle.

  • Website: thechicken-shack.com
  • Instagram: @thechicken.shack
  • Address: 87 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

THE C-BAR Now Open! No need to contain your excitement for Chef Jim Shirley’s newest addition to the Great Southern experience, the C-Bar! Grab a seat at this custom, upcycled shipping container and unpack your day as you sip and snack on a selection of your favorite cocktails and menu items from the Great Southern Café!

  • Website: thecbar.com
  • Instagram: @the.cbar
  • Address: 87 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

Farrington Foods brings a fine dining restaurant experience into the comfort and ease of your own home or event venue.  Chef William, classically French-trained at the Culinary Institute of America, provides a one-of-a-kind personalized meal to suit your needs and desires.  Farrington Foods offers private chef services, cooking classes for all ages, knife skills courses and sharpening services, and hand-cut pasta made to order.

Love + Grow Clothing Co will celebrate the grand opening of their first showroom, located at 457 Serenoa Road, Unit 10, on Saturday, March 19 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. with a portion of sales made benefitting Children in Crisis. Guests in attendance will enjoy cocktails, raffle prizes, special gifts, and more. 

Love + Grow Clothing Co was started by Lindsey Smith in 2017 and features an array of kid’s swimwear, matching sets, dresses, sweatshirts, tops, t-shirts, blankets, footwear, and accessories, each designed with colorful prints and patterns.

Fatboys is a new restaurant in Miramar Beach serving burgers, wings and more. The beef is juicy and the chicken is tasty. It’s what we do!

  • Website: ilovefatboys.com/ 
  • Address: 10859 Emerald Coast Parkway, STE 105 Miramar Beach, FL, 32550.
  • Phone: (850) 842-2807

30A Axe Throwing Company is a friendly atmosphere to enjoy a competitive match of axe throwing with your crew and to unwind with some great craft beers, natural wines, and small plates. We hope you come visit us and that you enjoy our space and much as we do.

  • Website: 30aaxe.com  
  • Address: 4552 US-98 Suites 7-8, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
  • Phone: (850) 517-4520

30A Cork & Barrel is a high-end bottle shop featuring highly allocated and hard-to-find premium wines, bourbon, and spirits, as well as your everyday favorites. Creating connections while inspiring and nurturing unique experiences around premium spirits in Rosemary Beach, as 30A Cork & Barrel aspires to be distinguished by the allocated goods that we offer.

  • Website: 30Acorkandbarrel.com   
  • Address: 104 N. Barrett Square, Rosemary Beach, FL 32459
  • Phone: (850) 399-4919

30A Blue Crawfish Company, located within The Hub, 30A Blue Crawfish Company specializes Cajun and creole cuisine. You’ll find everything from boudin bombs and crawfish etouffee to red beans and rice with sausage and barbecue shrimp. 

40th Street Pizza is family owned and operated in Miramar Beach. The restaurant is a piece of our own personal family history. Expect great food and service to any and everyone who comes by!

  • Website: 40thstreetpizza.com/
  • Address: 11394 US-98 W, Miramar Beach, FL 32550
  • Phone: (850) 424-6588 

Seabags are born as sails and transformed into nautically inspired totes and accessories that bring our customers great happiness. They  believe that sails soak up sun, salt, smiles and adventure. It's this previous life that makes each bag unique. 

  • Website: seabags.com/
  • (850) 608-2012
  • Located in Grand Boulevard

johnnie-O is opening Spring 2022. This Men's West Coast Prep Clothing & Apparel that combines east coast prep with west coast casual for the ultimate in look and feel.

Pure Collective Salon is set to open in Spring 2022 . A full service salon specializing in hair color, extensions, facials and more.

 

New Regional Beach Access:

Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access

Construction for the new Scenic Gulf Drive Regional Beach Access is expected to be finished by June 2022. The new public beach access will offer free access to 400-feet of sugar-white sand. There will be 20 vehicle parking spaces, nine golf cart parking spaces, bike parking, a large deck plaza, an ADA accessible boardwalk/dune walkover, restroom facilities and a picnic pavilion.

 

New Things to Do: 

WaterSound Monarch Art Trail

The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County kicked off started the Annual Flutterby Arts Festival Weekend by officially opening the Watersound Monarch Art Trail. The mile long trail features eight curated sculptures and one bench from local and national artists celebrating the Monarch butterfly that migrates through the area every fall. The trail starts at the Southeast section of the intersection of Hwy 98 and S. Watersound Parkway.

Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition 2021-2022 The theme of the 2021-2022 exhibition is “Caring About Tomorrow: Exploring Environmental Independence Through Art.” The exhibition opened on Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4 and will close on Sept. 5, 2022.

The 2021-2022 show will be the third installment for the sculpture trail throughout Rosemary Beach. The purpose of the exhibition is to enhance the quality and excellence of Rosemary Beach through complementing its architectural heritage and natural beauty with outdoor sculptures; and to contribute to the cultural arts environment in our county and surrounding areas. Find maps and descriptions more info about the exhibit online.

 

New Happenings:

Edward's Fine Food & Wine launched new spring/summer lunch and dinner menus and is readying its new upstairs bar area. The space has limited indoor and outdoor seating that overlooks Rosemary Beach's cobblestone streets and provides a gorgeous view of the ocean. It is set to open in mid-March.

  • Website: edwards30a.com/
  • Address: 66 Main St, Rosemary Beach, FL 32461
  • Phone: (850) 231-0550

Sculpt Studio will be resuming our outdoor classes in April! They will have Yoga Sculpt at the Hub on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Yoga Sculpt in Seaside on Saturdays at 8 a.m.

  • Website: sculptstudio30a.com 
  • Address: 5365 E County Hwy 30A, #104. SRB, FL 32459
  • Phone: (850) 231-0010

Aly Gray Fitness presents a HIIT workout class at Hibiscus Café in Grayton on April 1st 9-11am. This workout is open to all fitness levels and tickets are $22 which includes a 1 hour with Aly Gray, a free branded booty band and a complimentary mimosa after class from Hibiscus Cafe. This should be a super fun, energetic and inclusive event for family and friends to blend fun and fitness together followed by a bubbly social hour in Hibiscus' beautiful outdoor space. 

The Citizen is excited to begin offering dinner service on Mondays, starting March 7 at 5:00 p.m. Updated hours for brunch, lunch, bar, and dinner service are listed below. As always, reservations for lunch, brunch, and dinner are accepted for parties of eight or more and can be made by calling the restaurant directly.

Brunch: 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Sunday

Lunch: 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday

Bar: 4–10 p.m. daily

Dinner: 5–9 p.m. daily

  • Website: citizenalys.com/ 
  • Address: 20 Mark Twain Lane #101, Alys Beach, FL 32461
  • Phone: (850) 909-0702

LaCo at Seacrest Beach recently added a Mimosa Flight to its daily brunch menu. The new offering is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and includes a bottle of Dibon Cava, blood orange juice, cranberry juice and pineapple juice.

  • Website: laco30a.com/
  • Address: 10343 East County Hwy 30A, Seacrest, FL 32413
  • Phone: (850) 231-4021

 

Renovations:

Adaro Art has remodeled and added new nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, Gretchen Weller Howard, Mitchell English, Monica Henry and Kellie Dunbar. Francisco Adaro has also created an entirely new line of works for the season.

  • Website: Adaroart.com/
  • 21 Hub Lane, Watersound, FL 32461
  • (561) 985-5767

Art & Soul 30a has a new selfie room painted by local artist Christine Ramey. Customers can take their picture for a lasting memory of our area.

  • Website: ArtandSoul30a.com
  • Address: 5399 East Hwy. 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
  • Phone: (850) 231-3213

The Blue Mountain Bakery has expanded and covered their patio and will be offering more nightly events and dinners in Blue Mountain this season. 

Farm & Fire Now FULLY Open! Farm & Fire fans will be thrilled to see, taste, and experience their upgraded favorite meeting place. Classic comforts like pizza, wings, and craft cocktails are on the menu, as well as a deliciously eclectic blend of items ranging from wagyu beef burgers, fig & brie flatbread and sushi. The new double-sided bar gives guests an absolutely remarkable view of the bay, with a perfect sunset practically every night.

  • Website: farmandfiresouthwalton.com/
  • Instagram: @farmandfiresouthwalton
  • Address: Upstairs 24200 US-331, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

 

New Lodging and Renovations:

30A Luxury RV Resort is now open! As the only luxury RV resort in South Walton, 30A Luxury RV Resort's upscale assortment of motorcoach resort sites offer beautifully landscaped and maintained grounds, with a variety of amenities including a clubhouse, playground, and swimming pool. Located only a short distance from the exceptional beaches of South Walton, this is the perfect place for your next beach vacation.

  • Website: 30aluxuryrvresort.com
  • Address: 821 N County Hwy 393, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
  • Phone: (850) 610-8145

The Court

Previously serving as the “Motor Court” in the Seaside beach neighborhood, The Court is a new lodging option offering eight luxurious boutique guest residencies that surround a landscaped garden just steps from Central Square dining, shopping, walking trails and the Gulf of Mexico. Book the 2.5 story suite, “The Ivory Tower” to enjoy a view of the Gulf of Mexico from the tower loft.

The Lodge 30A

The Lodge 30A is a boutique hotel being built on Scenic Hwy 30A in Seagrove Beach. Plans call for a picturesque three-story hotel with amenities such as a fitness center and outdoor pool. Architecture plans and interior design concepts employ the use of natural materials in a modern way, taking inspiration South Walton’s beautiful natural scenery. The Lodge 30A abuts the 15,000-acre Point Washington State Forest, providing a convenient trailhead to access the state forest’s expansive network of hiking and biking trails. The boutique hotel will be part of the new Greenway Station, which will create an ideal space for shopping, gathering and dining in Seagrove Beach.

WaterColor Inn

WaterColor Inn is receiving a major renovation to bring more family-friendly amenities to the award-winning hotel, adding 7 new suites (five 2-bedroom suites and two 1-bedroom suites with bunk bed areas), with each suites also including private patios. Additionally, a new zero-entry family pool with a kids’ area will be added, along with an expanded outdoor lounge area and a new indoor/outdoor bar. Renovations will be completed in the spring of 2022.

The Pearl Hotel

The Pearl Hotel’s 55 guest rooms are getting a full refresh, starting in November of 2021 and finishing in Spring 2022. The work will be carried out floor-by-floor to limit any inconvenience, and in most cases guests will not notice the activity taking place. This exciting room refresh is being overseen by Duncan & Miller Design of Dallas, Texas, the firm that created the original design of The Pearl Hotel, and more recently, the Havana Beach Lounge, part of the Pearl’s signature restaurant, Havana Beach Bar & Grill.

Upon entering the newly refreshed rooms, guests will notice an updated color palette of orange, blues, and emerald, bringing the area’s coastal vibe into the hotel. New flooring and area rugs pair with new custom window treatments to bring an elegant livability to each room. A beautiful marble topped café table and custom chairs have been added to each room, providing the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast or dinner from room service, or catch up on a bit of work. Individual Wi-Fi access points are being added to each room, along with state of the art in-room Video and Audio options.

  • Website: thepearlrb.com
  • Address: 63 Main Street, Rosemary Beach, FL
  • Phone: (877) 935-6114

Camp Creek Inn

In 2022, St. Joe Hospitality is slated to open a 75-room, three story boutique inn located near Watersound Club’s Camp Creek Golf Course. As part of an expansion of Watersound Club amenities, The Camp Creek Inn will have the most expansive wellness and fitness facilities in the surrounding 30A area. In addition to a health and wellness center, it will be the home to two dining venues, pickle ball courts and tennis courts, a resort-style pool complex with a separate adult pool, multi-sport fields and a golf teaching academy.

Guests will have access to all Watersound Club amenities during their stay, including Watersound Beach Club, Shark’s Tooth Golf Course and Camp Creek Golf course. Whether for golf, relaxation, or a private club experience, The Camp Creek Inn offers the perfect fit nestled within the 30A community and surrounding state forests.

  • Address: 684 Fazio Drive, Watersound, FL

Photos/Artist renderings: https://joe.canto.com/b/QTRAP