More restaurants coming to Pier Park

PANAMA CITY BEACH - It's not hard to find a place to eat at Pier Park, with new restaurants like Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, Hofbrau Beer Garden, and Bootleg Barbeque opening this spring at the Panama City Beach development.

Indianapolis-based developer Simon Property Group on Tuesday announced four more new eateries coming to Pier Park this year, including the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Also coming are Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Baja Café and Guy Harvey's Island Grill.

Simon also announced beach and resort-wear shop Paradise Found would be opening its doors this spring in Pier Park's Boardwalk section.

Of the newly announced restaurants, the Olive Garden is scheduled to open in the fall and will be located off Back Beach Road. Owned by Darden Restaurants, the Italian restaurant chain operates 628 location in the United States and Canada, including a State 77 location in Panama City.

Baja Café, with its mix of Cajun, Caribbean, Southwestern and American cuisine, will be located in the Town Center area with a planned summer opening.

Morris said Tootsies was scheduled for a July opening in the Boardwalk section. The restaurant is known as a Nashville, Tenn., mecca for country music artists, and Tootsies' Web site says early customers included Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline and Mel Tillis.

Guy Harvey's also will open in the Boardwalk section this fall and will be a combination of restaurant, outdoor boat bar and retail store. It will serve a variety of American foods, with a percentage of all its proceeds going to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which is dedicated to ocean preservation.

There are now more than 40 stores open at Pier Park.

Simon Property Group spokesman Les Morris said Payless Shoes and Zales opened earlier this month. Old Navy, Solace Day Spa & Salon and A.M. Café and Accessories on the Boardwalk were scheduled to open this week.

There may be more restaurant opening announcements in the future, Morris said. Restaurant leasing is important to a property, particularly an outdoor center such as Pier Park, he said.

"I think we've seen it with Hofbrau, Margaritaville and Five Guys Burgers & Fries," Morris said.

He pointed out that Simon's restaurant leasing department is the only one companywide dedicated to a specific leasing area.

"So we're talking to restaurants often," Morris said.