Out Of The Box & Onto The Beach
Rod Peevy • July 29, 2020
How The Flora-Bama Became A Beachfront Restaurant
During these crazy times some businesses have had to re-write their operating procedures almost every week due to the ever-changing rules. Our business is certainly one of those and we had to think outside of the box.
Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster bar is a legendary honky-tonk on the beach so when the Governor of Florida changed the rules about drinking inside of a building, the Flora-Bama team opened our restaurant directly on the beach! We put together a plan and presented it to local and State governments, ultimately making an "open air" restaurant on the massive sugar-white sands in front of our building.
The new seating arrangement has become a hit with locals and tourists alike. There is a bar and a small stage on the beach for you to dine, listen to live music, have some drinks, and enjoy the gorgeous beach. Regulars stated that they feel like they're at the Flora-Bama, just without walls. When the band takes a break you can listen to the surf just a few yards away from your table.
Since the Flora-Bama already had our famous oyster bar inside, turning the beach and tent areas into a restaurant and expanding our outdoor areas for socially distant seating just seemed like a natural transition. The patrons seem to get the best of both worlds with the water-side service. Of course the Bushwackers are still flowing at the Flora-Bama and it still has the feel of the classic "honky-tonk", but lately it just seems a bit more breezy.
Joe Nichols partnered with 95KSJ and the Flora-Bama to put on a show for the kids of St. Jude Children’s Hospital. He performed to a sold-out crown on Wednesday, June, 15th on the Flora-Bama Tent Stage, and raised $11,000 dollars with all proceeds going to St. Jude.
On April 29th, the Flora-Bama hosted the Merrill Marauders Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony honoring Gabriel "Gabe" B. Kinney. What a once in a lifetime event to be a part of and a true privilege to witness this incredible moment in history.
The fish were flyin', the drinks were flowin', and the party kept on goin'. Flora-Bama hosted our 37th Annual Interstate Mullet Toss this weekend and it was one for the record books. Over the course of the weekend an estimated 30,000 people flowed through the entertainment venue
