Sea Dog Cantina in Gulfport closed for two weeks in August and reemerged on September 1 with new management and COVID-19 guidelines for staff. Photo courtesy of Sea Dogs Cantina.Same Sea Dog, New Management
Margarita enthusiasts in Gulfport may have noticed that Beach Boulevard’s spot for Mexican eats, Sea Dog Cantina, closed for two weeks on August 17 before hosting a grand reopening on Wednesday, September 1.
While much remains the same at the 2832 Beach Blvd S. spot, the restaurant is now under new management – and a new rule that requires all staff to wear masks.
Sea Dog general manager Jessie Hatch, a newly Gulfportian transplant from Maine, came to the state to completely sanitize the restaurant, and retrain and rehire a crew.
“We want to move forward with the new staff in place and properly train our team so that we can put our best foot forward,” Hatch said. “People will see some familiar faces and some new ones…I would say the majority of the staff stayed on.”
Hatch noted that face coverings for guests will not be mandatory.
“All our food and cocktails will essentially be the same with maybe a few tweaks,” Hatch said. “We really want to focus on being more involved in the community – that’s a primary goal.”
South Pasadena Shopping Center Sold
The South Pasadena Shopping Center sold to a New York real estate investment firm. Photo via Pxhere.A South Pasadena Shopping Center, anchored by a Walmart Neighborhood Market at 6818 Gulfport Blvd. S., sold to South Pasadena R2G LLC for $32.65 million in July.
The new owners represent a New York-based realty firm that owns a number of similar shopping centers throughout the country, with a handful in Florida.
According to Pinellas County property records, the previous owners were Atlanta-based Branch Properties, a private real estate investment firm focused on grocery-anchored shopping centers.
The center, which remains open, is 166,188 square feet with eight separate buildings and more than 30 separate businesses, such as Anytime Fitness and Papa John’s Pizza.
One Year with Beach House
Beach House 5317 is celebrating a belated one year anniversary with a ribbon cutting on Friday, September 3. Photo courtesy of Beach House 5317.Gulfport’s very pink local art gallery, Beach House 5317, conveniently located at 5317 Gulfport Blvd., is hosting a ribbon cutting after one year of business.
Beach House is not alone in its delayed celebration with the Gulfport’s Merchant Chamber. Many local businesses are hosting overdue ribbon-cutting ceremonies that were postponed in 2020 due to COVID concerns.
“The support of the community has been amazing; opening in the middle of COVID was a risk, but it’s working,” said owner Jamie Edwards.
The celebration will be held on Friday, September 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. and features a raffle for donated artwork by local artists, snacks by the Funky Flamingo and ice cream from Great Heights Creamery.
Up until the event, every purchase at the Beach House comes with a ticket to Friday’s raffle.
“We have a ton of talent in the shop…30 artists and curators and it’s all unique,” Edwards said. “You can’t find these types of things anywhere else.”
