Posted on 11/14/2014By the Ocean Reef Editorial Team
Exciting new stores have just recently opened at Destin Commons ushering in a continued surge of positive growth for the development of Destin and throughout Northwest Florida. Many of our Ocean Reef Resorts guests are already avid patrons of the original Destin Commons which resembles a picture perfect village of exclusive retail shops and restaurants. Every holiday season is celebrated with musical events, holiday festivities and even fireworks. This family friendly environment is almost Disneyesque with its charming architectural ambiance complete with turrets, an old fashioned clock tower, a playful fountain plaza, and lush landscaping. The 470,000 square foot original phase is anchored by a Belk's Department Store and a Bass Pro Shop with individual specialty boutique clothing shops scattered throughout the village. Destin Commons resembles a town center with the retail shops, restaurants, bars, snack venues and an ultra-modern AMC movie theater with fourteen screens.
The Destin Commons expansion has over 100,000 square feet of additional retail, dining, and entertainment space. The new phase extends from the intersection of Highway 98 and the Mid Bay Bridge Road with a broad pedestrian friendly avenue running northeast to the existing Sephora clock tower. Like the original, Destin Commons Phase II is lushly landscaped and richly adorned with towering Royal Palm trees. Flag poles honoring the five branches of our military offer a patriotic look. The entire shopping and entertainment village is coming together seamlessly as if it has always been here.
The southwest corner of the Destin Commons expansion is anchored by a 20,000 square foot restaurant/bowling alley called Uncle Buck's Fish Bowl and Grill. This new dining and entertainment venue was conceptualized by the Bass Pro Shop to provide a unique place for casual dining and includes sixteen lanes of bowling along with a Billiards Room for family fun. The spacious open atmosphere is delightfully designed with an island themed dining area and a sixty seat bar that resembles a sunken treasure ship. The painted walls and ceilings feature colorful exotic fish of all kinds while replicas of sharks hang suspended and appear to be swimming overhead. Uncle Buck's provides a truly surreal under water atmosphere that offers great food as well as entertainment. The restaurant portion seats 300 diners and there are future plans for outdoor seating with live music, a fire pit and a pond. Besides adult beverages the restaurant serves mostly family fare that includes tasty appetizers, sandwiches, salads and burgers.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened offering specialty gourmet burritos and tacos. This popular restaurant has locations across the nation, in Canada and Great Britain. Food is served from open kitchens and displayed with all the ingredients so that you may custom order your own plate. The urbane modern dining area has lively music for entertainment. Chipotle Mexican Grill has received accolades and media coverage for their tasty environmentally friendly operations. All chicken, beef and pork are naturally raised by private farmers who respect the land as well as the animals in their care. They do not use antibiotics or added hormones and all other ingredients are organic.
Locally owned Yogo Mogo has opened its first creamery which features frozen yogurt in creamy custard flavors including the traditional vanilla and chocolate. Other flavors are available as well since this is a unique "Self Serve" frozen yogurt shop with multiple "stations" where you may create your own favorite, custom made delight.
The popular Zoe's Kitchen has relocated to Destin Commons II and is double the size of its original restaurant. The deli style entrees have a marvelous Mediterranean flavor. Beers and an expanded wine list are also provided.
Additional new stores at Destin Commons that have opened include the following:
H & M the purveyors of fine value priced clothing for men, women and children have opened a giant 20,000 square foot store. The original upscale store opened on 5th Avenue in New York City back in 2000 with a strong popular reception. They uniquely feature "a store within a store" offering a wide variety of fashion accessories.
Destin Stars is locally owned and specializes in an expansive array of ladies casual clothes, shoes and jewelry. The bright fashions are tropically themed and vibrantly colored providing a stylish Florida look at its best.
Charming Charlie offers fine ladies clothing, accessories and jewelry that are completely color coordinated. The friendly personal staff can help you create a custom wardrobe for a complete fashion ensemble with everything you need.
Everything But Water has stylish swimsuits and designer resort casual wear the likes of which you might have seen in Vogue. This includes a wide assortment of full swimsuits, chic bikinis, sensational sun dresses, fashionable sun hats and other decidedly stylish apparel for the beach or pool.
Icing by Claire is like the icing on a cake although in this case it is jewelry that focuses on current fashion accessories for young adults and teens. They have the latest greatest trends in jewelry for youth that includes necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets, purses and sandals.
The Foot Locker has opened a big store. They are the leading global retailer of athletic shoes and sporty attire of all kinds. Footlocker represents over 100 brand names in athletic footwear and apparel. Big names include Adidas, ACIS, Jordan, New Era, Nike, Puma, Skechers, Reebok and Under Armour brands.
Tervis Tumblers has brought their Venice, Florida based operation to Destin Commons. This popular trendy new company provides specially designed insulated tumblers with specialty lids, straws and custom designs. Their patented beverage container allows your drink to remain cold without "sweating" on hot humid days. They also keep drinks hot as well and have been well received.
Sunglass World has opened at this new location and is the purveyor of one of the largest selections of designer type sunglasses in the nation. This is a welcome store for many Ocean Reef Resorts visitors since they know that sunglasses in Destin are more than a fashion accessory, they are a necessity due to the dazzling white sand beaches here!
Now that this exciting addition to Destin Commons has been completed you and your family should come down to experience an ultimatefamily shopping, dining and entertainment destination. Ocean Reef Resorts offers you a wide array of Destin vacation rentals which includes fine private homes and luxurious condominiums. Many are located right on the beach and/or in outstanding exclusive gated resort communities like Sandestin which offers championship golf courses and tennis facilities. As always here at Ocean Reef Resorts it is our great pleasure to serve you and yours!
The Ocean Reef Editorial Team leads the market in vacation rental, real estate, and coastal lifestyle content, with decades of Destin & 30A expertise behind every story. As the area's largest locally owned and longest continually operating vacation rental company, we welcome over 200,000 guests each year and reach millions who dream of the beach. Our guides serve travelers, homeowners, and locals alike, sharing authentic knowledge you can trust-because this coast isn't just where we work, it's where our story began, and where we'll continue to welcome generations to come.
