Business

Just west of Grayton Beach State Park, nestled behind the trees, you'll find Borago Restaurant. With tourists flowing in and out during the summer and locals returning in the fall, Borago is always the happening place.

I bet Mark Anton and Michael Dragon would never have guessed they would be here when they first met. Each moved around quite a bit, but they didn't lose touch. Mark is from Charleston, SC and Michael is from upstate New York. They originally met in Charleston in 1992.

Chandler Williams has had a camera in his hands since he was a senior in high school. It was a 35-millimeter camera and while he still loves film, he works more with digital now.

“Film is just not an option time-wise when doing production work,” he says.

Chandler didn’t plan a career in photography, but he was the one to take family photos and document travels. When he bought a house and learned he and wife Jessica were expecting twins, he realized he needed to make money.

The South Walton TDC has announced the addition of several new employees over the past few weeks.
 

Seaside Community Development Corporation (SCDC), has announced the hire of Lori Leath Smith as director of public relations and marketing. Lori is well known to the SoWal staff and we're so happy for her and know what a great person Seaside has on board.

Lori will focus on the planning, development and implementation of SCDC’s destination marketing strategies and public relations activities, both external and internal.

Upstairs in the Grayton Beach loft, there’s a stockpile of old musical instruments, rusty lawn tools and disassembled light fixtures. Vintage drawer knobs, bottle caps, and pieces of scrap metal fill up crates and drawers, waiting to be reassembled into something new.

Recently released bed tax revenues for June 2012 reflect a 24% increase over 2011, which was the previous record high. Revenues are 55% higher than June, 2010 and the most collected in one month in South Walton thus far.

June marks the 16th straight month of double-digit increases in revenues. These record revenues are a reflection of carefully planned, concentrated marketing efforts combined with the warm Southern hospitality our partners shower on visitors to South Walton.

Or maybe it's the 1,059,310 visitors to SoWal.com since Jan 1st this year - 101,608,091 hits!

Gina Shiflett made the transition from Atlanta to SoWal and has been providing clients with a cutting-edge experience at Salon Twist for the last eight years. Commitment to service and talent in a serene setting is her winning formula.

Wild Olives in Rosemary Beach opened in May of 2006 as a convenient local market, deli, and bakery providing the perfect place for guests to enjoy breakfast and lunch.

As the town grew and more visitors discovered the eatery, Owner Chris Trovas expanded with longer hours to include dinner and indoor dining. When others businesses began baking breakfast items, Trovas cut back on those, but his popular scones, muffins and biscuits are still available. The latest evolution is a revamped menu and a redesigned dining room.

There seems to be a common spirit that unites people who choose to make SoWal their home, including a creative outlook on business opportunities, an enduring personality, and of course a love for the water.

As a cozy coastal community, South Walton may not seem like the easiest place to make a living, yet our small community is home to an arsenal of entrepreneurs in a variety of business endeavors from fashion design to coffee roasting.

Many South Walton restaurants are lauded as exceptional -- for their food, ambiance, service, architecture -- any number of things can make a restaurant famous. Café Tango incorporates all those things and more.

Almost hidden from view on Scenic 30A, Café Tango is nestled about 100 feet off the main drag on Vicki Street, just about a half mile east of Gulf Place. Small and unpresuming, Café Tango occupies an old wooden beach house, with more charm and character than Katherine Hepburn.