Coastside Cafe at Florida State University Panama City has undergone several changes over the past year, aiming to become a central dining and social spot for students. The cafe, previously known as The Sandy Spear, now features two new seating areas, updated signage, an expanded menu, and a redesigned outdoor space.
Anastazia Harrod, who operates the cafe with her husband Josh, explained their vision for the location. “It’s kind of a weird location, but a great one where you can add a setup like this with a hangout space,” she said. “You also are able to come and eat in between classes. This is kind of like a little getaway. That was the setup that we were going for.”
Students and faculty have responded positively to these updates. The cafe offers views of the campus waterfront along with its food options. “Of course, the whole campus has a beautiful view,” Harrod said. “Just grab something to eat and watch the water and just hang out.”
The menu now includes breakfast items served all day, lunches, milkshakes, and specialty coffees. Harrod noted that these additions fill gaps in on-campus dining options: “Things like that weren’t accessible on campus, so now you have your sweets, you have your energy, your breakfast and lunch,” she said. “Breakfast all day was a change that we made in the middle of our first year, and I think that was a game changer.”
While Coastside Cafe primarily serves FSU Panama City students, it also attracts students from Gulf Coast State College living at Seminole Landing. “We get a lot of Gulf Coast students that come over that aren’t necessarily able to see us in the morning time with their class schedule. Now they’re able to eat breakfast at 3 o’clock,” said Harrod.
Harrod mentioned some operational challenges due to inheriting an existing cooking system; meals are prepared in a food truck before being brought into the main dining area. “We’re not necessarily limited to what we can put out, but we have a little setup going for a big space, basically,” she said.
Looking ahead, Coastside Cafe plans further menu expansions and activities such as trivia nights for students using the hangout spaces. “I think that’s something that you always see with us. We don’t want to necessarily get stuck on the same pattern,” Harrod said.
