Childhood Friends bring the Big Easy to the Beach

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - At a small restaurant at a Panama City Beach Shopping Center, two childhood friends are serving up the Big Easy. David Ellingson and David Bulger opened up David’s New Orleans Style Cafe & Sno-Balls 15-years-ago.

“It is just comfort food,” said David Ellingson, Co-owner.

They are bringing the comfort of their hometown of New Orleans to Panama City Beach, by serving sno-balls, po-boys, beignets, and more.

”It’s nice to be able to do that here and not have to drive 320 miles back home to go get it,” said Ellingson.

But bringing the Big Easy to the beach was a big task. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed Ellingson’s home, he decided to team up with his old friend David Bulger to open up the Panama City Beach restaurant.

“So I called the other David up, who I’ve known since we were 9-years-old, and said why don’t you come here and do something together,” said Bulger.

They started out making sno-balls, eventually growing to beignets, to evolving to offering more of what the Crescent City has to offer.

”Go get some snowballs have a beignet and the next thing you know they are coming through the front door sitting down having a roast beef po-boy, a bag of Zapps and a bottle of Bargs and they just want to hug you,” said Ellingson.

Because sometimes the Big Easy is better at the beach.

David’s New Orleans Style Cafe & Sno-Balls is located at 13913 Panama City Beach Pkwy, Panama City Beach, FL 32407.

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