Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge set to hire 200 people in PCB

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The sounds of country music will soon fill the spot where the iconic Spinnaker Beach Club once stood.

Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge brought a taste of Nashville to Panama City Beach back in May of 2008 when it opened in Pier Park. However, when the venue’s lease was up in 2023, owner Steve Smith tells NewsChannel7 they almost didn’t return.

“Sparky and Spinnakers just fell in our lap, and it was just evidently meant to be,” Steve said.

The old Spinnaker Beach Club location was too good to pass up, so Tootsie’s is making its Panama City Beach comeback in February, Steve said.

“Unless we can get real lucky, might be able to get it open a little earlier, but more likely around the last weekend of February,” Steve said.

Steve said he is already working on the list of artists to perform live once the country music venue opens.

“More likely Luke Bryan, I spoke to him a little bit and Riley Green... Cole Swindell,” Steve said. “It just goes on and on, all these guys are good friends of ours.”

With the size of the lounge, Steve’s son and chief of operations, Tristan Smith, said they’re looking to hire 200 people.

“We’re gonna do a lot of hiring around here, we have a lot of people that are looking for work and a lot of places that are coming and opening here,” Tristan said.

The details for applying to Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge can be found on their website.

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