Our Local Spotlight of the week is a vacation rental company located in Gulf Shores called Lucky Bird Vacations. Broker/Property Manager, Betsy Price and Owner Relations, Ally Reid are the driving forces behind this successful rental company. They are some of the nicest people I’ve met and provide quality customer service to all of their owners and renters!
Lucky Bird Vacations goes above and beyond what is expected of rental companies. They have specials for upcoming events, specials for bachelorette parties and more throughout the year. Are you having a special event while staying in one of their rentals? They will help you make that special event a magical occasion that you’ll never forget!
This year Lucky Bird launched the “Flocklet” which is a wristband Lucky Bird guests will receive upon arrival and wear throughout the duration of their stay. The wristband will also give you discounts at participating stores and restaurants in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area! A few of the participating businesses include The Hang Out, Surf Style, Zeke’s Marina, The Gulf and more!
Lucky Bird is also a Property Management company that knows how to take care of their investors/owners. They want to help you take your property to the “nest” level. They provide quality customer care and hands on services which make them stick out from the rest. Give them a call, connect with them on social media, or check out their website if you want to learn more!
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Lucky Bird Vacations, follow the links below:
https://www.luckybirdvacations.com/
https://www.facebook.com/LuckyBirdVacay/
https://www.instagram.com/luckybirdvacay/
BIG BEACH BREWING COMPANY
This week’s Local Spotlight is on our local brewery in Gulf Shores called Big Beach Brewing Company. If you enjoy any type of beer from stouts to cream ales to IPA’s and pastry stouts, you’re sure to enjoy this brewery!
Big Beach Brewing is family owned and operated by the Jim and Julie Shamburger and their family. If you have never had the opportunity to stop by the brewery, it’s a fun fact to know that they brew their beer on site!
We had a great opportunity to talk to the manager, Ryan, about their day to day operations. He gave us the very basics of the process of making the beer and gave us some information on the most popular items on their menu. We asked him which beers were the biggest crowd pleasers and he said it’s the Rod’s Reel Cream Ale followed by the Area 251 Hazy IPA. They often have seasonal tappings and we asked which specialty beer he thought would never work but ended up being a hit and he said the Basil Beer that they now have on tap.
Every week they have events happening that occur throughout the year which are the Monday night “Geeks Who Drink” trivia and Wednesday night “Runner’s Club”. There are multiple events coming up soon such as the Area 251 Celebration on September 20th, their 3rd Anniversary in October and the Day of the Dead event after Halloween.
This month they opened their doors to a local coffee shop called Our Coffee that serves their coffee and specialty drinks Monday through Saturday mornings from 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Big Beach wanted to work with Our Coffee because the coffee beans are roasted locally in Baldwin County.
Let’s remind everyone to Shop Local and Drink Local!
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Big Beach Brewing, follow the links below:
https://www.bigbeachbrewing.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bigbeachbrewing/
https://www.facebook.com/bigbeachbrewingco
https://twitter.com/bigbeachbrewing?lang=en
9ROUND KICKBOX FITNESS
Our local spotlight is on a new gym in Gulf Shores opening soon called 9Round Kickbox Fitness. 9Round is a kickboxing-themed gym with a full body workout which only takes 30 minutes to complete. There are no class times so you can workout whenever is convenient for you!
The 9Round franchise is based out of Greenville, South Carolina. It was founded by kickboxing world champion, Shannon Hudson and his wife, Heather, in 2008. It is one of the fastest growing fitness clubs in America and currently has over 750 locations worldwide.
One great thing about 9Round is if you’ve never worked out before or you’ve worked out your entire life, there’s a workout for you! You have trainers that will adjust the workouts to your level and help you reach your goals.
There are so many extra benefits for joining this awesome gym! You have access to an online member portal that has a nutrition guide to help you with meal prepping and recipes, PULSE heart rate technology, no class times, personal trainers, work outs change daily, and an overall fun time while exercising!
Gulf Shores’ 9Round franchise owner, Justin Collins, recently released the gym opening dates: the Open House days to see the gym, sign up or pick up gloves and wraps if you have already joined are scheduled for Wednesday, August 28th and Thursday, August 29th from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. The official opening day for workouts to start is Tuesday, September 3rd at 6:00 a.m.
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things 9Round Kickbox Fitness, follow the links below:
https://www.9round.com/
https://www.facebook.com/9Round-Gulf-Shores-AL-Cotton-Creek-Dr-279975856279011/
https://www.instagram.com/9round_gulfshores_cottoncreek/
BLOOMIN BAILEY’S
This week’s Local Spotlight is a handmade jewelry business based in Orange Beach called Bloomin’ Bailey’s. Owner, Madison McDonald and her boyfriend, Reid Caldwell make gorgeous, handmade necklaces that will match any style out there. They are amazing at what they do and have the rave reviews to back it up!
Madison began making jewelry a few years ago when she realized she could make the pearl and leather string necklaces for a fraction of the cost of the boutiques. She said she wanted to make nice jewelry and make it affordable. In 2017, she and Reid made Bloomin’ Bailey’s a jewelry business and it has been growing in popularity ever since!
Madison and Reid both have backgrounds in retail and sales which makes them a great team and makes Bloomin’ Bailey’s a quality brand. Their business slogan, “Express Yourself in Layers” is also their mission to help everyone show their personality through jewelry. They are passionate about Bloomin’ Bailey’s and it shows in their work and the way they talk about the business.
Bloomin’ Bailey’s sells gorgeous necklaces and more on the website. Some of their pieces are already layered so you can see how they will look together before you buy them. If you like layering the necklaces yourself, their pieces are easy to mix and match to make it your own style.
Bloomin’ Bailey’s is an online business and they frequently do “pop ups” in boutiques, coffee shops, local events, and more! Be on the lookout for a pop up near you!
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Bloomin’ Bailey’s, follow the links below:
https://bloominbaileys.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bloominbaileysboutique/
https://www.instagram.com/bloominbaileys/
BRANDON STYLES MAGIC SHOW
This week’s Local Spotlight is on a performer at OWA Amusement Park named Brandon Styles. He is an impressionist, singer, magician, dancer and entertainer. In his show, 1-Man Variety Show, Brandon Styles wears many hats, literally and metaphorically.
Brandon started doing impressions and magic and a very young age. He received his first magic kit at age 7, started learning how to do impressions at age 10, made it to the Top 6 in the World for Close Up Magic at 18 and could do over 200 impressions by the age of 24. He has an amazing talent for entertainment and making people smile!
His 1-Man Variety Show is 60 minutes long and he does impressions of over 60 singers, characters, celebrities, presidents and more! His impressions and magic tricks throughout the show will keep you laughing, singing, or scratching your head trying to figure out how he did it.
Brandon Styles’ 1-Man Variety Show is entertaining for people of all ages! It’s a funny, clean and entertaining 60 minute show. Some of our favorite impressions included Michael Jackson, Elton John, Napoleon Dynamite, Bob Marley and Elvis. Everyone will have their own favorites and you have a very wide variety to choose from!
If you have time while you’re visiting Pleasure Island, we suggest you take the time to go see one of Brandon Styles’ shows! He has a Variety Show every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday night, and also has a Magic Show every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night.
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Brandon Styles, follow the links below:
https://www.brandonstyles.com/home
https://www.facebook.com/brandonstylesshow/
https://www.instagram.com/brandonstylesshow/
MR. MUNCHIES COOKIE CO.
This week’s Local Spotlight is on a new business in Gulf Shores called Mr. Munchies Cookie Co. They are a cookie bakery shop that opened last week on Gulf Shores Parkway and they have already received over thirty rave reviews online!
Mr. Munchies sells traditional cookies, deluxe cookies, ice cream and a “cookiewich” which is an ice cream cookie sandwich. The warm cookies are absolutely amazing and they have a variety of delicious ice cream flavors. Owners, Joan and Ariel explained they bake small batches of cookies throughout the day so the cookies will always be fresh from the oven.
In my opinion, the most exciting part about Mr. Munchies is that they deliver! If you are binge watching Netflix or just don’t want to go anywhere, you can call Mr. Munchies and they will deliver within a five mile radius of their bakery so the cookies will be warm and the ice cream will be cold. They are open from 5 p.m. until midnight so if you want to grab an after dinner dessert or pick up a late night snack you can go by the bakery or call them for delivery.
Here’s what one customer had to say about Mr. Munchies Cookie Co.:
“Stopped by after hearing from a co worker how good it was and it didn’t disappoint. The girl working was so sweet and very helpful. The cookies and milk was an awesome combo and super yummy. Really enjoyed my experience and will be returning. “
Do yourself a favor and go try one of the deluxe cookies and a scoop of their “Blue Panda” ice cream! The sweets, fantastic owners, and instagram worthy atmosphere make this place a summer must visit while in Pleasure Island.
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Mr. Munchies Cookie Co., follow the links below:
https://mrmunchies-cookie-co.business.site/
https://www.facebook.com/mr.munchiescookieco/
https://www.instagram.com/mr.munchiescookieco/
BEACH GIRL COFFEE
This week’s Local Spotlight is a new coffee shop that recently opened in Gulf Shores called Beach Girl Coffee. Beach Girl Coffee is a different kind of coffee shop than most in our area because it is a drive-thru only. So many locals are excited about this shop because of the great location and the fact that they serve coffee, smoothies, lattes and more! There are so many choices and it’s so quick and easy to pick it up at the drive-thru on your morning or afternoon commute!
Owner, Chrissy Clay and her family moved to Gulf Shores almost four years ago from Illinois. In Illinois, there are multiple drive-thru specialty coffee shops but when they moved to Gulf Shores, they realized there was a definite need for one. They wanted to give you the option of being able to quickly swing by to get a delicious coffee to-go on your way to work or the beach.
They have been open for a very short time but already have many rave reviews of their coffee and service online. One customer left this review: “Wishes really DO come true! Finally…a drive thru coffee shop in Gulf Shores! The coffee is excellent and the service is even better. I look forward to supporting this local family for years to come!”
From the delicious coffee to the sweet people who work inside, they will definitely be a big hit on Pleasure Island! Do yourself a favor and give Beach Girl Coffee a try! They are open Monday – Saturday 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
To find out more information and keep up to date with all things Beach Girl Coffee, follow the links below:
https://www.instagram.com/beach_girl_coffee/
https://www.facebook.com/Beach-Girl-Coffee-548045862196182/
FROST BITES
This week’s Local Spotlight is on a “sweet” Airstream food truck called Frost Bites. Frost Bites is a food truck that serves Hawaiian style shave ice, ice cream, root beer floats, coke floats, lemonade freezes, and specialty treats that combine shave ice and ice cream. Frost Bites is open every night 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. May through Labor Day at The Beach Club Resort.
In May of 2017, mother-daughter team Elisa & Kylie Lynch opened their Frost Bites location at The Beach Club Resort in Gulf Shores. Their vision is to create new family memories at the beach as well as relive old ones. The tradition continues with unique photo ops, family operated staff, and delicious sweet treats for everyone.
Melissa was lucky enough to try out Frost Bites on Wednesday night and she had a tasty treat called the Mississippi Mud Pie made by owner, Kylie. It was in a “piggly wiggly” form with chocolate ice cream on bottom, shave ice with vanilla syrup, and topped with chocolate syrup, cream, and garnished with a gummy pig. We can safely say Frost Bites is not lacking in creativity!
Frost Bites has a lot going on right now! They recently announced their festival trailer is ready to go and have already attended two festivals in May. If you have any outside events or festivals coming up and need some sweet treats, they’ve got you covered! They also have their Coastal Alabama Business Chamber Ribbon Cutting and The Lawn Village Kickoff Party Friday, May 31st at The Beach Club Resort.
Every night is a party at The Village Lawn with all of the food trucks, live music, events and family friendly activities! Even if you miss the ribbon cutting, you won’t miss out on all of the fun any other night of the week throughout the summer!
To find out more information or keep up to date with all things Frost Bites, follow these links below!!
https://www.facebook.com/frostbitesgulfshores/
https://www.instagram.com/frostbitesgulfshores/
COMPASS ROSE CHARTERS, LLC
This week’s Local Spotlight is on a veteran-owned and operated business called Compass Rose Charters, LLC. Compass Rose is a business where you can rent Electric Jet Body Boards and take them out for a ride on the Bay. This is a family friendly activity that should definitely be on your “Summer Bucket List” when in or around the Pleasure Island or Baldwin County area.
Owner Jeremy Russow wants to share his adventures on the water with new body boards that have never been offered in South Alabama before. These body boards run off batteries and even go up to 20 miles per hour! It may not sound very fast but we can promise you it feels so much faster than that on the water!
Formerly at Bear Point, Jeremy has recently moved operations to the Florabama Yacht Club in Orange Beach. This weekend is his first official open weekend and you can find his rentals in the yellow building next to Ole River Grille.
They enjoy giving back to the community by offering a 10% discount to any Active Duty US military, reserve, or veterans, fire fighters, first-responders, and law enforcement officers. He also has special discounts for renting multiple boards at once so be sure to check out his website for more details.
To find out more information or keep up to date with all things Compass Rose Charters, follow these links to see what the company is all about!
https://www.obcompassrose.com/
https://www.facebook.com/obcompassrose/
https://www.instagram.com/obcompassrose/
https://twitter.com/obcompassrose
HIGH COTTON BATH CO.
This week’s Local Spotlight is on a Baldwin County based business called High Cotton Bath Co. The company started in Fairhope almost 12 years ago then opened their store at the Wharf in Orange Beach in October of 2011. High Cotton Bath Co. specializes in customizing high quality home, pet, bath and body products. The High Cotton owner and employees want you to have as much fun in their store as they are!
High Cotton is a place where women or men of any age can come play! You can make your own fragrance for your favorite bubble bath, hand scrub, lotion, hand soap or cologne. There are 40 base products to choose from and over 200 scents to mix and match to make your own. The scents are color coordinated and divided into different categories to make the process more fun and easy to follow. To add a little something extra to the process, you can watch the employees mix the scents and colors into your chosen base product!
Don’t be deceived, High Cotton Bath Co. is so much more than just a fragrance shop! High Cotton also offers a wide range of gifts and home products that will make everyone happy! Do you like robes and slippers? They’ve got ’em! Do you like home decor? Check! Do you love monogramming and vinyl cut outs? They have those too!
High Cotton Bath Co. can also throw a great party! Whether you want to have a kid’s birthday party, bachelorette party or just grab some friends and have a group outing, they can help you with the yummy snacks and age appropriate drinks. They are willing to go out of their way to make your event as fun as possible!
To keep up to date with all things High Cotton Bath Co. follow these links to see what the company is all about!
https://www.highcottonbath.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Highcottonbathcompany/
https://www.instagram.com/highcottonbathco/
