When Stephanie Sharpton and her husband, Leo Folse, the owners of The Pointe, took over the popular Gulf Breeze restaurant and bar in 2021, they aimed to provide locals with a spot to call their own. While the restaurant hugs the Tiger Point Golf Club course, it is entirely open to the public for upscale dining, handcrafted cocktails and picturesque greenery views.
Now, Sharpton has taken the concept even further to offer a new open-air experience right outside The Pointe’s doors. The expansion comes complete with a tropical tiki bar called The Tiki Republic and a neighboring Roman-style pizza kitchen, which can be ordered from the bar, called The Pointe Pizza.
Guests can enjoy seats at the shaded bar or picnic tables, or play a round of yard games, such as cornhole or jumbo Connect Four.
The renovation mission was fueled by the surprising popularity of their on-course tiki bar, Tiki at the Turn, which offered a more simplified menu to refuel golfers with hot dogs and well drinks. However, the spot became a beloved hidden gem for community members.
It became so loved by locals that it began to interfere with the golfers, and when a diners’ dog jumped in the course’s pond and stole a golfer’s sandwich, it was the last straw.
Eventually, the bar had to be limited to only golfers on the course. But Sharpton went to work on creating an even bigger and better bar, which she named The Tiki Republic, that was designed for all people to enjoy.
“This is my baby, I am constantly making it better,” Sharpton said of The Pointe. “We don’t have a lot down here, and our community deserves a great place.”
Yes, the pups are welcome as well, and even have their own tiki hut-covered water station to enjoy some shade.
While she wanted a way to offer food to Tiki Republic guests, she didn’t want to overwhelm the kitchen indoors. So, again, she went to work converting their old outdoor snack shack into a specialty pizza kitchen, offering pies whole or by the slice, which come prepared with a unique Roman-style pinsa crust.
The crust incorporates the sourdough fermentation process, resulting in a cloud-like crust that’s easier on the stomach, according to Sharpton.
However, they do offer a few signature hot dogs as a nod to the crowd-favorites at Tiki at the Turn, including The Famous Tiki Dog and The Big Brian, a new offering that has been requested for years – a hickory-smoked Conecuh sausage dog.
As for the pizzas on the lineup, the menu is crafted by their pizza chef, Remy Williams, who features a variety of specialty creations.
Some of Sharpton’s favorites are The Mia Pia – which fits right in with the tiki theme as a Hawaiian-inspired pie prepared with pineapple, spam and thinly sliced jalapenos – as well as The Palapa, which infused Mexican flavors into the pie, such as street corn dip, ground beef, chorizo sausage, cilantro, jalapeno and Tajin.
To top it off, you can also find an on-theme dessert for the tiki bar: a coconut ice cream served in its shell.
For now, pizzas will be ordered at The Tiki Republic, but eventually, Sharpton plans to make them available for online ordering and delivery.
The cocktails were created with just as much intention as the food by Assistant General Manager Rachel Damas. They were meant to refresh, with favorites such as the Pineapple Rum Punch, blended with a variety of rums and fruit juices, meant to “make you feel like you’re in the Bahamas,” according to Damas.
“You can drink those by the bucket,” she added.
Other bright and colorful creations include the blue curacao-infused Ocean Water, or their take on a golfer-favorite, the transfusion, which incorporates blueberry Red Bull and a ginger liqueur.
The entire tiki bar construction project was built from the ground up in only about two and a half months by their builder, Evelio Santino.
They then began customizing with personal touches, including fishing buoys from the Bahamas, vintage wooden golf clubs, and an eclectic assortment of tiki mugs available for purchase behind the bar.
They will also carry a variety of hand-rolled cigars by Haze Gray Cigars. This Pensacola-based, veteran-owned company names their signature cigars after branches in the military through their War Dog line. Sharpton said there is a significant demand for cigars on the course, and she eventually plans to start a cigar club to provide a space for fellowship and camaraderie.
After celebrating their grand opening on July 26, Sharpton is excited to see The Tiki Republic flag, secured by bamboo and rope, flying high above the bar and regulars from Tiki at the Turn returning to their favorite secret watering hole.
“It’s an honor watching them be happy,” Sharpton said. “My job is to give them what they want out of this community.”
The Tiki Republic and The Pointe Pizza are now open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 1255 Country Club Road. For real-time updates and information, follow The Tiki Republic on social media.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: The Pointe expands in Gulf Breeze, introducing The Tiki Republic bar and The Pointe Pizza
Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
