Page 49 - Panama City Living May/June 2019

The Driftwood Inn a few days after Hurricane Michael
now, we are staying in contact with all of our business and “ vacation rental partners to assist them with any messaging
that we could help get out for them, such as an approximate
timeframe on when they will have their doors open again.
Their longstanding customers have been coming to them for many, many years,” she says.
Welcoming those who want to come back to Mexico Beach, Shoaf keeps a current list of all the places to eat and places to shop, and a few places to stay. “We have a couple of VRBOs that are available to rent. The council is trying to be a friendly face for people who have been coming here for so many years,” she explains.
With the budget wiped out—a budget that depends on vacation rental taxes—Kimberly is currently the council’s only employee. There are plans to bring back employees once the rebuilding is further along and the budget is replenished.
Shoaf calls the restoration process a slow domino effect. “From what we’ve heard from some of our lodging partners, they hope to have some of their properties coming back online by the summer and then the fall. Some of the restaurants have said early 2020. But things are moving forward in the right direction every day. As far as the welcome center, there are plans to rebuild. We’re working with the city on that. We have
We want the Driftwood Inn to come back just like it was ... I want it to feel like once we come back, we’re coming back for good.
REGROWING
MEXICO BEACH
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