fbpx vie magazine subscribe button

Let’s Do Lunch!

Fine Dining on the Fly in PCB

By Jordan Staggs | Photography courtesy of On The Fly

For many locals and visitors alike in Panama City Beach, Florida, one upscale eatery tends to receive glowing reviews time after time. Firefly restaurant and sushi bar looks unassuming from the facade but holds a treasure trove of beautiful dining rooms, the cozy 535 Library Lounge, the lively Firefly Bar, and the musically inclined Sushi Bar. Now, founder and owner Dave Trepanier and his team will add lunch to their impressive offerings via the new bistro, On The Fly, located right next door.

“For years, we’ve been asked to open the sushi bar for lunch,” Trepanier shares. “With only three sushi stations, it would be difficult for us to serve a hundred people at lunch in a timely manner. When the small bakery next door became available for rent, we decided that this grab-and-go concept was the perfect solution. We only have a few tables out front, so the idea is to provide a true takeaway option for people who want a great meal but need to get back to work, back home with the kids, or back to wherever their busy lives take them.”

On The Fly’s menu might look familiar to fans of Firefly, with some of the restaurant’s staples and crowd favorites available for a quick, incredible lunch. Sushi, artisan sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, and more are sure to satisfy as Chef David Roman curates a seasonally inspired lineup that also includes freshly baked breads and pastries.

Trepanier shares, “We have about eight sushi rolls available, plus weekly special rolls, and of course, we’d be crucified if Firefly’s famous She-Crab Soup wasn’t on the menu!” He’s also excited about introducing a new array of sandwiches. “You won’t find ham and Swiss or a straight turkey sandwich here; each menu item will have all the creativity and quality that people expect from Firefly. Chef Roman has been our baker for over seven years, and On The Fly is his ‘baby,’ so you can expect freshly baked breads made from scratch, pastries, kolaches, and macarons.”

The team is thrilled about opening On The Fly, especially after seeing how the demand for meals to go grew during 2020 when that was all Firefly was allowed to provide for a few months due to COVID-19 safety regulations. Like many restaurants in the Panhandle and beyond, Firefly found its sea legs and quickly gained steam once it was allowed to reopen, even at 50-percent seating capacity at first. “We actually had our busiest year to date,” Trepanier says. “The biggest challenge was staffing—balancing employee and guest safety to make sure that those who had contracted the virus could recover fully while we continued to serve our guests as safely and efficiently as possible.”

Sushi, artisan sandwiches, soups, salads, desserts, and more are sure to satisfy as Chef David Roman curates a seasonally inspired lineup that also includes freshly baked breads and pastries.

Also in the works is the annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam country music festival, of which Trepanier is a founding partner through production company PCB Entertainment. After canceling last year’s event for obvious reasons, Trepanier and his fellow GCJ organizers are excited to bring the event back to Panama City Beach with performances June 4–6, 2021. Headliners include megastars Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, and Lynyrd Skynyrd along with Cody Jinks, Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne, Joe Nichols, Billy Ray Cyrus, Riley Green, and many more. The concert presents an opportunity for people to see live music when most of the industry has been shut down for over a year, and the festival has a reputation for putting on a great show featuring some of the biggest names in country music.

“My hat’s off to everyone in the hospitality and music industries,” Trepanier says. “We’ve been pretty lucky here in Florida, but so many of our friends and other folks in both industries have been devastated this past year. Like everyone, we just want to put this pandemic behind us, get back to work, and get back to normal. We are looking forward to seeing live music and traveling again just like the rest of the world.”

As On The Fly takes wing this April and Gulf Coast Jam makes its return, locals and visitors have plenty to look forward to in sunny Panama City Beach. Trepanier adds, “Go support your local restaurants and go buy a ticket to Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam!”

— V —


Visit OnTheFlyPCB.com and FireflyPCB.com to learn more, see menus, or make a dinner reservation at Firefly. For more information or to purchase tickets to Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam 2021, visit GulfCoastJam.com.



Read Responsibly

VIE Magazine September 2023 Jay Mercado
VIE Magazine - The Art & Design Issue November 2021
VIE Magazine January 2021 Special Commemorative Edition
VIE Magazine September 2020 Wanderlust Issue, Fancy Camps, The Idea Boutique
VIE Magazine August 2020 Art & Culture Issue, Nathan Alan Yoakum Art
VIE Magazine - Architecture & Design Issue - July 2020
VIE Magazine - Decor and Home Issue - June 2020
VIE Magazine May 2020 Entertainment Issue, Leslie Odom Jr
VIE Magazine - April 2020 Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine March 2020 The Fashion Edit, VONDOM, Alys Beach Fl, Digital Graffiti, Tres Chic, isidro dunbar Modern Interiors, Digital Graffiti Festival
VIE Magazine February 2020 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Travel Issue - January 2020 - Tanzania Safari Cover
VIE Magazine - Women's Issue - December 2019 - Tina Brown Cover
VIE NOV19 Goodness Issue
VIE Magazine, September 2019 Art & Culture Issue, Paul Hanninen
VIE Magazine - August 2019 - The Architecture and Design Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2019 - The Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - June 2019 - Fashion Edit
VIE Magazine - May 2019 - Culinary Issue
VIE Magazine - April 2019 - The Health & Wellness Issue
VIE Magazine - Special Entertainment Edition - March 2019
VIE Magazine February 2019 Luxury Homes & Technology Issue with Robbie Antonio of Revolution Precrafted
VIE Magazine - January 2019 - Southern Sophisticate Issue Cover
VIE Magazine - Special Anniversary Travel Edition - December 2018
VIE Magazine - The Goodness Issue - November 2018
VIE Magazine - The Art & Culture Issue - October 2018
VIE Magazine - Home & Garden Issue - September 2018
VIE Magazine - August 2018 Animal Issue
VIE Magazine - July 2018 Architecture & Design Issue - Subscribe to the magazine!
VIE Magazine - June 2018 Travel & Tech Issue
VIE Magazine - May 2018 Couture Issue
VIE Magazine - The Culinary Issue - April 2018 Cover - Chef James Briscione and Brooke Parkhurst
VIE Magazine - The Entertainers Issue - March 2018
VIE Magazine - February 2018 Destination Travel Issue
VIE Magazine - January 2018 Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine, The Sophisticate Issue, December 2017
VIE Magazine - November 2017 Art & Culture Issue
VIE Magazine - October 2017 Home & Garden Issue
VIE Magazine | September 2017 | The Stories and Storytellers Issue
VIE Magazine - The Adventure Issue - August 2017
VIE Magazine - July 2017 - Art & Artist Issue
VIE Magazine - The Voyager Issue - June 2017
VIE magazine 2017 March-April Cover South Walton Fashion Week
VIE Magazine - January/February 2017 - The Health & Beauty Issue
VIE Magazine - Nov/Dec 2016 The Sophisticate Issue
christian siriano vie magazine september october 2016 vie magazine
the modern minimalist issue
Summertime!
the culinary and couture issue march april 2016 vie magazine
the voyager issue alys beach vie magazine january february 2016
cultural issue vie magazine november december 2015
home and garden issue vie magazine september october 2015
the art and style issue vie magazine july august 2015
the wedding issue 2015 May June vie magazine
the food and fashion issue vie magazine march april 2015
the travel issue vie magazine january february 2015
the music issue vie magazine 2014 november december
The Animal Issue vie magazine september october 2014
the home and garden issue vie magazine july august 2014
the wedding issue vie magazine may june 2014
emeril lagasse food and fashion vie magazine
the men's issue january february 2014
the music issue november december 2013 vie magazine
the home and garden issue 2013 october september
the wedding issue vie magazine july august 2013
the artist issue may june 2013 vie magazine
the food and fashion issue march april 2013
the men's issue january february 2013 vie magazine
The Holiday Issue
the love issue july august 2012
the all american summer may june 2012
the entertainment issue march april 2012
the fashion issue vie magazine winter 2011
the home and garden issue vie magazine fall 2011
the anniversary edition vie magazine summer 2011
the wedding issue vie magazine spring 2011
vie magazine the holiday issue 2010 Dec
vintage swimsuits vie magazine 2010 Fall
judith march designer vie magazine summer 2010
wedding giveaway vie magazine spring 2010
holiday gift guide vie magazine winter 2009
emarketing explosion vie magazine fall 2009
tribute to mother's day vie magazine summer 2009
james and robert redford vie magazine spring 2009
zz top vie magazine fall winter 2008
project dreams vie magazine new york fashion week
Sign-up for VIEmail

Sign up for VIEmail


X

A LIFESTYLE