These big-name chains applied to expand their Escambia County footprint in 2023
Escambia County’s Development Review Committee approved dozens of development projects during 2023 and received applications for even more, including multiple locations for varying commercial chains like Wawa and Chipotle.
These popular chains are trying to expand their business within Escambia County as it continues to grow in population.
Here are some of the chains that were either approved in 2023 or are pending development of new locations within Escambia County.
NW Pensacola growth: Nine Mile Road was approved for hundreds of homes and businesses in 2023. Here's the list:
Two Chipotle restaurants in the works
A new Chipotle could be coming in at 2401 W. Nine Mile Road, according to the project’s filings with Escambia County.
The potential development was first discussed by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee in pre-application meetings on May 3. The project is still under review, according to the Development Review Committee.
Developers of the proposed Chipotle plan for the restaurant to be 2,390 square feet and have a drive-thru lane with a menu board.
The parcel of the Chipotle location is less than an acre, but the restaurant will also have an outdoor seating area and 38 parking spaces, according to the project’s site plan filed with Escambia County.
Another potential Chipotle Mexican Grill, planned to be built in tandem with a new Starbucks, could be coming off of Mobile Highway pending approval from the Development Review Committee, according to its filings with Escambia County.
Circle K seeks two new locations
There were two applications by the same developer, MDM Services, to build new Circle K gas and convenience stores during 2023. Neither project has been approved by Escambia County to begin development.
MDM Services applied for development of the first location, planned to be built at 4 E Quintette Road in Cantonment, on Feb. 21. They then applied for development of another location at 4 N. Navy Boulevard in Warrington on Nov. 15.
Only one of the projects, the location planned for Quintette Road, has so far been reviewed by the Development Review Committee. The Development Review Committee provided comments on the plans during their pre-application meetings on March 8.
Cook Out planned for Ferry Pass
Florida’s first Cook Out location could be opening soon in Ferry Pass, according to documents filed with the county.
The new Cook Out will be built at 1735 E. Nine Mile Road, which was the former location of a Regions Bank. Regions Bank sold the parcel to the Cook Out’s developers for $1.84 million in 2021.
Currently, the closest operating Cook Outs to Escambia County are located in Mobile and Troy, Alabama, and Albany, Georgia.
The Pensacola Cook Out is planned to be a 1,500-square foot restaurant with a drive-through and 26 parking spaces on a 1.16-acre parcel, according to the project’s construction plans approved by Escambia County.
The project’s developers are Commercial Site Design, based in North Carolina, and they have been working on getting the new fast-food restaurant built since late 2021, according to the project's filings with Escambia County.
Dollar General plans 3 more Escambia locations
A Dollar General developer, Bell Engineering Services, LLC, had three applications for development of new locations approved by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee during 2023.
The incoming locations will be built at 949 Dog Track Road, 1405 Gulf Beach Highway and 219 N. New Warrington Road, according to their filings with Escambia County.
The developers applied for approval of the Dog Track Road location in November of 2022, but the project was not approved until Jan. 18. They applied for two more locations in the span of two months between July and September.
The developers applied for the Dollar General coming to Gulf Beach Highway on July 14 and the project was approved on Aug. 23. An additional development application was submitted for the North New Warrington Road location on Sept. 13 and was approved by Escambia County on Dec. 6.
Miller’s Ale House coming to Ransley Station
A group based in Land O’ Lakes is seeking approval from Escambia County’s Development Review Committee to build a second Miller’s Ale House location in Escambia County at the Pine Forest Road exit of Interstate 10.
The proposed restaurant would be built at the entrance of the Ransley Station development. Ransley Station is a massive multi-use development coming to Escambia County on the corner of I-10's Pine Forest Road exit.
Master site plans for the Ransley Station development say that it will include multi-family housing, office and retail spaces, a medical facility and a hotel/hospitality development.
Panera Bread coming to West Nine Mile Road
A new Panera Bread is under development off West Nine Mile Road in northwestern Pensacola. The restaurant’s building will be 3,500 square feet on a 1.2-acre site that was previously undeveloped.
The new Panera Bread location is owned by Terra 9 Mile LLC, an Alabama-based group, according to the project’s site plan filed with Escambia County. The company purchased the parcel for the project's development in May 2022 for $450,000.
The development was approved on Aug. 16 by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee, approximately two months after initially applying for approval.
Once construction for the new Panera Bread café is finished, it will be located at 2405 W. Nine Mile Road near the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Pine Forest Road.
Ronny’s Car Wash building two new locations
Ronny’s Car Wash applied for development of two new locations within Escambia County this year and were approved for both.
The car washes will be built at 1630 E. Nine Mile Road and 593 Tampico Boulevard, according to their filings with Escambia County.
Ronny’s Car Wash has applied for development of nine locations in Escambia County since 2020. They originally applied for development of the Tampico Boulevard and East Nine Mile Road locations in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
T-Mobile adding sixth Escambia County store
A new T-Mobile store is coming to Sorrento Road, according to the project’s development order issued by Escambia County.
The incoming store will be the first T-Mobile built near Perdido Key and the sixth location in Escambia County.
The T-Mobile store will be located at 13170 Sorrento Road next to Pizzaluté, according to the project’s development order from Escambia County. The project calls for a 2,500-square foot building on a 0.61-acre parcel of previously undeveloped land.
The project was approved for development by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee on Nov. 1.
Waffle House plans 17th restaurant in Escambia County
Developers plan to build a new Waffle House at 6034 W. Nine Mile Road on a 0.75-acre parcel of previously undeveloped land, according to the project’s information form and site plan filed with Escambia County.
At this stage of the developer’s plans, the potential West Nine Mile Road Waffle House is intended to be a 2,000-square foot building with 33 parking spaces, according to the project’s site plan.
This new restaurant would be the Waffle House's closest location to Beulah. Currently, the nearest location is at 8010 Lavelle Way, near the Pine Forest Road exit of Interstate 10.
Waffle House only applied for one new location during 2023, but they already have 16 locations open across Escambia County.
Wawa sought three locations in 2023
There were three applications for new Wawa stores submitted to Escambia County’s Development Review Committee in 2023, and two of the projects have been approved for development.
Wawa had been planning to expand their business into Escambia County for a long time and promised to build multiple locations in Escambia County at a community event earlier this year.
The first Wawa approved for development by Escambia County is located at 5888 W. Nine Mile Road. The second-approved Wawa will be built as a part of the Ransley Station Development.
The third Wawa project to apply this year has not been yet been approved by Escambia County’s Development Review Committee. Developers plan to build this Wawa at 9262 W. Highway 98.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Chipotle Wawa Miller's Ale House Cook Out coming to Escambia County
