PANAMA CITY BEACH — Going out to breakfast makes the idea of getting out of bed easier in the morning, but breakfast can hit the spot any time of the day.
Andy's Flour Power Cafe & Bakery serves breakfast all day long since moving into the larger location, 2629 Thomas Drive (formerly Jazmine Thai) in May 2017.
"It's everybody's feel-good meal. People love being able to come in lunch hours and get breakfast," said owner John Certo II, adding they also plan to serve Bloody Marys and Mimosas soon. "And there's something cozy about a booth. Enjoy it; take your time. I will always have a spot for the old location; it helped us develop into this."
Andy's has gone from 68 seats at its original location, 3123 Thomas Drive (now Panama Pizzeria), where it opened in October 2004, to 172 seats.
"We're one of the original cafes in Panama City Beach and it's been grown through the community," John said. "It's not a franchise grown in someone else's market. This is Panama City Beach's Flour Power."
During my Christmas vacation, I was able to sit down with my family for breakfast at Andy's, a longtime staple for us to start the day out right. We had feared the new location wouldn't be the same, so we packed in extra visits — when we could find parking — just before they relocated then took a hiatus. Our December visit wasn't exactly the same — it was better in many ways.
First, there is way more parking. And surprisingly, we had no wait for a table — even got a booth — on the weekend. There is no settling for a cramped table next to the bakery with hungry eyes waiting for you to finish eating to grab your seat. The new location has a bakery area — only it's bigger. Brightly colored artwork and eclectic decor transition right into the new dining room.
Breakfast is now served from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch still is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, but now includes lunch specials. Andy's also still does Weekend Brunch — 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday — but now it includes live jazz from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The noise level was a little higher — a cacophony of sound bouncing off the concrete floor — but this is a good thing if you don't want to feel like other guests are listening in to highly confidential conversations such as ours.
Mike: "Look, you can get 'real maple syrup' now. OK, for a $1, I'm definitely doing that."
James: "I can't decide between the sausage gravy biscuits — they are the best, but doesn't the Belgian Waffle sound good?"
He liked the Belgian Waffle with a side of sausage just as much. I went for my standard Spinach, Tomato and Feta Rolled Omelet with walnut raisin bread — and it had been so long it tasted even better.
My husband ordered his usual Flour Power French Toast plus bacon. The dish, featured in Southern Living Magazine in June 2008, starts with thick country French bread dipped in cinnamon and brown sugar batter that is grilled for a slightly crisp outside and soft and chewy middle, topped with toasted nuts, fresh strawberries and powdered sugar.
More wall space also means there's now room to hang all of the cafe's awards.
John still stops by tables to greet new and familiar faces of all ages. It's that "personal touch" paired with great food that has kept customers coming back to Andy's since John took it over from original owner Andy Faoutas in June 2005. Many customers even affectionally call John "Andy."
"I've known Andy and my kids have known him for many years," Joan Altenpohl said. "We come in for breakfast and lunch."
While I usually stick with breakfast, on Wednesday, I tried something different — the Beach Club with the new "ultimate" option of avocado and roasted garlic mayonnaise and a side of Greek potato salad.
"You know you're always going to get a good meal ... and John cares," Debra Harrison said.
My club was over-the-top — huge, deliciously addictive, and fresh. You really can't go wrong with anything at Andy's. The only problem is deciding what to get.