New Businesses Opening Around Pensacola This Fall and When You Can Visit
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Pensacola’s fall calendar is not just filling up with festivals and events. Several new restaurants, entertainment venues and activity concepts are preparing to open across the area over the next few months.
The lineup includes a massive new family entertainment center on North Davis Highway, a dedicated indoor pickleball club in Gulf Breeze, a restaurant and arcade on Nine Mile Road, a new upscale Mexican restaurant and a permanent home for Pensacola’s growing trading card and tabletop gaming community.
Here are some of the biggest new businesses opening around Pensacola and the most accurate opening timelines currently available.
Opening dates can still change as construction, inspections and final preparations are completed. Where a business has announced a target rather than a firm opening date, we have noted that below.
Launch Family Entertainment
Opening: October 16, 2026
8102 N. Davis Highway
Pensacola
One of Pensacola’s most anticipated new entertainment businesses now has a confirmed opening date.
Launch Family Entertainment plans to open its Pensacola location on Friday, October 16, inside Ferry Pass Plaza.
The new venue will occupy approximately 31,400 square feet and feature trampolines, duckpin bowling, a ninja course, arcade games, a Pixel Floor and other indoor attractions.
Launch Pensacola will also include KRAVE, the company’s restaurant and bar concept, creating a space where families and groups can play, eat and spend several hours under one roof.
The Pensacola location is being led by local father and son team John and Jeremy Reams and will become Launch’s fourth Florida location.
For families looking for more indoor things to do around Pensacola, this could become one of the area’s biggest new entertainment additions of 2026.
Dill Dinkers Indoor Pickleball
Opening: Early Fall 2026
330 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze
A dedicated indoor pickleball club is getting ready to open just across Pensacola Bay.
Dill Dinkers is bringing its national indoor pickleball concept to 330 Gulf Breeze Parkway with four climate controlled indoor courts.
The company currently lists the Gulf Breeze location as “Coming Early Fall 2026.” An exact opening day has not yet been announced.
The facility is being designed specifically for pickleball rather than converting existing tennis courts.
Players will be able to reserve courts, participate in open play, join leagues and take lessons or clinics. The Gulf Breeze club will also include a pro shop, ball machine and dedicated event space.
Dill Dinkers has been expanding throughout the Gulf Coast, with regional operators planning additional growth across Northwest Florida and Alabama. The Gulf Breeze and Pensacola market has been identified as one of the first areas in that expansion.
Pelican Bar and Grill
Target Opening: First Week of October 2026
1420 W. Nine Mile Road
Pensacola
Nine Mile Road is getting another entertainment focused restaurant.
Pelican Bar and Grill is being developed at 1420 W. Nine Mile Road and will combine a sit down restaurant, full bar and arcade under one roof.
Co owner Reddy Kandala told Business Debut that the business is targeting the first week of October for its opening. Because that date is still a target, customers should watch for a final opening announcement before making plans.
The venue is expected to offer between 120 and 150 seats.
The restaurant menu is planned around American dishes including steaks, lamb chops, pork chops, salmon and grouper. The bar side is expected to lean more casual with burgers, wings, pizza and other food designed to pair with drinks.
The combination of restaurant, bar and arcade space could make Pelican another option for both families and groups looking for something to do away from the beach.
Casa Luvia
Planned Soft Opening: October 2026
7748 N. Davis Highway
Pensacola
A new upscale Mexican restaurant is preparing to open in the former Denny’s building on North Davis Highway.
Casa Luvia is planning a soft opening sometime in October, although owner Luvia Gameros has not yet announced a specific opening day.
The restaurant is being designed around an elevated Mexican dining experience with modern décor, handcrafted cocktails and detailed plate presentation.
Gameros purchased the building earlier this year and has been renovating the former diner into a dramatically different restaurant space.
The menu is expected to combine traditional Mexican flavors with more modern presentations and cocktails, while the dining room will lean more upscale without losing a lively atmosphere.
Gameros told the Pensacola News Journal that the plan is to quietly begin serving guests in October so the staff can become comfortable with operations before holding a larger grand opening celebration roughly a month later, assuming everything remains on schedule.
Emerald Fortress
Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting: November 4, 2026
319 E. Nine Mile Road
Pensacola
Pensacola’s trading card and hobby community is also getting a new permanent home.
Emerald Fortress is a veteran owned game and hobby store opening at 319 E. Nine Mile Road.
The store will specialize in trading card games, sports cards, Warhammer, collectibles and other hobby products while also providing space for tournaments, card shows, leagues and community events.
The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce has scheduled Emerald Fortress’ official grand opening and ribbon cutting for Wednesday, November 4 at 4:30 PM.
The store is expected to begin hosting activity before the formal grand opening. Anchor Up Sports currently lists an October 10 card show at Emerald Fortress, calling the Nine Mile Road location its new permanent home.
That makes Emerald Fortress more than a traditional retail store. The goal is to create a regular gathering place where local collectors and players can buy, sell, trade and compete.
Know a New Business Opening Around Pensacola?
We’re keeping this list updated as new restaurants, attractions, shops and entertainment businesses announce opening dates.
If you know about a new business coming to Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, Gulf Breeze, Perdido Key or the surrounding area, send us the business name, location and expected opening date so we can check it out and potentially add it to the guide.
Want to discover more new places and things to do around Pensacola? Explore our Best Things to Do in Pensacola and keep up with what’s happening on the Must Do Pensacola Events Calendar.
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