New Tommy Bahama location celebrates grand opening in Palm Springs
City and business leaders celebrated the grand opening of a new Tommy Bahama location in downtown Palm Springs Thursday morning. It’s the second location in the Coachella Valley.
Bartenders are prepping drinks at the Marlin Bar as visitors pour in for a visit, clad in Hawaiian shirts and leis.
“We were waiting for the right moment and this is the right moment, so excited to see what’s happening in downtown here,” Rob Goldberg, Executive Vice President of Restaurants for Tommy Bahamas, said.
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A ribbon cutting marked the grand opening of the new location, which is part of the new development in the heart of downtown. It will have a concept different from it’s restaurant counterpart in Palm Desert, with a focus on fast casual dining with a full service bar, instead of a mainly sit-down establishment. It can seat up to around 180 people. It the first such location in the state, and one of three across the country.
“We wanted to make this casual and easy for people to use and come by and share food and drinks with their friends and gather,” Goldberg said.
It’s also bringing an economic boost to the area by creating about 75 new jobs to fill positions in both the store and bar. All of the hires have been from the local community.
City officials said the potential impact of the bar could pay dividends and are embracing the opening.
“I’m glad we showed Tommy Bahama, we want them here,” Mayor Robert Moon said. “We welcome the jobs they brought to Palm Springs. We welcome the tourism they’re bringing to Palm Springs and everything else bringing to our city.”
One local resident says he’s looking forward to give the new bar a try.
“All of downtown is going crazy and I love that we’re getting all of the up-scale things like this restaurant and such a beautiful outdoor area on a prominent corner,” Michael Sausser said.
It’s a corner that the business hopes becomes an attractive destination for visitors and locals alike.
“We’re so excited to be here and showing people from Palm Springs, one more way to relax, which is what we dwal with,” Goldberg said. “Apparel, food and beverage and good times.”
