Charlie Lahan’s Carousel Celebrates Forty Revolutions

By Michelle Meagher September 20, 2007 Issue

There are few businesses in Panama City Beach that can say they’ve been happily serving customers since 1967. Charlie Lahan’s Carousel, a specialty grocery store on Front Beach Road in Laguna Beach, is proud to be one of them. The family-operated business has evolved over the past four decades, responding to the ebb and flow of market demands. It is proof that a locally owned supermarket can withstand the test of time.

Lahan has lived in Panama City Beach all his life. His parents bought the property on which the Carousel now stands in 1936. It was Lahan’s mother that thought of the name for the business. A semi-circular snack bar adjacent to the store had a colorful canopy resembling that of a carousel. Though the snack bar closed, the name stuck.

“My parents spent their lives developing this property and I was there every step of the way,” Lahan says with great respect. When asked what he enjoyed most about growing up and working for his family’s business, he replied, “It offered me the time and flexibility to pursue community interests.” Free time was time well spent, for he helped to establish the West End Volunteer Fire Department.

Major development efforts in recent years have changed the face of the west end of Panama City Beach. Planned communities, high-rise condominiums, and large supermarket chains have entered the picture. As a result, Carousel’s target market has shifted. “We see a lot of vacationers,” says Lahan. “More and more customers are transitory. They stay for one or two weeks, rather than the whole summer.”

Thankfully Lahan has a team of dedicated and dependable employees. Lahan remarks, “It’s tough when there are more retail options than residents to support, but at least we are blessed with a wonderful staff.” Lahan’s daughter Ashley, along with her husband Dock, manage the store on a daily basis. Both have their hands in stocking the store’s impressive wine aisle, one that showcases bottles from every grape-growing region of the world. The Carousel also boasts a climate-controlled wine storage room.

Lahan’s son, Patrick, used to manage the liquor store but is now pursuing a degree from the College of Music at FSU. Lahan’s wife, Ann, manages the gift shop. It is there customers can browse an eclectic mix of furniture, framed art, household knickknacks, and beach souvenirs.

Other employees are treated like family, too. The Carousel offers 100 percent paid health care benefits as well as a profit-sharing plan for its staff members. “It’s unusual for an employer on the beach to offer such benefits and we’re very proud to say we do,” adds Lahan.

In past years larger supermarkets have had a shot at owning the 2,600-square-foot grocery store and the land it occupies, but the owners decided to stay put. Regulars, who appreciate the “friendly and helpful atmosphere” of the Carousel, are grateful for the owners’ perseverance.

“In business, the objective is to always increase your share of the pie,” explains Lahan. He then smiles and says, “Although at times, you’re darn lucky to hold on to the piece you have!” And what a piece to have—one directly across from the emerald green water of the Gulf of Mexico.

When asked if he’s an avid beachgoer, Lahan simply chuckles. “I ran out of interest for the beach a long time ago,” he says. Nowadays, he’s happy keeping the books, opening five days each week and closing one night a week. Not bad for a business owner whose shop is hustling and bustling from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

For a unique and memorable shopping experience, visit Charlie Lahan’s Carousel, 19440 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, or call (850) 234-2219.

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