Sunjammers - Where You Go When You Want to Feel Ready

Long before polarized sunglasses and paddleboards filled the windows, the building at 1129 Beck Avenue existed for a different kind of purpose.

You went there when you needed something.

For decades, this corner of Historic St. Andrews was home to the town drug store, with the post office next door—places of provision and connection. You walked in uncertain. You walked out prepared. Health, letters, supplies, direction. Simple needs, plainly met.

Today, that same address serves the community in a remarkably familiar way.

The name on the sign is Sunjammers.

And the purpose is still the same.

Built here, from the beginning

Brad Stephens didn’t arrive in St. Andrews with a business plan and a suitcase.
He was born and raised in Panama City.

Sunjammers began in 1999, not as a midlife pivot or a second act, but as a student project. Brad was still at Bay High School, participating in a co-op program that let him learn, work, and build something real while most people his age were still figuring things out.

That early start matters.

Because Sunjammers wasn’t created from theory. It grew out of lived experience—being on the water, growing up around it, and understanding that people want to enjoy it, but don’t always know how to start.

“My ‘before Sunjammers’ season was basically learning, working, and building something real while still in school.”

That season never really ended.

A simple idea, taken seriously

Sunjammers didn’t start with hype. It started with a problem.

People wanted to get outside—to kayak, paddle, explore the bay—but they were overwhelmed by options and unsure what they actually needed. The gear mattered, but the guidance mattered more.

Brad’s answer was straightforward:

“Help people get outside with the right gear and the right guidance.”

No guessing. No upselling. No regret purchase hanging unused in a garage.

You walk in.
You talk to someone who knows the water.
You leave ready.

This wasn’t branding.
It was a promise.

The merchandise inside the shop reflects that same thinking. What Sunjammers offers is carefully curated, not crowded—chosen to fit the experience of the store and the realities of life on the bay, rather than chasing trends or filling shelves for the sake of it.

From expansion to intention

Over the years, Sunjammers grew. There were other locations, including on Panama City Beach and around the area. Like many long-running local businesses, it tested what scale looked like.

Eventually, Brad made a deliberate choice.

SunJammers would consolidate into a single shop, rooted in Historic St. Andrews.

Not because growth failed—but because focus mattered more.

“We’ve leaned harder into service, expertise, and making it easy for people to find what they actually need.”

Today’s SunJammers is intentionally human-scale. One shop. Real conversations. Deep local knowledge. Fewer distractions, more clarity.

The kind of evolution you only make when you’re playing the long game.

A place where a business can still matter

Ask Brad why he stays excited about owning a business here, and the answer has nothing to do with margins or trends.

“St. Andrews is the kind of place where a local business can still matter.”

It’s walkable. Historic. Personal.

Customers aren’t transactions. They’re neighbors. Families. People who love the same water and live the same rhythms. That’s why Sunjammers works here—and why Brad has invested so deeply beyond his own storefront.

He serves on the board of the Historic St. Andrews Waterfront Partnership and Destination Panama City.
He is the engine behind the Keep St. Andrews Salty movement and website.
He actively organizes business owners, pushes for shared events, and personally invests time and resources into efforts that benefit the entire district.

This isn’t accidental civic involvement.
It’s stewardship.

Brad understands something older than marketing: communities don’t stay vibrant by accident. They stay vibrant because people show up.

The Trendy Side, and knowing when to add—not replace

Connected to Sunjammers is The Trendy Side, a boutique that complements the core shop without competing with it. It’s another example of Brad’s approach: evolve carefully, add what fits, don’t dilute what works.

Growth, yes.
Expansion for its own sake, no.

That restraint is why Sunjammers still feels like Sunjammers.

A family life that comes first

For all the public involvement and long days, Brad’s priorities are clear.

He’s raising his family here. His kids are deeply involved in cheerleading and swimming, and Brad travels to their events, shows up, and makes the hard trade-offs that come with running a business and being present at home.

That balance doesn’t happen by accident. It’s chosen—again and again.

A familiar role, in a familiar building

Brad is careful not to overstate the building’s history. Verified facts matter. But the parallel is hard to ignore.

A drug store was where you went to get what you needed to function well.
A post office was where you connected and then headed out.

Now?

“Sunjammers is where people come to get what they need to get outside, feel capable, and head out on an adventure.”

Same role. Different tools.

Provisioning hasn’t changed.
Only the supplies have.

Still serving you well

Sunjammers endures because it does one thing exceptionally well: it helps people feel ready.

Ready for the bay.
Ready for the weekend.
Ready to try something new without feeling foolish or overwhelmed.

In a town that values independence, knowledge, and neighborly trust, that matters.

Some buildings change hands.
Some businesses come and go.

But places built on usefulness—on service without noise—tend to last.

Sunjammers is one of them.