After 17 years of stops and starts, Mike Pinzone is finally seeing his dream of expanding the Pensacola Beach Pier come to fruition. The Santa Rosa Island Authority has given the go-ahead to double the size of the Casino Beach Bar and Grille space from 5,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet by adding two stories on top of the existing restaurant in a $2 million expansion plan. 

The design calls for the stories to be in tiers, with outdoor deck space getting larger and indoor space smaller with each story. Pinzone said Casino Beach Bar and Grille will occupy the second story, which will likely be a more upscale restaurant area and possibly a venue for events like weddings.