PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. — Country music icon, philanthropist and Guinness World Record holder Dolly Parton always has a project in the works. So, it may not come as a surprise that she's planning to open a new restaurant in the Sunshine State.
Dolly is bringing her Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show to the Florida Panhandle in spring 2025. Construction on the $60 million project is set to begin in January at Pier Park in Panama City Beach.
The experience combines live entertainers, musical productions and larger-than-life props with a four-course dinner, similar to something like Medieval Times.
“I’m so excited about bringing this show to such a great destination,” Parton said. “With pirates, mermaids, exciting acrobatics, pyrotechnics, and even a few songs that I wrote, it’s a show that is perfect for all ages."
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show has already seen success at its first two locations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
“Everyone knows that I dream big, so we are going ‘overboard’ with the details as we prepare everything – from the show to the four-course pirates feast to the exterior of the building itself," Parton added.
The indoor theater is expected to be 60,000 square feet with more than 1,000 seats. Families will enjoy dinner as they watch the Crimson and Sapphire pirates battle on deck, underwater in a 15-foot deep lagoon and in the air above two full-sized pirate ships.
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show is expected to create 300 jobs in the Florida Panhandle. A nationwide talent search for the cast will begin in mid-2024.
According to Business Wire, Dolly Parton’s dinner shows have been in operation since 1988.
