The Sugar Bowl was a round group of sand dunes located near the east end of Pensacola Beach, on the sound side, just west of where Portofino Condominiums was later constructed. For decades it was used as an all-purpose getaway for underage revelers, target practice, nude sunbathers, campers, and for many high school graduates a rite of passage.
It's popularity was enhanced by the addition of the second 7-11 convenience store located several hundred yards west of it, on Via De Luna. The store was one of the last buildings that could be seen while heading east, and where both locals and tourists could purchase necessities such as ice, snacks and beverages, then enjoy an unforgettable drive while basking in the pristine beauty of the gulf coast.
With both residential and commercial expansion, enhanced law enforcement, closing of the convenience store, four-laning of Via De Luna, hurricane damage and construction of Portofino Condominiums came the slow but obvious decline in the popularity of the Sugar Bowl, to the point where even it's mentioning brings back mostly decades-old memories of the golden age of life on Pensacola Beach.