The Sugar Bowl was a circle of dunes located near the east end of Pensacola Beach, on the sound side, approximately 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 store several hundred yards west of it. The 7-11 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 and beverages, then enjoy an unforgettable drive while enjoying the pristine beauty of the gulf coast.
With both residential and commercial expansion, enhanced law enforcement, four-laning of Via DeLuna, 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 decades-old memories of the golden age of life on Pensacola Beach.