Escambia County’s Development Review Committee (RDC) meets nearly every Wednesday year-round and has given its stamp of approval to dozens of commercial projects through 2025.
Some of the additions come through market construction efforts, such as the ongoing Blue Angel Station development in southwest Pensacola. Others, like Chipotle, Culver’s and First Watch, are simply building their own locations inside a developing market.
Here are which commercial projects were approved by the Escambia County RDC during 2025 and which companies are opening new locations.
Costco, 225 E. Nine Mile Road
Pensacola residents have been waiting for Costco, one of the nation’s top retailers, to come in for years and will finally get their wish sometime next year.
The retailer is building a 172,580-square-foot store at 225 E. Nine Mile Road that will include a liquor store, tire center and gas station after their plans were approved by the RDC in August.
Costco is a membership warehouse club with a cult following that has hundreds of locations worldwide and offers a wide selection of goods, from groceries, furniture and electronics to pet insurance, bottled water delivery and travel packages.
It takes 110 days to build a Costco store, according to their 30-year partner MG2, so the retailer could open its first local store in 2026.
Costco officially set its sights on the Pensacola region in June 2024 when it submitted its first development proposal. They went through five submissions before finally getting RDC approval to plant roots in the Pensacola area.
Chick-fil-A, 4735 Mobile Highway
Chick-fil-A is opening a new restaurant on Mobile Highway after receiving a stamp of approval from the RDC earlier this year.
The new Chick-fil-A will be a 5,566-square-foot, two-lane restaurant with 74 indoor seats, 12 outdoor seats, as well as 69 parking spaces, located at the corner of Mobile Highway and Tonawanda Drive.
The Chick-fil-A project was originally submitted to Escambia County in August 2024 and was approved by the RDC during its July 23 meeting.
New Chick-fil-A Plans: Chick-fil-A plans to move into the old Dodge building. What we know.
Hotel Omega, 20 Via Deluna Drive
A new hotel is coming to Pensacola Beach following a development approval in the first half of the year.
Developers have been approved to build an 11-story, 215-room hotel at 20 Via De Luna Drive. They’re also set to build a pool deck, including a spa, and a lazy river and dune crossings for the coming hotel.
The hotel will be built on approximately 4.31 acres of land, located between the Beach Club Resort & Spa and the Emerald Isle condominium complex. The DRC approved the Omega Hotel project during its May 28 meeting.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, 3200 Michigan Ave.
Bellview’s first Chipotle is coming to the northwest intersection of Denver Avenue and West Michigan Avenue after the RDC approved the restaurant chains’ plans in early April.
The walk-in restaurant will be a 2,350-square-foot building with a single drive-thru lane and 32 parking spaces upon completion.
The developers filed their plans for this Chipotle with the county last March and submitted updated plans in late December. On April 3, they offered another set of updated plans.
RDC officials approved the latest set of plans during their April 9 meeting, and the location will be one of two new Chipotle restaurants opening in Escambia County soon.
Chipotle Mexican Grill, 8870 Boesch Lane
The other new Chipotle coming to Escambia County will open inside Ransley Station, an up-and-coming market in Northwest Pensacola.
The Chipotle will be a 2,325-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through lane and 36 parking spaces located on Boesch Lane. DRC officials approved this project during the July 9 meeting.
A Chipotle Mexican Grill representative told the News Journal it expects to open its Ransley Station store in early 2026. The location will be the fourth Chipotle in Escambia County.
Whataburger, 9510 N. Highway 98
Whataburger is opening a new location in Pensacola off Highway 98.
The new Whataburger will be built near North Blue Angel Parkway and West US Highway 98, inside the same plaza as Escambia’s newest Publix store.
Whataburger planned to build this restaurant for three years. Its original proposal was submitted to Escambia County on February 22, 2022, and they have submitted updated plans twice since then. The number of local Whataburger stores will increase to 10 locations with the new restaurant.
DRC officials approved this project during the April 30 meeting.
First Watch Ransley Station, 8860 Boesch Lane
Florida restaurant chain First Watch is expanding its local presence with the opening of a new location in northwest Pensacola.
The Sarasota-based chain will open a 3,900-square-foot restaurant at 8860 Boesch Lane, adjacent to a future Chipotle in Ransley Station. This location will be the third restaurant in the Pensacola area.
DRC officials approved this project during the August 6 meeting. First Watch told the News Journal that the new location at 8860 Boesch Lane is slated to open in mid-2026.
Culver’s, 8880 Boesch Lane
Northwest Pensacola will soon be home to another fast food restaurant option located at Ransley Station.
Culver’s is building a 4,985-square-foot restaurant with 124 seats — 100 indoors and 24 outdoors — as well as 65 parking spaces on a 1.49-acre parcel inside the developing plaza after the RDC approved its plans during its Aug. 20 meeting.
Brandon Cherry, owner of the Pace and Pensacola Culver’s locations, said they began breaking ground on the 4,985-square-foot Ransley Station restaurant in early November and expect to open in either late April or early May. This location will mark the third Culver’s in the area.
Foosackly’s, 2605 W. Nine Mile Road
Northwest Pensacola is getting a new place to grab chicken fingers, homemade dips and Southern-style fast food after Foosackly’s was approved to build its third Florida restaurant by RDC earlier this year.
The new 4,400 square foot restaurant will open on the corner of North Eight Mile Creek Road and West Nine Mile Road upon completion. The DRC approved this project during its meeting on September 24.
The beloved chicken chain is based in Mobile, Alabama and has 16 restaurants: 14 restaurants in Alabama and two locations in Florida, both located in Escambia County.
Waffle House, 6034 W. Nine Mile Road
Beulah residents are getting a new place for a hot meal any time of day.
Escambia County approved plans to build a new Waffle House restaurant off West Nine Mile Road in late March.
Escambia County property records show Waffle House bought the land for $474,000 in 2024 from its neighbor Anytime Storage. The DRC approved this project during its March 26 meeting.
This article originally appeared on the Pensacola News Journal: Costco, Chiptole, new hotel among Escambia’s best additions in 2025