Shops on Jekyll Island’s Historic Pier Road
By Tyra Douyon
Photography by Allison Leotis and Brian Austin Lee
The small cluster of buildings on Pier Road in Jekyll Island’s Historic District once served practical purposes during the island’s Gilded Age, housing everything from a taxidermist shop to a commissary for Club employees servicing nearby cottages. Today, that same stretch of road has become a destination in its own right, a carefully revitalized space with eight new retail and dining experiences that was completed in summer 2025. Called The District Shops, it now allows visitors to experience a fuller version of the island beyond its beaches.
Led by the Jekyll Island Authority, the restoration project emphasizes modern architecture while honoring the area’s historic past. Alexa Hawkins, director of marketing and communications for the JIA, says the transformation of Pier Road reflects how Jekyll Island is growing its tourism industry, while honoring what came before. “The District Shops is a part of the larger National Historic Landmark District, so it was important for us to maintain that history and those buildings,” Hawkins says.
The historic preservation requirements state that buildings must maintain their historic character, which limits what structural changes can be made and the types of businesses they can support. Over time, those limitations became more pronounced as Jekyll’s visitor preferences shifted. Unable to compete with the flexibility and draw of the island’s Beach Village shopping district, Pier Road struggled, and what was once a lively street full of thriving local businesses became low on visitor priority lists.
Listen First, Then Build
Before reimagining Pier Road, the JIA turned to data. In partnership with the Golden Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau, it conducted a visitor sentiment study, collecting feedback from roughly 40,000 respondents over three months. Clear themes soon emerged. “Visitors appreciated the lack of development, the open space, the wildlife, and the conservation,” Hawkins says. “But they also felt like it was very hard to find ample dining and activities to do after five o’clock.”
That visitor feedback became the blueprint for Pier Road’s revitalization. Rather than replicating what already existed in Beach Village, the JIA focused on creating a complementary experience that encouraged flexibility and one that specifically offered late-night dining options. The new District Shops now include a mix of food, retail, and experiential spaces.
Wake Up Coffee Company, which has several locations throughout the Golden Isles, is an anchor of the district, the first business visitors see when driving down Stable Road. “We’re so thankful to be on Jekyll,” says owner Bo Mann. “The local feedback has been tremendous. So many people have been coming to Jekyll for many years, sometimes since they were kids. It’s been cool to hear about their stories and be a part of it now. They’ve watched the evolution of The District Shops and the island itself, so it’s been great to see how positively they feel about all the changes.”
The new beer garden at Founder’s Social has also become a big draw, especially for those seeking a spot that stays open later. The menu features distinctive specialty items like German egg rolls and chicken schnitzel alongside familiar favorites, complemented by a well-curated selection of cocktails and mocktails.
New retail offerings were equally intentional. The 31•81 lifestyle shop celebrates the island’s coastal identity and sells a bevy of thoughtfully-branded merchandise like custom candles and sweatshirts, as well as designer items from brands such as Lilly Pulitzer and Smathers & Branson. Pier Road Outfitters highlights conservation and outdoor exploration, offering fishing poles, nets, hammocks, and reef-safe sunscreen to support your day on the water (or the trails). Georgia Grown Signature Shoppe, developed in partnership with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, has food and drinks that are locally grown in the state. Other storefronts like J.P. & Co., a Gilded Age portrait studio, and North Pole South, a year-round Christmas shop, draw directly from Jekyll’s history and traditions.
Besides offering new dining options, the JIA is doubling down on improving nightlife along Pier Road. A new District After Dusk winter entertainment series invites visitors to stroll the Historic District from 3-8 p.m. on select Saturdays to enjoy family-friendly activities, such as live music, food trucks, and dining and shopping specials.
“I would say at least half of our visitors on our trolley rides now will get off at The District Shops to stop and stroll,” Hawkins says. “They don’t stay on the trolley and take it all the way back to the museum anymore. We achieved our goal, which was to get people to stay in the district longer and to see more of the island. The beach is the natural draw, but there’s so much more to Jekyll Island than just our beaches.”
Managing Change and Resistance
As with any revitalization project, change can come with mixed reactions. Some visitors and locals expressed concern about modernization within such a historic and revered part of the island. Hawkins acknowledges that tension, noting that much of the responsibility for hearing the concerns of a few locals fell to JIA Executive Director Mark Williams, who stepped into his role amid the project’s rollout, but that he handled it with aplomb. “He continued to push forward and recognized that this truly was a valuable investment for the island,” says Hawkins.
Despite early apprehensions, now that the project is complete, many of those same locals now approve of the upgrades. Jay Duggan, Jekyll business owner and founding CEO of Launch Legacy Consulting, is a supporter. “I love The District Shops and have visited several times already with my wife, Cherie. We’ve been to Pier Road Outfitters, bought chocolates from Jekyll Island Sweets, and have eaten at Founder’s Social [several] times. It’s a great addition and gives visitors more to do on Jekyll,” he says.
Looking ahead, Hawkins is hopeful that The District Shops will expand in line with the needs of Jekyll’s visitors and residents. “I can’t say with certainty that The District Shops will look exactly as they do today in 10, 20, or 30 years,” she says. “However, I think that the purpose and goals for it will remain the same, which is always about meeting the needs of our visitors and residents and making sure that their interests are taken into account.”
It’s a delicate balance: respecting the past while staying relevant for the future. By balancing preservation with how visitors actually move through and experience the area, The District Shops offer a thoughtful approach to revitalization that is rooted in the island’s commitment to protecting history that matters—and still feels alive.
