Offers A Personal Touch Gift

Nearly a year later, on May 1, owners Viki and Courtney Weir moved their personalized gift shop from its former location at 3055 Gulf Breeze Parkway to its new location in the Sea Shells Collections Shopping Center.

“Pizzaz is something very special for both me and Courtney,” Viki Weir said. “In April of 2008, we decided to go into business together and open this store. We opened the business last May and we just celebrated our one year anniversary. We started out small, and we just keep growing. As we grew and added more items we realized we needed more space. Our new spot here in the shopping center is wonderful. We have plenty of space and we are in a great location.”

The dream of owning a business goes back all the way to middle school for Courtney Weir.

“I always wanted to open a business; this type of customized gift shop here in Gulf Breeze,” Courtney Weir said. “I came up with the name for the store when I was in middle school. That is the reason that the store’s name is spelled the way it is. I didn’t correct my spelling before opening the store. We just went with the way I spelled it when I was younger.”

Unique gifts

Pizzaz features many one-of-a-kind items. What sets the local business apart from many of its competitors is the fact that all store items can be personalized or monogrammed to the customer’s satisfaction.

“Our store is about adding the personal touch,” Viki Weir said. “Our philosophy is simple. We want to provide great customer service. We want to make our customers feel special. Nothing makes a customer feel more special than personalizing or monogramming special gifts.”

The specialty gift shop features jewelry including items from the Sorrelli and Vietri collection. The business also sells a wide assortment of gifts representing five of the various colleges popular in this area.

“We do embroidery and monogramming on all of our merchandise,” Viki Weir said. “So far, we haven’t come across anything here in the store we couldn’t personalize. We carry some cosmetic bags that are already monogrammed with a letter representing a person’s name. These are very popular. We can’t keep them in stock. We monogram or customize acrylic, metal, cloth, plastic and many materials.”

Work done at store

Embroidery work or monogramming is done in the workroom of the business.

“We have commercial machines for monogramming,” Viki Weir said. “Items don’t take long to monogram or personalize. Generally we can have an item monogrammed or personalized for the customer the next day, since it is done in house. Sometimes it takes a few days, but we like to pride ourselves on having fast turnaround for our customers.”

Personalized wine glasses are also a big seller.

“We personalize wine glasses for various occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, bridal showers or vacation,” Viki Weir said. “One fun glass that is popular with visitors is ‘what happens at Pensacola Beach stays at Pensacola Beach.’ We add your name or the name of the person you are giving the glass to.”

Pizzaz also carries a variety of beach bags and handbags as well as baby gifts, stationary and invitations, beach towels, flip flops, photo frames, pillows, candles and lotion. The business features Lilly Pulitzer gifts including night lights and photo frames.

“We also offer specialty items for your vehicle,” said Courtney Weir. “We sell and customize or personalize car mats. We also customize license plates. These are very popular with our customers.”

“I love Pizzaz,” Kathy Ostrander of Gulf Breeze said. “I go in the store all the time. I love everything about the store. My favorite thing is the great personal service you get from Courtney, Viki and all of the store’s employees. They treat you like family. They will bend over backwards to help you and find what you need. They know you by name when you walk through the door. They remember what you have bought in the past. You just get a great feeling when you shop there.”

When the mother/daughter duo decided to open their business together they were optimistic about their future.

“We wanted to sell products that you couldn’t find in this area,” Viki Weir said. “We wanted to be different; be unique or special. Everyone needs their own niche.”

“We wanted to add a personal touch to our gifts and make our customers feel they received personalized treatment,” Courtney Weir added.

“Our goal after celebrating our one year anniversary is to keep doing what we have been doing,” Viki Weir said. “We live in a terrific community and we want to give back to the community and all its residents.”