The roughly half-acre property is located in Walton County, along the western end of Scenic Highway 30A.
Brian Jenkins, 62, who retired from the entertainment and restaurant chain in 2021, bought the roughly half-acre property with his wife, Deborah Jenkins, in 2018 for just over $4 million, according to property records.
The pair, who are high-school sweethearts from Texas, used the circa-2015 home as a family getaway with their children and grandchildren.
At the home, “we’ve had several fabulous Christmases,” said Deborah, 60.
Spanning roughly 4,800 square feet, the house has four levels and three balconies that overlook roughly 70 feet of beach frontage. The fourth-floor balcony has a fire pit and the third-floor balcony has a heated plunge pool and an outdoor kitchen, according to Jonathan Spears with
Compass’ Spears Group, who shares the listing with colleague Luke Andrews.
Around the fire on the fourth-floor balcony, “our niece and her husband are both musicians and would perform many times,” said Deborah.
The Jenkinses began visiting Walton County’s coastline in the 1990s because they could drive there from Texas. When Brian was getting ready for retirement, they began daydreaming about owning a beach home and it was the first place that came to mind.
The property stood out to them because of its privacy and views. To its north are protected wetlands and to the south is the beach. The beach in front of their home is dog friendly and not heavily trafficked, said Spears.
“If the water is calm, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll see a dolphin in the morning,” said Deborah. She and Brian have binoculars and often look for sea life from their balconies.
A long, wide paver driveway runs adjacent to the wetlands and can fit around eight cars. The driveway is spacious enough that this summer they hired a chef to cook a hibachi meal out there with their family. “It was a blast,” said Deborah.
The pair made some cosmetic changes to the home after they purchased it. Outside, there is a small patch of sand on the ground level that they call “Brian’s Beach.” The sandy area is natural, but they maintain it with a layer of white sand that their landscaper brings in.
Property values along Scenic Highway 30A soared during the pandemic, according to Spears. So far this year there have been 10 home sales along the coastline north of $10 million, he said. In 2019, there were none.
The Jenkinses said that back in 2018 they knew the home’s value would grow over time because it’s beachfront. An increase in demand spurred by the pandemic paired with a limited supply of beachfront homes has accelerated that growth, Brian said. A nearby five-bedroom home just sold for $11.5 million, according to Zillow. The seller bought it for $2.5 million in 2013.
The Jenkinses have decided to sell the home because they want to spend more time with their family in Texas. They said they still plan to visit the coastline occasionally.
