Life is a beach at Mango Bay shop in Bonita

Beach wear, sandals and souvenirs are big business in Bonita Springs.

Tourist flock to the area looking for sun, surf and a good place to hang their hat.

And while Bonita Springs is the perfect hot spot for beaches, tourists also like shopping, and that’s why the Mango Bay Beach and Surf Co. opened its doors more than two years ago.

“We have a lot of tourists, locals, families,” said Lou Fodor, manager at the store. “We have everything you need for the beach.”

Apart from beach umbrellas and swim suits for kids, the store has everything a tourist or even local could want to decorate their home or take to friends and family back home.

“Tourism is big here, seems to be the only industry in Florida really,” joked Fodor, 38, of Fort Myers.

Almost every mug, beach themed frame and flamingo inspired statue in the store is imprinted with the words “Florida” or “Bonita Beach” printed on the front.

That beach charm is what brings Kathy Selden and her teenage daughters to the store.

“It’s a nice beachy store and kinda weird at the same time,” said Selden, who lives down the street from the Bonita Beach Road store. “The girls love to come see the suits and shirts.”

According to Fodor, the store tries to cater to teens looking for specific brand skate and surf apparel or sandals.

“It’s name recognition which is popular with young kids and our surf (area) is good,” Fodor said.

Selden’s sometimes brings her teens specifically for the sandal selection at the store.

“The girls love to get their flip flops because (the store) carries the brands that other stores don’t carry,” Selden said.

Because no pair of flip flops is complete without a T-shirt or accessories, the store also carries rings, bracelets and necklaces made from shells and other beach-inspired designs.

“It’s my first time here but it’s a very nice layout. Everything is very festive-looking,” said Austin Whitt, 15, of Ohio. He is visiting the area with his family and spent some time looking at the store’s shell collection.

Michelle Bannon of Illinois passed by the shop and was lured in by the ice cream and gelato cafe located at the back of the store. It was added to give tourists something extra that other stores in the area don’t offer, said Fodor.

“The ice cream is awesome! It’s lots of fun to come here and a lot of things for kids to do,” Bannon said. “The prices are good, too.”

“It brings the beach kind of feel when you come in here. I live here but it reminds me that I’m near a beach,” Selden said. “It gets you in the groove.”