Flip Flop Shops owners find success in Punta Gorda

When Jaci Thatcher and Noreen Lode first worked together at Flip Flop Shops in Punta Gorda, neither imagined they would one day own the business. 

The two Midwest transplants took a chance by approaching the franchise owners with an offer to buy the store, believing they might be ready to sell. The owners accepted, and Thatcher and Lode became business partners before relocating Flip Flop Shops in August 2025 from Cross Trails Center to Bal Harbor Plaza. 

Nearly a year later, after the challenges of moving and fully stocking the new location, the business celebrated its official ribbon cutting with the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce. 

Thatcher recently reflected on the unlikely path that led to ownership. 

When she was hired as the store’s manager, Thatcher admitted she was initially nervous about supervising Lode, who had already been working there and is about a generation older. 

Instead, the two quickly became friends. 

Both came to Southwest Florida from the Midwest — Thatcher from Michigan and Lode from Chicago — and both loved the business and the brands they sold. 

In her previous career, Lode taught school for about three decades in Chicago and later in Charlotte County. She eventually retired from teaching to focus on the business full time. 

Thatcher said managing Flip Flop Shops was her first job after moving to Charlotte County, and she has never looked back. 

Flip Flop Shops is located in Bal Harbor Plaza at the intersection of Aqui Esta Drive and Bal Harbor Boulevard. The plaza is home to Brooklyn Joe’s pizza, Coastal Isles Wine Bar, The UPS Store, Jelly Bird Café & Bakery, The Treasure Chest Consignment Shop, Isles Fitness, CKB Creations Kitchen & Bath Design, PGI Market and several other businesses. 

Although Thatcher and Lode moved into the new location in August 2025, logistical challenges and the time needed to fully stock the store delayed the official ribbon cutting until this year. 

Flip Flop Shops carries footwear for men, women and children from brands including Birkenstock, OOFOS, Reef, Archies and Sanuk. The store also offers goodr and Melonz sunglasses, footwear embellishments, jewelry, washable beach blankets that don’t trap sand like traditional terry-cloth towels and other beach accessories. 

Growing demand for flip-flops and slides — even in colder climates where many people wear them year-round — can make some brands difficult to keep in stock because retailers across the country are competing for the same inventory. If customers can’t find the style or size they want, Thatcher and Lode are happy to place a special order. 

The warm weather on July 15 brought several customers into the air-conditioned store after visiting neighboring businesses. Among them was Cindy Silvers, who stopped in while waiting for her husband after a salon appointment. Although it was her first visit to Flip Flop Shops, she left with a purchase that also entered her into a gift basket drawing. 

Thatcher also helped Brayden Mesh choose a pair of slides. 

Men’s footwear sizes range from 8 to 15, women’s sizes begin at 5, and the store also offers a wide variety of children’s styles and sizes. 

Thatcher and Lode are planning a major event at the shop in August that will be announced on the Flip Flop Shops Facebook page. 

Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Beginning this fall, hours will expand to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 

Flip Flop Shops is located at 1133 Bal Harbor Blvd., Unit 1123.