This is an excerpt from PALMER Vol. 8. To read the full story, click here to purchase the issue.
PALMER commissioned fine-art photographer Tina Tyrell to spend a day in Palm Beach capturing some of our favorite people in familiar places.
Frankie Smith Greeter The Everglades Club Since 2002
At the west end of Worth Avenue, there is a familiar face who has been welcoming guests to the Everglades Club with a cheery “Good Morning” for more than 20 years. Often dressed in black and wearing his signature newsboy cap, Frankie Smith is proudly out front six days a week, rain or shine. The Garysburg, North Carolina, native moved to Florida in 1993 and started working at the club in 2002. He’s known for his generous spirit—he once gifted a Pizza Al Fresco pie to the staff at nearby Stubbs & Wootton—and willingness to help with whatever is needed. “I love the work i do out here in the sunshine,” he says. “It always makes me feel appreciated and valued.”
Margrit Bessenroth Owner Salon Margrit Since 1980
Walk into Salon Margrit and the feeling is instantly light and jovial. “A salon should always be a place where you have fun,” says the spirited Margrit Bessenroth, who wears a bright dress and heels despite both a sprained ankle and a broken foot. Hailing from Germany, the stylist opened her salon in The Esplanade on Worth Avenue in 1980, later moving it to its current larger location on Brazilian Avenue when she bought the building in 1987. The show now serves generations of women. “I love my faithful clientele,” Bessenroth says. “We just laugh all day long.” One longtime client, Deedee Lowe, describes visiting the salon, and its adjacent Abby’s On the Island boutique, as fun and therapeutic: “My mother used to say, when I leave Margrit’s, I feel like I have to go to confession.”
Joseph Azalino Owner Scotti’s Wine & Liquors Since 1999
With an interior that recalls a bygone era, Scotti’s Wine & Liquors reminds Joseph Azalino of “the old-time liquor stores in Europe.” The Long Island native moved to Palm Beach in 1996 and bought the shop three years later. “The store has become a Palm Beach tradition, and my clients are simply the best—loyal and appreciative.” The Caviar and Milk Now Available sign above the register attests to how full-service the store has become—Azalino will even meet with event planners and estate owners to plan out drink pairing menus for special occasions. “I’m on a first-name basis with many of them and they have become good friends.”
This is an excerpt from PALMER Vol. 8. To read the full story, click here to purchase the issue.