Viny's new food and beverage duo, Proper Burger and B Side bar, slated to open in September

Vinyl Music Hall’s new outdoor concept is gearing up to get started this September, bringing craveable smash burgers and craft cocktails to the heart of downtown Pensacola.

Onlookers have been eagerly anticipating what the new food and beverage duo, Proper Burger and B Side bar, will bring to Pensacola’s dining scene. As the restaurant is gearing up to open soon, here’s your first sneak peek at what the two are planning.

What will Vinyl’s new outdoor courtyard include?

B Side is the next phase of Vinyl Music Hall located at 2 S. Palafox Place, an outdoor venue that will serve as place to gather before a show, listen to music, have a craft cocktail and splurge on a burger at the Proper Burger food trailer.

The space is owned by B Side and leased to Proper Burger. Vinyl co-founders and cousins, Harry Levin and Evan Levin, will be running the B Side operation alongside B Side co-founder Teri Levin, while Artisan Restaurant Group will be focused on providing the quality food.

What's on Proper Burger's menu?

Proper Burger is going back to the basics with creating an incredible smash burger. The menu keeps it simple with high quality ingredients that do the talking, starting with a custom-made Costello’s Butcher Shop meat blend, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, pickles, onions and cheese, topped with a brioche bun and slathered with a signature Proper sauce that ties it all together. The burger patties can come single or double, with the choice for fries. The fries are made using beef tallow, giving it an extra delicious flavor. Although the Proper Burger combination will be the star of the menu, there will be more options with time.

“Essentially, there’s really only three products: it’s the fries, the single or the double, and that’s pretty much the entire menu,” Artisan Restaurant Group Partner Gabriel Hernandez said. “One of the key things that we do anytime we open something — we think it’s really important to start with what we feel people are going to enjoy. Then, just listen to feedback, take in all feedback, good or bad, and make adjustments as needed. So, we know that we’re going to be adding some stuff to the menu, but basically just based on what people say that they want.”

The short and sweet menu is loaded with mystery, as owners also plan on offering a secret, “if you know, you know” type menu, and a variety of rotating specials.

What kind of drinks will B Side offer?

B Side, Vinyl’s outdoor bar, will come with a full cocktail menu, local craft beer, wine, specialty cocktails and frozen cocktail options, according to Vinyl and B Side Bar Manager Aure Gandara.

Diners can expect to see creative drink options on the menu, like the Tully-ade Slushee, made with Tullymore Dew Irish Whiskey, lemonade, ginger beer and a dash of bitters.

Some of the classic cocktails on the menu will include refreshing choices like the Cucumber Collins made with Hanson cucumber vodka, fresh lemon juice, mudded with fresh cucumber and simple syrup and topped with soda water.

Who is Artisan Restaurant Group?

Pensacola’s Tacos Mexicanos owner Gabriel Hernandez joined forces with Artisan Restaurant Group investor Raf Simpson last year, and the group has been rolling out new restaurant concepts throughout Pensacola ever since. Proper Burger is the latest project to debut under their umbrella.

Hernandez said joining the group has allowed him to grow his business in ways he never imagined, while still staying true to its roots. His vision has only continued to grow as he works alongside his wife and co-owner Gabriela Ramirez, who is the namesake of their other concept, Gaby's Taqueria.

There are two different restaurant models that the group is building off of, Simpson said. Some of the restaurants opened by the group will have a high-end, luxury style, while others will follow the quick-service format like Gaby's, Tacos Mexicanos and now Proper Burger.

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Though the group plans to plant locations outside of the Sunshine State, they have chosen Pensacola as their home base to incubate new ideas.

"We started buying some real estate and started to invest in the community right away," Simpson said. "We are looking to expand our investment downtown and we feel very, very strongly about D.C. (Reeves) as the mayor. We'll will continue to deploy capital as long as the city is run the right way, so we feel very good about where the city is headed and the leadership."

All the restaurant concepts will be different in design, with construction also started on a high-end European style restaurant slated for downtown Pensacola this spring called Harry Roy. Simpson said the group owns the building the restaurant is being built in, which also currently hosts the newly opened Maker's Coffee.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Vinyl Music Hall brings Proper Burger food trailer to Pensacola