Old Hickory Whiskey Bar owner opening new cocktail bar on Palafox in place of Pita Pit

If you ever wondered what kind of atmosphere a cocktail bar from the 1960s might have presented, The Kennedy in downtown Pensacola will serve as a time machine of sorts when it opens at the end of summer.

The Kennedy will assume the corner location at 1 Palafox Place previously occupied by Pita Pit, which closed in late 2017. It is the creation of Old Hickory Whiskey Bar owner Katie Garrett and will share some of the same staff members as its sister bar, according to the 30-year-old owner.

Traditional cocktails like the Boulevardier and the Old Fashioned will be prepared and served the proper way at The Kennedy with a specialty menu that offers modern twists on those time-tested favorites.

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"It's a mid-century modern, like, Mad Man-style place," Garrett said, referencing the popular former AMC TV show. "So we'll take like a Manhattan, make it the classic way, but then our bartenders are going to have a really fun, unique take on it. Our bartenders are going to create that menu as well, like they do at Old Hickory as far as all our seasonal drinks. But we're not focusing on any one particular spirit, so we'll focus on everything."

Wine, beer and even food will be served at the bar, which is named after John F. Kennedy and hopes to embody the former president's spirit.

"It's gonna have the mid-century influences, so in my head I was thinking, 'What was the most iconic thing I could think of in the 60s?' And thinking of the quintessential man of the early 60s, that presidential kind of personality, and John Kennedy is exactly where I went with that," Garrett said. "So if you think, 'Where would John Kennedy be drinking?' We want it to look like that."

Garrett said she wanted to utilize the kitchen left behind by Pita Pit so The Kennedy will offer a modest appetizer menu focusing on locally sourced ingredients for patrons craving a snack to complement their cocktails.

"It's not going to be a restaurant, it'll be really small plates and things of that nature," Garrett said.

Garrett leased the property inside of the Blount Building from Bobby Switzer's One Palafox Place LLC in January. The Kennedy marks her second business venture after opening Old Hickory at 123 Palafox Place in 2014. The University of West Florida graduate said she's learned a lot from her five years of proprietary experience.

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"I've been a patron of downtown Pensacola since I was 21 and just watching the changes — not just in our area but also in the drinking culture — I've stayed on top of that growth and how people are changing the way they're drinking," Garrett said. "It's a no-brainer to bring another cocktail bar to Pensacola because right now there are very few."

She said the new venture wouldn't be possible without Old Hickory's success.

"It should be really fun, we're excited to bring something new and different for people to experience," Garrett said. "It will be a brand new experience for people and that's what we really like doing at Old Hickory, is giving people experiences. So we're just thrilled to do it again."

Check out the incoming bar's website at TheKennedy.bar.

Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.