Entertainment complex with restaurants, bar, arcade coming to Nine Mile

A new entertainment complex is coming soon to the growing Nine Mile area at 1420 W. Nine Mile Road offering upscale Southern Creole dining, immersive virtual reality gaming, draft beer and bourbon walls and more.

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Entrepreneur Reddy Kandala, who recently transformed the former Gene’s Lounge into swanky sports bar, the Whiskey Barrel, has spent the past year dreaming up his next venture through the Pelican project.

After purchasing a highly desirable 3.1-acre plot of land across from the bustling West Nine Mile Towncenter, he originally planned to open a liquor store and rent out the rest. Then, as he got to building, the idea wheels continued turning. What goes better with a liquor store than a bar? What goes better with craft bourbon from the bar than a tender teres major steak? Might as well throw in some entertainment to keep the kids busy.

The result became a multifaceted entertainment complex including a liquor store, restaurant, bar and grill and arcade all under the Pelican branding.

Pelican Liquors will likely be the first to open in about a week or so, followed by the other shops soon after, hopefully by the month’s end. Once Pelican is complete, Kandala will begin building on his remaining land to lease to a mix of retailers.

Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the businesses offered under the Pelican umbrella.

Pelican Bar and Grill

Kandala created Pelican’s main bar to resemble a wood-paneled, classic Irish pub with giant TVs, stained glass chandeliers and casual seating.

Similar to Whiskey Barrel, Pelican will offer a wall of high-end whiskey, and customers can scan their pre-loaded payment card to unlock the pour.

The bar will have something similar for draft beers, where customers can pour as much or as little as they wish of different brands.

Food will be available through the bar and grill, which will specialize in more casual fare, such as high-quality Neopolitan-style pizzas.

Pelican Grill

If you’re looking for a higher-end dining experience, Kandala created a posh, elevated dining experience through the Pelican Grill restaurant.

While still under construction, the restaurant is coming together with white leather booths and hand-strung crystal chandeliers.

This restaurant will focus on elevated Southern Creole-inspired cuisine, featuring chef-curated dishes, such as an award-winning seafood gumbo, crab cakes, duck and andouille boudin balls.

The entrees will offer a taste of the region through dishes like Gulf snapper, teres major steak and a bananas foster crème brûlée.

Pelican Grill will also offer a weekend brunch playing into the restaurant’s flavors, but with lighter fare, including crab cake Benedicts and bananas foster French toast.

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While the two dining areas have distinct atmospheres, with the bar and grill maintaining a more lively atmosphere and the grill area being more elegant, you can order off the menu from either dining room.

Pelican Liquors

The shelves are already getting stocked at Pelican Liquors with a wide variety of beer, wine, spirits, bourbon and more sourced from all over the world. If you like what you try from Pelican’s bar, you can pick up a bottle easily at the store.

Pelican Liquors will also feature tastings and events within the store once it gets established.

To view the full variety of products they carry, visit their website at pensacolaliquors.com.

Pelican Arcade

Pelican Arcade will offer immersive virtual reality gaming experiences where guests can put themselves in the game, whether it be a flight simulation or a race car, as well as VR theaters.

In addition to the tech gaming areas, the arcade will also have more traditional bar games, such as pool tables.

Pelican Arcade is designed to be a family-friendly experience, however, the evening will sometimes open to a more nightlife atmosphere with music and special late-night food menus.

Kandala views the combination of a high-end bar and entertainment venue as something easy to find in larger cities such as Las Vegas, New York or Orlando, but something that Pensacola definitely lacked.

He intends for it to be a space that offers lots of different entertainment options while keeping prices reasonable.

Gearing up for opening day

Kandala has been at Pelican nonstop over the past five months, helping to perfect every detail in the new build in preparation for opening day.

He anticipates the whole facility will be open by October’s end, as long as final inspections go to plan.

For real-time updates and information, follow Pelican Bar & Grill on social media.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Entertainment complex with restaurants, bar, arcade coming to Nine Mile

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Reporting by Brittany Misencik, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

This story was originally published October 5, 2026 at 5:04 AM.