About 500 people visited Second Park Lounge & Cafe Sept. 6 to see what the new Bremerton establishment had to offer.

Second Park Lounge & Cafe opened for business July 1 across from Evergreen Park in Bremerton and owner Robert Gray said the grand opening celebration was a hit.

“Our grand opening really kicked things off,” Gray said.

People enjoyed free hamburgers, hot dogs and lemonade while listening to live music at Second Park Lounge & Cafe’s grand opening.

Gray, a California native, moved to Washington several years ago and kept his eye on the vacant McKenzie Avenue building.

Gray said he used to pull up next to the building and peek in the windows, dreaming of how he could turn it into a cafe.

He then took a tour of the building and decided he had to have it.

“I didn’t know how much it was, I just said ‘I’ll take it,’” Gray said.

Second Park Lounge & Cafe serves up a variety of food including soups, salads, pastas, pizza, hot/cold sandwiches, stuffed chicken and pork tenderloin.

“We don’t use any oil or grease,” Gray said. “With that, we kind of gear more towards a healthier style of eating.”

Second Park Lounge & Cafe’s bar is on the second floor and Gray said his bartender serves up all sorts of speciality drinks, including one named after the Sinclair Inlet.

“I’ve never ever tasted anything like them,” Gray said of the drinks.

He said he has yet to receive a complaint about Second Park Lounge & Cafe and his staff has a great deal to do with the high level of customer satisfaction.

“I’m real blessed with the hired help I have here,” he said. “I’m real lucky.”

Gray, who also owns a construction company, said his father is a cook, which sparked his interest in the restaurant business.

“I grew up in the back of a restaurant. My dad’s an amazing cook,” he said.

Gray said he plans to have live music at Second Park Lounge & Cafe, mainly when the weather is nice so musicians can play in the outdoor garden area.

“We do plan on doing a lot of special events,” Gray said. “It’s real tough right now with the limited space.”

Second Park Lounge & Cafe is closed on Sundays for reserved parties and people can book parties in the evenings as well.

“We don’t leave until the last person leaves,” Gray said.

He said he loves having his business next to Evergreen Park and actually named the business after the park. Gray originally wanted to call it Park Cafe, but a friend looked up Evergreen Park on the Internet and discovered that Evergreen Park became Bremerton’s second park in 1908, so the restaurant was named Second Park Lounge & Cafe.

Gray said he loves the Bremerton community and could not have opened Second Park Lounge & Cafe without their support.

“I couldn’t do it without the help of the community and the city of Bremerton,” he said. “Just being involved with the community down here has been phenomenal.”