Percussion grand opening June 1

Percussion, the new restaurant located at 525 Warren Ave., features family-friendly fare and a relaxed atmosphere, playing off the themes of good music and good times, old and new. It is the latest creation of Amy and Bruce Zimmerman, parents of four, who moved to Osceola five years ago.

“People always ask, ‘Do you have any experience?’” said Bruce, who sports an impressive resume for any position in the restaurant industry.

Before settling down in Clarke County, the Zimmermans divided their time between eateries in different regions of the U.S.

“I was trained in Johnston, but then I was the bar and dining room manager at the Turtle Creek Club in Tequesta, Florida. I was the maitre d’ at the Jupiter Island Club in Hobe Sound. That was in winter. In summer, I was the bar and dining room manager at Edgartown Yacht Club in Martha’s Vinyard,” said Bruce. “Then we decided we didn’t want to go back and forth, so we moved to upstate New York, and I was the food and beverage director of the Elmira Country Club.”

Moving to Osceola meant taking on several Northern Lights Pizza branches in the Metro for the franchise owners. While Bruce didn’t know anything about pizza before, the position has proved lucrative now that the Zimmermans have a restaurant of their own.

Without becoming a fully fledged franchise, they’re able to serve select Northern Lights products on a carryout basis, a perk that’s already captured the interest of local residents. It’s also a choice that works well with the rest of the menu.

“We’re traditional American with a hint of Italian,” said Amy.

Percussion boasts a few special dishes, like the Texas Tommy, anything but your traditional hotdog, the Chicken Spiedie, a favorite invented in Amy’s hometown, and Percussion’s crowd-pleasing pasta bakes, made with Gemelli Pasta. Surprisingly tasty, it also comes with a double meaning for the family.

“In Italian, it means twins,” said Bruce, remindful of the couple’s oldest daughters.

Every aspect of the business somehow connects with family for the Zimmermans, not least of which are daily operations. Bruce covers cooking and kitchen duties, while Amy is in charge of of front-of-house. Their older daughters, recent Clarke graduates Bailey and Solanna, split their time helping their parents, while younger sister Mallory works the milkshake and smoothie bar.

Their grand opening is slated for June 1, which also has special connotations for the family. It’s the anniversary of the death of Amy’s younger brother, James Hall, who passed away at age 23. Like Bruce, he was a percussionist and loved to cook.

“We know in spirit he’s celebrating with us,” said Amy.

Starting Thursday, June 1, Percussion begins serving a full menu and expands its hours to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays.