Cup of Common Wealth owner exits Alfalfa restaurant partnership

Salvador Sanchez is out of Alfalfa, just a few months after getting in.

The owner of Cup of Common Wealth and Chocolate Holler has parted amicably from Cameron Heathcoat, whose husband, Kevin, co-owner of Bourbon n’ Toulouse, will step in.

“It just didn’t feel right in my gut,” Sanchez said. “We still want to do a breakfast café down the road ... I think they’ll do a great job with it, and (Bourbon n’ Toulouse) probably fits the Alfalfa style better.”

Sanchez announced the change on Facebook, saying “We’ve loved every second of our involvement and are glad to have been a part of things. ... We’re still BIG fans of the institution and all its amazing stewards over the past several decades, including the current ones — our friends, Cameron and Kevin Heathcoat.”

Cameron Heathcoat confirmed that Sanchez isn’t involved in the restaurant any longer.

“We’re still good friends,” she said. “Kevin really wanted to be involved in the restaurant and he is now my new business partner. It was a very easy transition. He stepped away and Kevin stepped in. No bad blood at all.”

In May, owners Jim Happ and Betsey Moses announced they were selling Alfalfa, which has been a part of the Lexington dining scene for almost 45 years.

Sanchez and Cameron Heathcoat planned to keep the restaurant true to its healthy eating traditions, with organic meat and produce, grown locally whenever possible, but updated a bit.

Heathcoat said that Alfalfa now has received its liquor license and plans to add a bit more fun to the menu.

“So the chef is creating a Bloody Mary omelet,” she said.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Cup of Common Wealth owner exits Alfalfa restaurant partnership."