Can this former empty car lot bring nightlife to Berea?
A group of Berea business owners who neighbor each other are banding together on a space that will showcase work from local artists and bring nightlife to the quaint college town.
Ali Blair (Peg & Awl Public House, Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge), Erica Chambers (Erica Chambers Photography, Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge) and Katie Startzman (Native Bagel Company, Nightjar) have joined forces on The Lot, a collaborative venture launching on April 1 that puts to use a car lot that sat unkempt and empty next to their businesses for years.
Located on the corner of North Broadway and Chestnut Street, the women plan to use the space as after parties for the city’s First Friday Berea summer concert series, outdoor dining space for Nightjar and Peg & Awl and more.
During events there will be live music, vendors and a food truck will set up on site with a special, rotating Peg & Awl menu featuring everything from burgers to burritos, BBQ chicken and jackfruit sliders, tacos and more.
It will also be littered with tables for people to use during the day, but the main objective of The Lot is to bring more nightlife to the city. It’s the latest piece of the puzzle that’s been injected into the town’s Chestnut Street corridor in recent months.
In November 2021, Startzman launched Nightjar, a restaurant and bar concept out of the same building as the Native Bagel Company, which has received rave reviews. Then in December Rebel Rebel brought back its weekly open mic and listening room concerts, further lighting up the blossoming block.
According to Blair, the women hope to not only draw out locals to the Lot, but residents of Lexington and other surrounding cities as well.
“We have a lot of locals who drive up to Lexington for nightlife, but don’t get anywhere near the same traffic coming in the other direction,” said Blair. “We want to show people in Berea and elsewhere that we have a vibrant community here worth exploring and participating in. You don’t need to drive 45 minutes north to enjoy a fun night out.”
While live music and other events are expected to light up The Lot after dark, there will also be plenty going on with it during the day to catch passersby. A brick wall on the side of the Berea Arts Council building that borders The Lot will soon adorn the work of seven local women artists blown up onto weatherproof vinyl. The murals will contain QR codes with more information on each artist and are sure to catch people’s attention as they drive into Berea’s Old Town.
However, the murals won’t be the first art showcased at The Lot. Over the 2021 holiday season the women partnered with Berea Creates Together, a group helping to coordinate creative projects and build community in the town, to display a crocheted Christmas tree on the corner. Chambers said the response to it was overwhelming, with people traveling in from all over the state to witness the crocheted Christmas creation.
“We knew it would be successful, but to see it captivate as many people as it did only amped up our excitement for what’s to come here once we’re fully open,” said Chambers.
But things don’t end there. The Lot’s plot also contains a small building that used to house the car lot’s offices that the women are contemplating turning into mini retail space for a local female artist to test the waters before jumping into full-fledged entrepreneurship.
“I want people to know that entrepreneurship doesn’t just look like what you see on ‘Shark Tank,’” said Startzman. “My husband and I are a single paycheck family that started the Native Bagel Company out of our garage. It hasn’t always been easy, but anything is possible with a little hard work and proper planning. My goal is to help others realize this so they can shoot for the stars and try to achieve their dreams.”
First Friday Berea summer concert series on The Lot
Where: 448 Chestnut St., Berea
When: First Friday of April, May and June
Online: Facebook.com/TheLotBerea
This story was originally published March 31, 2022 at 6:00 AM.