Longtime Lexington restaurant closes; others act to avoid becoming coronavirus collateral
As events cancel across Lexington and Central Kentucky because of coronavirus, restaurants are reeling.
And one longtime Lexington restaurant may be the first lost to the outbreak: Alfalfa on Main Street posted on its Instagram on Saturday that it will be closing after Sunday.
The post showed a chalk sign outside the front door that said: “We are closing indefinitely after this Sunday. Come in to say Goodbye.”
Co-owner Amy Messer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether she plans to reopen after the outbreak subsides.
Messer bought the almost 50-year-old restaurant in 2018.
With the public warned to avoid crowds and practice social distancing to stem the spread of COVID-19, restaurants are already seeing fewer customers.
They’d been expecting to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this weekend and were preparing for thousands of hungry fans to be in town next week for the boys’ Sweet Sixteen basketball tournament.
Not to mention the Lexington Comicon, now postponed until May. The annual comics convention is the largest expo at Central Bank Convention Center, with more than 35,000 attendees.
Suddenly, local bars and restaurants are looking at a lot of empty tables.
So they are taking to social media, asking patrons to keep coming. They are offering a range of accommodations, from spreading out tables and eliminating glassware in favor of plastic cups to delivery and curbside pickup.
Some delivery services like DoorDash and Instacart, which does groceries, will let you ask for your items to be left on the doorstep, an option if you’re feeling unwell.
Some also are asking customers to minimize the use of cash, in favor of credit cards and tap-to-pay options.
One popular post, shared widely over social media, showed a lonely waiter, standing at the door of an empty restaurant with this suggestion: “Fear of the Corona virus is keeping people away from restaurants, who usually operate on small margins. So here’s something you can do: go to your favorite restaurant and buy a gift certificate (or get it online if possible.) Buy it directly from the restaurant, so they get to use of your money for a month or two. Then when things have settled down, treat your sweetie to an evening out and use your certificate!”
One thing they don’t want: Sick customers. Over and over, restaurants and bars on social media are asking people to stay home if they have coronavirus symptoms or if others in their household have them.
Here are some options; check DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats and other delivery services for more local restaurants:
▪ Epping’s on Eastside, Poppy & Olive and Coles 735 Main will all offer takeout; Epping’s is on DoorDash.
▪ J. Render’s in Beaumont is offering online ordering and pickup, or delivery through DoorDash. You can also order CuetoYou packages for next-day pickup or delivery.
▪ Distilled in Lexington, and Heirloom and Mezzo in Midway, will be offering curbside to-go service.
▪ Martine’s Pastries on West Third is rolling out front door/curbside pickup for those prepaying by credit card. The restaurant also has spread out seating and set up a sanitation station.
▪ Wallace Station and Midway Bakery in Midway, and Windy Corner Market, Zim’s Cafe, Honeywood and Smithtown Seafood at West Sixth in Lexington all are offering curbside pickup.
▪ Good Foods Co-op on Southland has changed its hot bar, salad bar and soup bar: No more typical self-serve. Instead, they will have the same food pre-packaged and in grab & go coolers. You can still order sandwiches, coffee and smoothies from the service counter for now.
▪ Bourbon N Toulouse is offering delivery via Grubhub and DoorDash as well as catering.
▪ The Press, 191 Kentucky Avenue, is offering delivery via DoorDash & Grubhub.
▪ Backroads Bakery on West Sixth will do curbside pickup.
▪ Graze Woodlands on Main and Woodland is offering carryout and DoorDash delivery.
▪ West Sixth Brewery, which is halting public tours, is also discontinuing beer flights and switching to plastic cups. And offering $1 off to-go six-packs, bottles or crowlers “to encourage folks to enjoy their brews off site.”
▪ Country Boy is switching to plastic cups and suspending growler refills, beer flights and beer samples. New growlers will be sold at half-price. Board games removed and yoga at Georgetown is canceled.
▪ Blue Stallion Brewing is switching to single-use compostable cups and eliminating tasting splashes and liters of beer.
▪ Mirror Twin Brewing also is switching to plastic.
▪ Sutton’s on Locust Hill does its own delivery, and also has curbside pickup. It’s also on various delivery apps. And Sutton’s will delivery wine, beer and spirits.
▪ Palmer’s Fresh Grill is on Door Dash and Uber Eats and will include a $10 off gift car as a reward with each to go/Uber Eats/Door Dash order for next time.
▪ Ranada’s Bistro and Bar is offering delivery Wednesday through Saturday and will halt Sunday brunch after this weekend until further notice.
▪ The Mousetrap offers catering with delivery for next-day service. They’ll also bring orders to your car if they are able.
▪ Minton’s at 760 North Limestone offers delivery and curbside takeout; the restaurant also is limiting self-serve options and going to disposable straws and wrapped utensils.
▪ GirlsGirlsGirls Burritos on South Limestone offers bicycle delivery and takeout and online orders. They are offering free delivery and you can add in the instructions if you want the order left on the doorstep. Tables in the restaurant have been spread out.
▪ Crank & Boom has pint delivery through AMAZON PRIME NOW with a select line up of flavors. Just search for Crank & Boom Ice cream on your Amazon app (in Lexington & Louisville only) — delivery is usually within a couple of hours.
▪ The Cellar Bar & Grille on Lansdowne is now offering curbside pick up.
▪ Doodles on North Limestone is offering curbside takeout and will begin offering walk-up service from its food truck too. They also are letting people wait in cars for seats, rather than in the lobby.
▪ The Bar Complex on Main Street announced it is closing for two weeks.
▪ The Sage Rabbit on South Ashland will offer curbside pickup. Menus were updated today on website. Call to place orders.
▪ Dupree Catering and Events will post on its web site a limited menu for pick up or delivery (there is a fee for delivery) of family-style meals. Call by 9 a.m. for same day delivery.
▪ Dudley’s on Short says it will do to-go orders and even take it to your car. Inside seating will be spaced out.
▪ Bluegrass Hospitality Group’s restaurants do curbside pickup.
▪ Wild Thyme Cooking will continue weekly meal service and classes. Owner Allison Davis will offer two pick-up days a week and discounted delivery fee. Curbside pickup available. Place orders online at WildThymeCooking.com.
▪ Roulay Restaurant on Short will be available on DoorDash and UberEats.
▪ Bradford BBQ in Lancaster will have limited hours and is encouraging carry and curbside pickup, with all disposable items for dining in.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 4:16 PM.
