Lexington new restaurant update: Is Dave & Buster’s dead? Tudor’s Biscuit World?
Heading into 2020, Lexington’s foodies and those who just plain love to go out to new places had a lot to look forward to.
Several new restaurants announced they were coming. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit and that has impacted just about every facet of life, including dining out.
At least one high-profile project, a new high-end rooftop bar and event venue, already has been canceled.
The 20|20 Rooftop project was supposed to add a new rooftop bar to the historic building at 161 North Limestone as part of major renovations. The renovations are still happening but the skyline addition isn’t, according to owners Aimee and Javier Lanza.
But the pandemic hasn’t stopped restaurants and bars from opening. ELIXIR, a new spot for brunch and nightlife, opened on Short Street in the former Parlay Social space in June. And popular Mexican restaurant Papi’s on Euclid opened a street taco stand on South Broadway.
Ethereal Brewing opened its downtown public house on Vine, serving tacos by Bazaar Eatery. And DV8 Kitchen is readying a second location with a larger bakery at the corner of Midland, Winchester and Third Street.
Here is an update on some of the other restaurants that were expected to make big splashes this year.
Frank & Dino’s
This new fine-dining Italian restaurant began work in January on a space in an historic building on Short Street along downtown’s Restaurant Row. Florida Thoroughbred owner, breeder and trainer Carlo Vaccarezza planned to open a Lexington location of his popular Boca Raton spot before the Keeneland September sale.
Update: Delayed but still coming.
“We came out of the gate like a quarter horse, then the pandemic hit us pretty bad,” Vaccarezza said. But demolition is done and work is beginning on fitting up the restaurant’s kitchen.
Soon they plan to begin building out the interior of the restaurant and the bar, he said.
The good news is that all of the pieces are coming together quickly, with kitchen equipment already shipped and custom items coming along soon, he said.
Vaccarezza said the timeline has been pushed back but they hope to open between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“It’s definitely going to happen. We’ve got everything here,” he said. “There’s no way we’re not going to do it. It’s just when. Hope by the end of the year — my mouth to god’s ear — this pandemic will be almost gone, but it’s not very easy, let’s put it this way.”
He said that he expects it will take some time for people to regain confidence and feel free to dine out.
Dave & Buster’s
This was huge news in 2019, that Lexington was finally getting a Dave & Buster’s. The 30,500-square-foot restaurant, bar and family entertainment center was coming to South Park, the shopping center at Nicholasville and New Circle Road, expected to open in early 2021.
Update: Looks like a bust.
Kaden Companies, which bought the South Park shopping center and planned to build the new restaurant, declined to comment. Construction was supposed to begin in early 2020 at 240 Canary Road but nothing has happened since COVID hit in March.
On July 2, Dave & Buster’s said it had terminated nine leases for stores slated for 2021 or beyond. The company did not indicate which locations were dead and which were on hold but that they were waiting to see what the new normal will look like.
Either way, it looks like Lexington won’t be getting one any time soon.
Dave & Buster’s, which features arcade games for kids and adults to play, has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic closures.
Before the current spike in cases began, the company secured a $100 million investment to try to stave off bankruptcy and reopen stores. Both the Louisville and Florence locations reopened in July.
“A more prolonged crisis, including a resurgence of infections following relaxation of mitigation restrictions, will place far greater strains on our liquidity,” Dave & Buster’s said in an SEC filing.
Bella Cafe and Grille
This new place from legendary Lexington restaurateur Kuni Toyoda also began reconstruction in January on a location in the heart of Chevy Chase where a longtime French bakery and cafe had been.
Update: Delayed but still coming.
“Yes, Bella Cafe & Grille is still coming to Chevy Chase,” Toyoda said in an email. He said he does not have a time frame yet, but wants it to be “a festive occasion for our guests.”
He said he hopes to open next spring but may start doing some baking this fall for people in the neighborhood.
“We will open when our guests are ready to dine without so much fear of the virus,” said Toyoda, who came up with unlimited breadsticks when he owned five Fazoli’s franchises in Lexington in the early 1990s as well as developing the Bella Notte, Crust (now known as Bella Forno) and Smashing Tomato concepts.
ItalX
Chef Jonathan Lundy, along with partners TJ Cox and Brie Lowry Cox, had been expecting to open their latest venture in the City Center block earlier this year.
Update: Still coming.
The paper is off the windows on Main and Upper but ItalX isn’t quite ready yet. Stay tuned for news in August, according to Brie Lowry Cox. The restaurant will serve a menu of avant-garde Italian food, with handmade pastas, a “local interpretation of a Mediterranean bistro.” Think small plates, not massive piles of spaghetti, Lundy said last year when the restaurant was announced.
Postmaster’s Pub
When Brian Behr decided to close and revamp The Village Idiot, he expected to reopen in March. Right around the time COVID hit.
Update: On hold.
Behr said although the name have been revised, he still plans to reopen the restaurant on Short Street eventually.
Tudor’s Biscuit World
This chain is big in West Virginia and had made plans to open the first Lexington location of Tudor’s Biscuit World this summer.
Update: Still coming.
Pat Tudor said via email he plans to open the restaurant at 757 East New Circle Road “sometime this summer” but doesn’t want to give any specific dates yet in case plans have to change again.
Tudor’s Biscuit World is a family-owned restaurant chain that is “a fast-food breakfast joint,” Tudor said, with a menu of biscuits, as well as other options for breakfast and lunch.
Cornerstone, UK’s food hall
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The University of Kentucky announced plans to put a food hall in on the ground floor of the expanded parking garage on Limestone. The Cornerstone Exchange food hall would have a brewpub, a coffee shop and a local pizza restaurant, along with an esports room and other facilities.
Update: Staggered openings.
Melody Flowers, executive director for strategic policy and analysis in the office of the executive vice president for Finance and Administration, said that Cup of Common Wealth will still open this fall when students return.
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But West Sixth’s brewery and Rolling Oven’s pizzeria will wait until January.
“We have asked the construction team to focus on getting the UK esports and innovation space finished as the top priority and so the food hall is lagging behind just a bit,” Flowers said via email.
Joella’s at Hamburg
The hot chicken restaurant Joella’s was planning on moving into 2305 Sir Barton Way, where Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza had been.
Update: Flame’s gone out.
“Joella’s does not have current plans to open a store in Hamburg,” Christina Happel, regional vice president of operations for Joella’s Hot Chicken, said in a statement on July 27. “While we do look for growth opportunities in our existing markets, we’ve paused on opening any new locations that weren’t already in progress before the pandemic.”
Bandido Taqueria Mexicana
Louisville-based chain Bandido Taqueria Mexicana was set to open a location in the spring across from the University of Kentucky campus to serve California-style tacos and street corn, including a version covered with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Update: On hold
Not coming anytime soon. At least not until the pandemic dining restrictions have eased, said owner Gerardo Ochoa.
“We are currently waiting on the governor to announce that we can have 100 percent capacity again,” Ochoa said in June via email. “The reason being is that I want my new customers to have the whole Bandido dining experience, with the salsa bar out in place since we are new to Lexington.”
Taco Tico
The latest location of Taco Tico on Southland Drive was in the works at the beginning of the year.
Update: Open.
The drive through has opened for this Tex-Mex restaurant that has a cult-like following.
“We (all our Taco Ticos, including Southland ) will continue to operate our drive thru’s wearing masks and following all the governor’s guidance and mandates,” according to a statement from Greer Companies. “The safety of our staff and guests are obviously most paramount. Therefore we will continue to evaluate best timing to meet our safety and operational objectives for opening the dining rooms.”
Texas Roadhouse
A new location for Texas Roadhouse on Richmond Road was planned for 2020.
Update: Under construction.
The 8,800-square-foot, 300-seat restaurant is being built on a spot carved out of the vacant Walmart parking lot, which is now owned by Don Franklin Auto Group.
The new restaurant is scheduled to open at the end of October, according to a spokeswoman.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 12:34 PM.
