RIP: The nearly 40 restaurants Lexington lost in 2020, many to coronavirus
It’s no secret that 2020 was a very tough year for Lexington’s restaurants and bars. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting early in the year, they faced shutdowns in the spring and in the winter, with capacity limitations and dining restrictions in between designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
While outdoor dining, carryout and alcohol to go helped many stay open, it wasn’t enough for everyone.
More than 34 Lexington restaurants and bars closed over the last year.
Many restaurants, particularly those on the bubble before the pandemic, were forced to close for good.
And, as in any year, there was turnover even before the economic upheaval caused by the virus.
What Lexington restaurants closed this year?
A&W, 652 E. Main St., was a big shock. It closed in September even as the hamburger chain headquartered in Lexington was posting big sales numbers fueled by the pandemic as people migrated to drive-thrus. The restaurant had been there for five years and extensively remodeled to pilot a new A&W design.
Bankara Ramen, 1030 S. Broadway, closed in October after a health department shutdown for a “severe infestation of roaches.”
Bar Louie at Fayette Mall closed in March and did not reopen. The restaurant opened in the summer of 2017, its second attempt in the Lexington market. The chain filed for bankruptcy in January 2020.
The Barn at The Summit at Fritz Farm (except for Whiskey Bear bar) closed in May. When it opened in 2017, it was hailed as Kentucky’s first food hall, giving locally owned food providers a place to sell together. The Smithtown Seafood location closed but the Crank & Boom moved to Clays Mill. The only place inside still open is Whiskey Bear, which has an outdoor patio and can serve sip-and-shop drinks.
Bella Forno, 2601 Richmond Rd., confirmed in October that the pizza place once known as Crust would not be coming back. Owner Kuni Toyoda decided instead to focus on his other concepts, including Bella Notte, Smashing Tomato and the new Bella Cafe.
Best Friend Bar, 500 E. Euclid Ave., closed in August after six years, shuttering a live music venue that had developed a reputation as a great place for chefs to showcase in pop-ups. Entrepreneur John Tresaloni is bringing back campus bar the Fishtank to the location.
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, 2305 Sir Barton Way, closed at the end of February, an apparent victim of Lexington’s competitive pizza wars. The restaurant was one of three locations here; now the chain is down to one at The Summit.
The Chop House, 2640 Richmond Rd., closed in November after indoor dining was closed for three weeks because of the pandemic. The Tennessee-based chain said that the lease was up and they just couldn’t see going on with the location where the restaurant had been for more than two decades. Instead, they will look to come back in a new spot with the economy improves.
Cosmic Charlie’s on Loudon Avenue closed in May due to the coronavirus pandemic. The music venue and bar had moved again and again, opening lastly in a former bus wash nine months earlier. But the virus made live shows too dangerous for crowds and livestreaming performances just wasn’t enough to sustain the club.
Dave & Buster’s, South Park shopping center, was supposed to be built in 2020 and open in early 2021. But the 30,500-square-foot project barely got started before grinding to a halt because of the pandemic. With the chain now hovering on the edge of bankruptcy and laying off more than 1,300 workers, Lexington won’t be getting one anytime soon.
Denny’s on Nicholasville and on Newtown Pike closed in mid-March with the pandemic shutdown and never reopened.
Edley’s BBQ at The Summit at Fritz Farm closed in March and the Tennessee-based chain said they location would not be coming back.
Gather on Main closed in June. The coffee, beer and sandwich shop opened as The Casual Pint in 2017 then dropped the franchise to go local in 2019.
George’s Deli on North Limestone was going to close at the end of the year but the owner decided to go ahead and close up shop when the pandemic hit in March and office workers were sent home. Likewise, the planned 20/20 Rooftop Bar in a new top floor of 161 N. Limestone was put on hold indefinitely.
Gold Star Chili in Palomar Centre off Man o’War and Harrodsburg Road closed in March for good. But the Cincinnati-style chili chain still has locations in Lexington at Hamburg and Fayette Mall.
Hayden’s Stockyard Eatery at the Bluegrass Stockyards announced in September that it would not be reopening. Owner DaRae Marcum said she needed to focus on her catering business for now. But the space was quickly filled by The Cattle Drive, a new restaurant.
Honna-Lee Bubble Tea, 1983 Harrodsburg Rd., closed after almost a decade of selling specialty drinks. It reopened briefly under new ownership, but apparently has closed again for good now.
HopCat, 410 W. Short St., announced in the fall that it would not be reopening. The Michigan-based chain went into bankruptcy and began shedding locations. Known for “Cosmic” fries, craft beer and burgers, HopCat opened in the fall of 2015 in The Square after a major renovation.
Josie’s in Georgetown, open near the Kentucky Horse Park for almost three years, announced in June that it would not reopen after shutting down after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. They still have a location in Chevy Chase.
Locals’ Craft Food & Drink on National Avenue announced in May that the restaurant would be closing rather than renewing its lease.
Lyles BBQ on Clays Mill closed at the end of January despite building a big fan base for the family’s barbecue over the last five years. “The support you guys showed brought us all the way from a tent on the side of the road to our location on Clays Mill,” the restaurant said in a post on Facebook. “It’s been a crazy ride.” The restaurant specialized in smoked meats, made-from-scratch sides and desserts that won a loyal following.
Nick Ryan’s on Jefferson Street closed in March and in May was put up for sale. Later in the year, Distilled moved from The Sire Hotel in Gratz Park to the location.
O’Charley’s closed several locations around the country including two in Lexington. The Nicholasville Road location closed in February, along with one in Frankfort. The O’Charley’s on Richmond Road, which was the original location in Lexington, closed later in the year. Now only one on Harrodsburg Road is left.
Orange Leaf near Hamburg closed at the end of January after nine years. The frozen yogurt chain now has only one location left in the city, on Tiverton.
Parlay Social, 249 W. Short St., was a popular downtown nightclub for years. It closed in February and the historic building was sold and reopened eventually as ELIXIR, a new music venue.
Portofino, 249 E. Main St., announced the restaurant would be closing at the end of the 2020 and owners Wayne and Susan Masterman are retiring after 26 years. The news broke in November when restaurants were ordered to halt indoor dining again. They announced that the restaurant’s art collection would be for sale.
Saul Good, 1808 Alysheba Way, closed at the end of February after almost a decade at Hamburg. The restaurant was successful but owners Rob and Diane Perez had a chance to focus on growing other parts of their restaurant empire. So they let this one go.
Saul Good, 123 N. Broadway, also closed in December. This location, which opened in 2013, never reopened after the March shutdown. Rob Perez said they had hoped to renegotiate a lease that would allow them to come back in The Square but could never reach an agreement.
Save-A-Lot on Southland Drive closed in July, leaving fried chicken lovers out of luck for now. But there is hope: Critchfield’s Market has moved into the space and plans to open an expanded deli and grill and again offer what many consider Lexington’s best fried chicken.
Shakespeare & Co. closed its last Lexington location at 367 W. Short St. in June. The location was turned into a new bar, The Queue, to go with the dance club XOXO upstairs and the cocktail bar Script next door.
Spotz Gelato, 128 N. Broadway, closed after only nine months in downtown Lexington. The ice cream shop instead set up its food truck in The Warehouse Block on National Avenue on weekends.
TGI Friday’s in Hamburg closed in May due to the pandemic. This was the last TGI Friday’s in Lexington.
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe in Hamburg closed in June after only about three years in the location.
Two Keys Tavern, 333 S. Limestone, closed in July when the bar filed for bankruptcy after 60 years, blaming the coronavirus. Former UK football star Benny Snell announced on Twitter that he wanted to save it. The owners said they wanted to move into a new home nearby and have filed plans for a bar in the old Pazzo’s complex down the street but they are still in flux, apparently. Stay tuned.
Village Idiot, 307 W. Short. St. was billed as Lexington’s original gastropub. It closed on Jan. 4. Owner Brian Behr planned to reopen the gastropub under a new name after a renovation but that hasn’t happened so far.
Yesterday’s Billiards, the bar and Rupp Arena pool hall, known to longtime UK Wildcat basketball fans, closed in March after 31 years. The bar was going to have to close as the Lexington Convention Center renovation proceeded but the end came early when the pandemic hit.
This story was originally published December 23, 2020 at 10:16 AM.
