From pizza to burgers: Lexington restaurant owner expanding on Rosemont Garden
When Sean Nealey opened Pie Hole Pizza, his neighborhood wood-fired pizza place in 2017 — now called PieTana — on Rosemont Garden, he never dreamed he would open a second restaurant.
But he is. Right across Elam Park in a former garage that was turned into another restaurant that later closed.
“Having that kitchen space staring at me was killing me,” he said.
So he decided to expand and is opening Rosemont Station. “I wanted to put a lock on all the parking over here,” Nealey said.
The new concept will open this spring, with a menu of fresh burgers, hot dogs, breakfast all day and a full bar.
“Burgers, brunch, bourbon and beer,” Nealey said.
Just as Pie Tana has collaborated with West Sixth Brewing, he hopes to work with Country Boy Brewery on some signature dishes.
And he’s keeping it as local as possible, working with Southland’s Critchfield Meats for the meat, he said. “We’ll have fresh never-frozen burgers.”
There will be vegetarian offerings as well, Nealey said.
The building, which briefly had been the Painted Taco, is undergoing a complete renovation inside and out.
“We’re putting a lot into the new space, upgrading every aspect, the bar top, the floors, the kitchen,” Nealey said. “We’ve got a big beautiful bar, lots of granite. It’s a huge step up. We’re making the space something special.”
He said the new place will open daily at 10 a.m. “and play it by ear to see how late we can stay open. We’ll stay as late as the neighborhood will support. Lot times that’s 11 p.m.”
Just like PieTana, which has a big beer garden space out back, Rosemont Station, named for the building’s origin as a gas station, will have lots of outdoor seating.
“We’re expanding our patio in the front, and we’ve got garage doors so about half the building will be open all the time,” he said.
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 10:49 AM.
