COVID casualty: Another original tenant of The Summit in Lexington is closing
Another original restaurant tenant at The Summit at Fritz Farm apparently is closing.
Steel City Pops, based in Birmingham, Ala., reportedly informed all employees that it would be closing many stores, including those in Kentucky. The chain had locations in Lexington and Louisville, as well as in Texas and Alabama.
“Unfortunately, we are closing down a majority of our stores, exiting Kentucky and laying off most of the team,” Steel City Pops CEO Mike Elhaj said in a letter obtained by WDRB News. He said the company had to close the locations to survive, citing a “tough business cycle” and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“We don’t do this lightly but out of necessity,” he said in the letter. “Without this hard choice, SCP goes away complete (sic).
“With it, we have a chance to survive, be able to come back stronger next year, and hopefully re-engage with many of you who have worked so long and hard.”
It is unclear when the decision takes effect or how many employees will be impacted.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company closed stores earlier in the COVID pandemic but reopened locations.
Steel City Pops serves gourmet iced popsicles in distinctive flavors from blood orange to coffee. They also sell floats.
The location in Lexington opened in June 2017 on The Summit’s “lawn” of astroturf. It was one of the original restaurants at the then-new $165 million shopping center, including Ted’s Montana Grill and Edley’s Bar-B-Que, which have also closed.
The Summit’s food hall, called The Barn, also has closed. The last tenant, the Whiskey Bear bar, closed on Oct. 3. They expect to reopen in a new location in Beaumont in 2022.
Another original retail tenant, Brooks Brothers, closed this week apparently to make room for an Amazon 4-stars store.
Bayer Properties, which owns The Summit at Fritz Farm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
