First look inside ‘Sawyer’s 2.0:’ What’s changed at new location of burger restaurant
Sawyer’s Downtown Bar and Grill, a restaurant beloved by office workers for lunch and basketball fans on game days, is coming back.
Owner Jim Sawyer is reopening his popular restaurant a few blocks east of the original location across from Rupp Arena; the new Sawyer’s will be at 140 W. Main St. in the City Center block between Limestone Bank, the Residence Inn and Marriott entrance and Italx restaurant.
Sawyer’s is expected to open in the coming weeks, in time for University of Kentucky men’s basketball Midnight Madness on Oct. 14, Sawyer said.
Last year Sawyer decided not to reopen at the original spot in Triangle Center; the restaurant had been closed since May 2021.
Now he’s hoping that his menu of great burgers, sandwiches and chili delivered fast will find an audience with those staying in nearby hotels and that his former fans will come back.
The new space will be smaller, with only about 80 indoor seats, but Sawyer still plans to bring back his most popular features: The burger bar, chili bar and salad bar so patrons can dress their meals as they wish.
“We are trimming back a few that didn’t sell that much,” said Saywer, who cut some desserts and other items so they could get the doors open.
“It will be Sawyer’s 2.0, just in a different location, much closer to the center of town,” he said last winter when he began configuring the new restaurant. He’d hoped to be open before the Sweet Sixteen high school basketball tournaments in March but pandemic-related construction delays pushed things back significantly.
The new restaurant still will have a full bar to serve beer, wine and cocktails.
There will be less inside seating at the new location but sidewalk seating will be available on Main Street as well as in the hotel courtyard area, which is next to a giant screen TV.
Sawyer’s Downtown Bar and Grill
Where: 140 W. Main St. in the City Center block
Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Online: Sawyersdowntown.com
Call: 859-281-6022
This story was originally published September 26, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
