Lexington restaurant saturation may force sublease of deli. Will it close?
A Texas-based chain that’s been in Lexington for several years is exploring options for leaving.
Jason’s Deli, 134 Malabu Dr. just off Nicholasville Road in The Venue shopping center, has been open since October 2017 but has struggled to find an audience, according to Jay Tortorice, owner of the Lexington franchise.
Things have improved since COVID restrictions eased, he said, but he’s decided to make the 5,200-square-foot building available for sublease through NAI Isaac.
Tortorice said Jason’s Deli, known for its sandwiches including muffaletta, soups, sandwiches, baked potatoes and free soft-serve ice cream, remains open.
“We don’t have any plans to close the restaurant but it is true that it’s for lease,” he said on Wednesday.
He said that Lexington’s restaurant scene has had a big influx of “seats” in the last few years and the market is intense. But he still thinks the location inside New Circle Road, near hospitals and the University of Kentucky — with a drive-thru for quick service — is a strong one.
If the right offer comes along, he said, he’ll consider it.
But the best-case scenario, Tortorice said, would be for business to pick up and then he would pull it off the market “and never look back.”
This story was originally published November 30, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
