New Lexington venture coming from Pomegranate Linens founder Angela Beck, chef Ouita Michel
A Lexington linens and home accessories brand is branching out into retail, food and even wine.
Pomegranate, the company known for hand block-printed table linens and other textiles, is opening a store at 700 E. Main St. in downtown Lexington. Previously, Pomegranate textiles, clothing and other items were only available online and at popular annual warehouse sales.
The store is opening where the Magical Toy Shoppe closed in 2022 after five years.
The store’s grand opening will be Dec. 3. Beginning in early 2025, Pomegranate will host wine tastings, workshops, book clubs, mahjong nights and more, according to a news release.
The store will offer exclusive collections and seasonal items, including home decor and antique pieces personally sourced by founder Angela Beck during her travels in Europe, according to a news release.
Pomegranate Inc. is inspired by Beck’s travels and life on historic Gainesway Farm in Lexington, according to the release. Products are hand-block-printed in India, bringing Angela’s designs to life.
The space also will have a courtyard out front that will serve seasonal bites featuring locally sourced ingredients from Kentucky chef Ouita Michel as well as wine from Beck’s own Angela Vineyards in Oregon. Wines will be available by the pour and by the bottle.
The courtyard cafe space is named Penny’s at Pomegranate after Michel’s mother and will serve lunch and brunch.
According to a spokesman for Michel, the cafe will start serving in 2025.
“Above all else, we’re excited to honor Ouita’s mom and her culinary influence,” said Mike Hilton in a statement for Michel, who owns the acclaimed Holly Hill Inn, Honeywood, Zim’s Cafe and other local restaurants.
“We’ll begin with popping up different food events through the first quarter to test out a few ideas,” he said. “We then plan to officially open the kiosk this spring with soups, salads, sandwiches, and boards for eating on the Pomegranate patio or taking home. We can’t wait to be part of the neighborhood and among some great company on that block.”
“Pomegranate is about gathering, connecting, and enjoying the present,” Beck said in the release. “I wanted to create a place where people feel welcome to gather, shop, and stay a while. Just in time for the holiday season, our store is a place to experience everything Pomegranate is all about.”
Beck and Michel previously collaborated, in a sense, on Michel’s Windy Corner Market, which opened in 2010 at the corner of Bryan Station and Muir Station roads near their horse farm.
Beck had asked her husband, Thoroughbred breeder Antony Beck, for the vacant corner store for an anniversary present. Antony Beck approached Michel about creating the casual restaurant and market.
Pomegranate
Where: 700 E. Main St.
Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sunday
Online: pomegranateinc.com
This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
