25 to watch in 2025: Restaurant owner opening private dining club; rooftop bar coming
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25 to watch in 2025
The Lexington Herald-Leader is tracking 25 individuals we expect will be making news in 2025.
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Editor’s note: The Herald-Leader is profiling 25 individuals we predict will be making news in 2025.
Who: Ieasha Allen, former co-owner of Creaux Creole bar on Short Street, soon-to-open The Melroy private dining club on Broadway.
Background: Allen, with her husband Dougie, purchased the historic building at 144 N. Broadway, and she has been renovating it to house her own new concept, The Melroy. In summer 2024, they sold the building on Short Street that had been the home of Creaux to chef Jonathan Lundy and his business partner TJ Cox, who reopened it as 3TEN.
Why 2025 will be memorable: The Melroy is expected to open in late February with a bar and dining room available for members. Eventually the space will expand to include a rooftop bar overlooking Lexington. Allen calls it a “city club” as opposed to a country club, a space where people can come during the day, work on a laptop and in the evenings have a nice drink and dinner. Memberships are still available, Allen said.
What others are saying about Allen: “Through both personal and professional experience, I know Ieasha to be a true champion of community,” said Martina Barksdale, director of communications for VisitLex. “As an entrepreneur, she weaves inclusivity and belonging into the very fabric of her work. Her passion and unwavering commitment to Lexington are a constant source of inspiration.”
Why is 2025 such an important year for you and your organization?
“I think the Melroy, in the summer, is going to be a great addition to downtown,” Allen said. “It will inspire people to bring in more concepts that will bring more culture and energy to the city.”
She also has other ventures coming: She recently purchased a food truck, which will be called Soundbites. Beginning in the spring, it will parked at Broadway and Church, serving Southern comfort foods and playing music.
On the horizon, she and her husband, Dougie, are looking for a space to open a music venue. And she’s launching a tequila brand.
