UK-themed deli is on the move in downtown Lexington. Details on changes for Big Blue Deli.
A downtown Lexington restaurant known for its UK athletics theme and lunchtime sandwiches will soon be moving into new digs.
But fans of Big Blue Deli won’t have to travel far to find the popular deli’s new location. Big Blue Deli will be moving a short distance from its current spot at 227 North Limestone to 144 W. Short Street.
The deli will be moving into the space previously occupied by The Headquarters of the Bluegrass Hatters Society.
Zac Wright — the owner and operator behind Big Blue Deli — plans to continue serving sandwiches at Big Blue Deli’s current spot for a few days post-Christmas. Then, the plan is to take all of January off to move operations.
Wright told the Herald-Leader his goal is to be open at the new location by Saturday, Feb. 1.
Astute observers of Kentucky sports — as plenty of Big Blue Deli customers are — will immediately recognize the significance of that date. That’s when Kentucky men’s basketball hosts Arkansas and ex-UK head coach John Calipari for a highly anticipated night game in Rupp Arena.
Big Blue Deli opened at the Limestone Street location in summer 2022 and has been serving up sandwiches with a side of Kentucky sports flair ever since.
The deli’s popularity was highlighted this year when UK basketball coach Mark Pope, within weeks of his return to Lexington, stopped in for a sandwich after Wright created several specials named after Pope, who won the 1996 NCAA championship as a Kentucky player.
While Pope’s visit was a standout moment, Wright said the deli’s popularity benefits most from word-of-mouth communication from customers.
“We still get people every single week that tell me they’ve never been in here, ask me when this place opened, say their buddy just told them about it,” Wright said. “... We really appreciate it. It’s definitely grown.”
“That’s kind of what you hope for,” Wright added. “You hope that you’re out in the community enough and that when people come in here that it’s worth talking about to somebody.”
What changes will come with Big Blue Deli’s move closer to the heart of downtown Lexington?
“It will be set up a little bit different,” Wright added. “You’ll order in the back of the restaurant. We learned a lot of stuff in doing this the first time around. So now we’ve seen what works here and how we can make our customers’ experience a little smoother.”
Currently at Big Blue Deli customers order at the front counter, which is located just feet from the entrance.
In addition to providing more space for customers to line up and order, the Short Street location will afford Wright the space to have two ovens and two prep tables, compared to just one of each at the deli’s current spot.
“It should allow for a little bit quicker service and then for me to offer some more ingredients,” Wright said.
Big Blue Deli’s menu is reflective of Wright’s passion for Kentucky sports.
Currently, eight of the regular sandwiches at Big Blue Deli are referred to by numbers — 48, 49, 51, 58, 78, 96, 98 and 12 — that correspond to the years UK has won a national championship in men’s basketball.
Other menu staples include the “Undeniable,” “Unforgettable,” ‘Untouchable,” “Unbelievable” and “The Runt,” names that are also synonymous with Kentucky basketball history.
A new item will be joining these once Big Blue Deli debuts on Short Street.
Wright said the Pope’s Pastrami sandwich — which was the daily special eaten by its namesake when Pope visited — will now be joining the menu full time.
“We’ve been toying with it. We run it almost every single week as a French Dip on Friday,” Wright said. “... We kind of stretched that sandwich out. It’s a real big hit.”
Previously, Wright told the Herald-Leader the Pope’s Pastrami would occupy a full-time spot on the Big Blue Deli menu until the Cats win another men’s basketball national title.
Following UK’s 10-2 start this season, that day may be coming sooner rather than later.
Wright also said wraps will be added to the menu.
Wright said the plan is to continue the deli’s same hours of operation — weekdays starting at 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., or until Big Blue Deli sells out — after the move to Short Street is complete.
But Wright said he will also probably be open when major events are happening in Rupp Arena.
“It’s still going to be a small, one-man, two-man operation,” he said. “Nothing too crazy is changing.”
That certainly includes the Kentucky sports theme the deli is known for.
“My apartment looks like a UK museum right now,” Wright joked. “I have almost everything stored there. It’s right around 80 framed items. We have seven large storage bins worth of knickknacks, UK stuff. Then I have about 120 loose posters. A lot of them I’d love to get framed. I still haven’t taken down the main decorations up here. So I’m just waiting until we can get in that space, I’ll clear out my apartment and then we’ll get everything and get back to rolling.”
BIG BLUE DELI
Service options: Dine-in, carry-out, catering
Current Address: 227 North Limestone
Big Blue Deli will be moving to 144 W. Short Street and will be closed for January. The plan is for the deli to reopen at 144 W. Short Street at the start of February.
Telephone: (859) 303-4427
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Instagram: @big_blue_deli
This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
