Popular local coffee shop near UK campus closing. You have time for one last cup
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A Cup of Common Wealth will close its Cornerstone location at year-end.
- Cornerstone has lost multiple food tenants amid landlord and university constraints.
- The shop will operate through the end of the month, leaving tenant uncertainty.
Another original food and beverage tenant is leaving The Cornerstone, the University of Kentucky building on South Limestone.
A Cup of Common Wealth announced on its social media that the coffee shop would close its location there at the end of the year.
“This is bittersweet. New year our lease is up at Cornerstone, and we’ll be moving on,” Cup of Common Wealth said Dec. 8. “We’ve loved being a part of campus, loved meeting some people on that side of campus, and appreciated landlords that worked with us through COVID and other tough times.”
Cup of Common Wealth did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to the post, the coffee shop will be open through the end of the month.
A Cup of Common Wealth at 105 Eastern Ave. remains open.
The coffee shop has been inside the building at 401 South Limestone across from the UK campus since late 2020.
The Cornerstone Exchange building opened as a hub, developed as a public-private partnership with mixed-use parking, education and retail spaces. A Cup of Common Wealth and Rolling Oven Pizza were the first tenants in the local food hall, with Ethereal Brewing and Miyako Poke Bowl announced soon after it opened. It fronts a 900-space parking garage and has a four-story, two-sided LED billboard, the only one of its kind in Lexington.
It’s also home to UK’s Esports Lounge, where students and clubs can play video games and host tournaments.
But the building has struggled to keep food and beverage tenants. A student-run burger restaurant called L8NITE Fast Food closed in February after UK refused to let the restaurant add more visible signage. Rolling Oven also has closed its Cornerstone location, but Ethereal Brewing Slice House remains open.
UK said in a comment: “We haven’t identified a new tenant for the spring semester yet, but we’re actively exploring options to create the right mix of retail and dining at Cornerstone. Our team is assessing customer needs and market trends to ensure Cornerstone remains a vibrant and welcoming destination on campus.”
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
