Major downtown Lexington restaurant, bar announces it’s closing on New Year’s Eve
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- Zim’s Cafe and The Thirsty Fox will close permanently after Dec. 31.
- Owners Ouita and Chris Michel opened the Courthouse anchor tenant in 2018.
- Staff invited patrons to farewell meals and a New Year’s Eve toast on closing night.
A high-profile restaurant and bar in the Historic Lexington Courthouse is closing.
Zim’s Cafe and The Thirsty Fox announced they will be closing permanently at the end of business on Dec. 31 after seven years.
The restaurant from James Beard semifinalist restaurateurs Ouita Michel and her husband, Chris, were the original anchor tenants to the restored building, which opened with much fanfare in 2018.
Ouita Michel said in text that COVID and the changes that the pandemic and subsequent restaurant shutdowns brought have taken a toll.
“Restaurant headwinds are really strong — labor and food are at all-time highs — and Zim’s was developed as a busy diner for lunch. We did about 250 lunches a day until COVID hit,” Michel said. “Now working patterns have changed, and eating patterns have changed. We tried our hardest — kept open through all the ups and downs of COVID and post -COVID operations. I’m super proud of our effort and our team.”
The city of Lexington spent about $32 million, much of it taxpayer money, to restore the courthouse built in the late 1890s and sought out Ouita Michel, as Kentucky’s most prominent chef, to lead the restaurant that would be the public face of the building.
It is unclear what will happen to the restaurant and bar spaces inside. The other tenants in the building include VisitLEX, the Breeders’ Cup and the Limestone Hall event space on the top floor, which is operated by Bayou Bluegrass Catering.
The property is owned by the Lexington Fayette County Urban Government but operated by a semi-private board. Officials with that board were not immediately available for comment.
In an email to patrons titled “A Celebration and a Goodbye, signing off from Zim’s Cafe & The Thirsty Fox,” the Michels said, “It’s been a wonderful ride with an amazing team, filled with the joy of making lasting connections over a good meal with friends and family. We gave it our all — until we had no more to give, and realized that now was the right time to say goodbye.”
The restaurant and bar invited fans to come celebrate “enjoy your favorite dish one more time, let Julianna pour you a glass of wine. And on New Year’s Eve, let’s gather together to toast old times and new beginnings.”
The Michels thanked “everyone who’s supported us through thick and thin and cheered us on along the way; you’ll forever have a special place in our Holly Hill heart.”
Besides the indoor spaces, Zim’s also served brunch on the patio outside the courthouse with live music that drew patrons from the Lexington Farmers Market in the park.
Zim’s Cafe was known for serving locally grown, raised and produced items and also has a small store to sell specialty items and baked goods. Her restaurants have been honored for their longstanding commitment to Kentucky agriculture with lifetime achievement status in the Kentucky Proud program, where they have purchased more than $10 million in products.
The Thirsty Fox was known for its extensive bourbon collection and craft cocktails.
Ouita Michel has been a semifinalist eight times for James Beard Awards in the Best Chef: Southeast and Outstanding Restaurateur categories. Her Holly Hill Inn in Midway also was a semifinalist in 2025 in the Outstanding Hospitality category.
In addition to Zim’s Cafe, The Thirsty Fox and Holly Hill Inn, Michel operates Wallace Station Deli just outside Midway; Windy Corner Market, Smithtown Seafood and Honeywood in Lexington; and The Midway Bakery in Midway. Her Holly Hill Events also caters events at Fasig-Tipton, the Thoroughbred auction house. And she now operates the Holly Hill Cooking Studio in Versailles.
Michel also has been a Culinary Ambassador in the U.S. State Department’s Culinary Corps and she co-founded FoodChain, which promotes local food access to underserved communities.
This year, her documentary show “You Belong Here,” produced with actor Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez, was featured at the prestigious 2025 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, as well as the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas.
This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM.
