Another wave of closings hits restaurants on campus, the mall, downtown

At least three Lexington restaurants have closed this month, including one after less than a year and a half.

It's the latest wave of closures to hit the city's restaurant market, which has seen openings and closings across the city in the last year.

Skewers, a Mediterranean concept, opened on West Tiverton Way near Fayette Mall and across from The Summit at Fritz Farm in January 2017. The restaurant offered salads, appetizers, soups, meat and vegetarian entrees, including shish kabobs. It was open for lunch and dinner.

The restaurant posted a note on its Facebook page on Friday saying it would be serving its final meals on Sunday.

"We would like to thank each and every one who has come to Skewers and dined in or carried our food. ... We hope that in the future we will be back here in Lexington and give this another try!"

Skewers was the sixth restaurant in or around Fayette Mall to close in the last year, following TGI Friday's at Fayette Plaza in February; The Pub in December; Johnny Carino's on Rojay Drive in July; Newk's Eatery on Nicholasville in October; Oak Springs Grill last spring.

The campus area also has been hit with restaurant closures, including the latest: Jimmy John's at 385 South Limestone closed last Thursday.

According to the Kykernel.com, a sign on the door referred customers to nearby Jimmy John's on Euclid Avenue, Waller Avenue, Mill Street at Main and Main Street at Rose for takeout or delivery orders.

The storefront sandwich shop was in the same building as Pazzo's Pizza Pub, which owner Tom Behr said is being sold.

"We’re trying to sell, it’s not a done deal yet," Behr said. "We’re selling the business, the building, and the real estate and parking lot in the back. We’ve got a contract on all three to the same person."

Pazzo's will be staying open, Behr said.

The sale is expected to close in June, Behr said. He declined to identify the buyer.

But Kristina Sturm, manager of Two Keys Tavern, Stagger Inn and QP for owner Seth Bennett, confirmed that he is the potential buyer. Sturm declined to comment on their plans for the restaurant or the building.

Several restaurants around the University of Kentucky campus have closed in the last year, including three on the other side of Pazzo's: Freakin' Unbelievable Burgers and Street Craves on the corner closed last March and Noodles & Co. closed in January. Both locations now have new independent restaurants: Crumzz is on the corner and Girlsgirlsgirls Burritos just opened next door.

Around the corner, in the CenterCourt condo building on South Upper just off campus, Smashburger closed last July and Firehouse Subs closed last May. Nearby, Fazoli's at the corner of Euclid and South Upper closed and has been demolished for new development by UK.

Up the street on South Limestone, Blaze Pizza closed in February after two and half years in business to focus on the new location at The Summit at Fritz Farm, which opened last spring.

Back Yard Burgers at 1816 Alysheba Way apparently has closed for good. The restaurant was along a busy section of Man o'War Boulevard near the Hamburg shopping center, which also has seen several restaurant closures in the last year, including the Applebee’s at 1856 Alysheba Way, which closed in January. That location will become a Chuy's early next year.

This story was originally published May 14, 2018 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Another wave of closings hits restaurants on campus, the mall, downtown."