Welcome

Like many cities in America, Lexington is trying to solve the problem of suburban growth impeding downtown progress. While our city has grown outward toward surrounding counties, our downtown has had to almost re-invent itself to keep businesses and citizens interested. Restaurants downtown are particularly under attack from many angles. With no real major retail to borrow customers from, downtown restaurants must provide a unique "destination" product in its menu and service. But these restaurants are receiving help from allies such as a newly remodeled Rupp Arena, a very current and desirable schedule from the Opera House, a city government that continues to improve its downtown event schedule with such recent events as the Fiesta Latina and the Roots & Heritage Festival. The Kentucky Theater keeps up with releases usually slated for larger market cities. The Saturday Farmer's Market has almost single handedly saved the city from weekend isolation- come downtown on any Saturday before noon and you could see as much activity and pedestrian traffic as a weekday.

Still, it remains an uphill battle for unique, independently owned, truly local businesses when they find themselves competing with the convenience, cost effectiveness, big marketing budgets of the seemingly never ending supply of new chain restaurants moving into our area.

Given the hurdles of building a business in such a potentially choppy current, it is refreshing to see continued entrepreneur spirit and stick to it-ness of our downtown restaurateurs. Not only have existing restaurants weathered economic storms and suburban growth trends, but new faces have crept up to help breath life into what has the real potential of becoming a vibrant dining "scene".

While nobody could be faulted for visiting a Friday's while shopping for a baby gift at Baby's-R-Us at Hamburg Shopping Land, it would almost be downright patriotic to venture to a real-live American classic downtown area and experience something uniquely Lexington at one of the many downtown restaurants.