By Drew Teague

One of the well-known food establishments near the UK campus is about to move, but not too far from its current location.

Tolly Ho, a long time favorite of UK students, will be moving to a new location on South Broadway near the end of April.

Sandy Rose, an employee at Tolly Ho, said the move to the new location was because the current location was becoming too small for the crowds the restaurant was getting.

“We’ve just totally outgrown (the current location),” Rose said, implying that large crowds pack Tolly Ho on weekends. “That way we can accommodate more people.”

For the look of the new shop, the contractor drew heavily from the look of the current location, basically flipping the store side-to-side.

“We plan on keeping our unique atmosphere, the ‘funk’ that we’ve always had,” Rose said. “We plan for everything to be the same — only bigger.”

Rose felt a plus for the new location is parking, which the current location does not have. The new location will start with 30 parking spots, which will eventually be expanded.

The new location on South Broadway will have room for about 50 more seats, bringing the total seating to 178 seats, Rose said. Included at the new location will be a Texas Hold ‘em room, for games played on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the current location.

Other additions will include a bakery in the back, to make fresh buns and other breads for the shop, as well as sweets like sticky buns. The owner is also looking into a curb side service for customers on the go.

“The owner believes in the best quality in a product,” Rose said. “He has never been happy with our breads and buns — they are good quality, but not the best — therefore, we will be baking our own.”

Rose, who has worked at Tolly Ho for the past 22 years, feels the students living in the area, like at The Lex, 524 Angliana, Newtown and other areas, will be able to benefit from the new location. Yet because it is only a few extra minutes from campus, other students should continue to come.

“I don’t think (relocation will affect business from students),” Rose said. “It’s only a three minute walk from our current location,” Rose said.

Natalie Pitman, an English sophomore, enjoys Tolly Ho, but said relocation may have an effect on her visits to the restaurant.

“I went a lot last semester,” Pitman said. “It’s great late at night when nothing else is open and you can just walk back home after. I can go somewhere else (once they move).”

When Tolly Ho moves to its new location, Rose said the current one may be closed for a few days.­

Because the current owner of Tolly Ho still has the current location leased for five more years, he decided to turn it into a convenience store. The store will carry student essentials as well as a cold deli and ice cream bar.

“We want people to give us ideas and suggestions of things that are going to be needed in our store,” Rose said, “because we to have anything and everything that the students might need.”