Lexington restaurant, Tolly-Ho, known for its late-night dining experience, reopened the dining room at their new location in Newtown Crossing apartments.
The new location first opened up only taking deliveries in late August, before opening up its dining room to customers again on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.
“(We’re) slowly getting the word out as we kind of gain our feet and try to figure this space out,” Tolly-Ho manager Sergio Nickell said.
The new location took over the former Bad Wolf Burgers spot across from Cookout and Waffle House on South Broadway.
The location change came after the UK Board of Trustees approved a $2.3 million purchase of the Tolly-Ho building across from The Lex Apartments on 521 S. Broadway during a meeting on Feb. 23, 2024.
According to Chief Communication Officer Jay Blanton, UK hopes the space can be used to grow the campus innovation district, including the Gray College of Design and the College of Fine Arts.
This was not the first time that the restaurant had been relocated, as Tolly-Ho has now moved three times.
Tolly-Ho first opened in 1971 at its first location on Winslow Street, relocated in 1987 to its longest-standing location on South Limestone, before moving to its latest location in 2011 on 606 S. Broadway.
“(The South Broadway location) is the second location that I have been to since I have been going to Tolly Ho and I did not like (it) when it moved,” Lexington local Shane Jenson said.
With the Foreman Avenue location, Tolly-Ho will continue adding on to the restaurant at a later date. Additions will include a drive-thru window, loft space available for rental and a patio.
“In the next couple of months we’ll start opening different sections of the restaurant,” Nickell said. “Everyone wants to know everything that is going on, so I think (customers) are excited.”
With the new move, some things at Tolly-Ho are changing including new management as well as new hours, changing from 24/7 to Thursday, Friday, Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. and Sunday through Monday 7 a.m. to midnight.
The move has not deterred guests from visiting, according to new Lexington resident, Chris Banner.
“Wherever they end up, I am sure I will be seeking them out,” Banner said.
Nickell believes that Tolly-Ho has more to offer to customers and believes that under new management as well as new additions with the space, more people should see what they have to offer.
“I think we have a lot of exciting things coming, so if you’re not going to check us out this week, check us out next week. A month after that we’ll probably have something new going on,” Nickell said.
