Six years after closing in 2019, the diner-style restaurant K-Lair returned to serve students and create new memories.
The grand opening party took place on Monday, Aug. 25, in the newly redesigned basement of Haggin Hall, marking the third time K-Lair has opened since 1961.
Students wrapped around Haggin Hall and received free food and T-shirts during the event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The multi-use space features numerous TVs and outlets and will be open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight and on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. K-Lair serves food such as wraps, burgers and chicken.
K-Lair closed in 2013 and returned in 2014 after the construction of the new Haggin Hall, then closed again in 2019, according to Cory Thalheimer, acting co-executive director of auxiliary services at the University of Kentucky.
During K-Lair’s absence, the space served as a COVID-19 testing site during the height of the pandemic for students and staff, according to UKNow. The space then remained unoccupied until Auxiliary Services decided to reopen the restaurant in January 2025.
Auxiliary Services works to operate the hospitality spaces of UK’s campus, including K-Lair, Gatton Student Center and dining halls, according to the Auxiliary Services website.
According to Thalheimer, K-Lair will host social gathering events similar to those of the Student Activities Board, which take place throughout the school year, including watch parties for various UK sports.
“We got trivia Tuesdays, and as we get into the semester, the goal is to find fun ways to get students in here, get them fed and have a place for them to kind of sit, work, relax, hang out and really do what they want with it,” Thalheimer said.
Zakk Moseley, junior electrical engineering major, attended K-Lair’s opening and said he sees himself returning.
“I’m not a quiet person, and I know something like this would do better for me than the library,” Moseley said.
Thalheimer said bringing K-Lair back to the university was an easy decision, as it served as a popular spot for students during its original 51-year run.
“Even as we’re working on this project, going back through pictures of the old K-Lair, you could see the school spirit in there,“ Thalheimer said. “You could see the students loving the space, the nostalgia and one of the funny things is, during move-in, I think the first group of people that came through here were parents bringing their kids in saying, I remember K-Lair back in my day.”
Joe Kelly, UK’s Facilities Project Management Director for campus and UK Healthcare for all projects under $1 million, agreed K-Lair has been a campus staple for several generations of UK students.
“Anytime you can bring one of those old, traditional places back on campus, I think that’s important to alumni,” Kelly said. “I was here in the very early ‘90s. I can’t tell you anywhere else I ate, but I can remember going to K-Lair.”
Thalheimer said he was excited to see K-Lair up and running after six months of working on the project.
“When you see the fruits of the labor at the end, it really, really excites you for even more of these projects that are coming,” Thalheimer said. “We’re a growing university, and being able to provide spaces and consistently work to upgrade spaces is something that is important to us, and it’s something we want to continue to do.”
After Auxiliary Services presented the project to Kelly at the beginning of this year, he siad his team helped bring it to life. The space underwent extensive interior renovations, including the installation of refurbished booths and new kitchen equipment, Kelly said.
“I don’t know if any project’s ever smooth, but we were able to get through it. No real hiccups in that project,” Kelly said. “Our goal was to get finished before the students got back, which I thought was a lofty goal, but we made it.”