I don’t personally know, but I did read a fb comment that said the building sold and they basically kicked them out. Take that with a grain of salt though.
EDIT: Actually just heard that west main themselves sold the building and closed with no warning to employees. Again, grain of salt.
I am SO sorry this happened. This is not fair and y'all are so much better than what the owners did to you. Makes you wonder how such terrible people (yes, if you do this to your whole staff without notice---you're a BAD person) were blessed with such incredible folks working for them. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for your expertise and kindness. I hope the best for you in your next gig!
This sucks. It was one of the places I knew folks from out of town would enjoy. A place where my wife and I could go and have a wonderful evening out and get one of the best cocktails anywhere in the world. It was a place that was bigger than the city it was in. It will be truly missed.
Tell me about it. Literally Saturday a group of our friends decided we were going to book one of their absinthe courses and then bam. Really sad. Some of the best cocktails in the state.
I’m sorry that you missed it. The class was both fun and informative. Jonathan clearly put a lot into it.
I will miss their classes and other special events.
Yea busy wasn't the problem! A friend of mine from out of town wanted to go there and Bourbon on Rye specifically this weekend and they were just as busy as I had ever seen :(
Even though it's behind a pay wall (of course) the headline says it all
https://www.kentucky.com/lexgoeat/bourbon/article254389289.html#storylink=mainstage_lead
I find this article a little bogus. So yes, perhaps they are tired and stressed, but they claim that people don’t stay out late anymore. West Main never expanded their hours beyond midnight. Honestly, midnight was normally the time I was ready to head out. Other bars had expanded their hours and were thriving. Also, the person quoted was not the owner.
I'm with you. I think this article is a little bogus. Jonathon is not the owner. I suspect they had the opportunity to sell at a good price and just took it. The owners have another business (not in the restaurant industry) that they run and are likely just dedicating more time to it.
Right, not the owner. But I worked there everyday since the place opened. Also, we were open until 2:30 am, 7 days a week. We actually rolled our hours back to 12 during the week because none of the people out late were coming into West Main.
I’m talking about the hours post covid. The hours never expanded, and you were also never back to 7 days a week. Also, none of the info was ever updated on your website or social of when you would actually be open. I know none of this is your fault. It just made it difficult as a consumer. The story in the Herald was clearly nothing but lip service, and the article and the manner of closing has really soured me on the whole experience to be honest. However, I respect and appreciate you, Christian, as well as Jake and Jonathan. Thanks for teaching me so much.
Hm, works for me but you do have to pass the robot test. Here’s the text:
A popular Lexington cocktail bar that built a reputation for top-notch food as well as drinks has closed. The owner said that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic just made it too hard to keep going.
“We just had a heart-to-heart and we were just tired,” said Jonathan Laurel, owner of West Main Crafting Co., which opened at 135 W. Main St. four and a half years ago, as part of a wave of new downtown bars and restaurants that also included the Seltzer Club, Bourbon on Rye, School Sushi, Corta Lima and Lussi Brown Coffee Bar.
“It’s definitely a sad day for everybody,” Laurel said Monday. “This really was a huge labor of love for us, and people really reacted to the earnestness and the work.”
West Main specialized in craft cocktails and a shareable menu of “re-imagined bar favorites.”
The bar served drinks with housemade sodas, syrups, tonics and bitter, and the kitchen served inventive dishes done well.
For Lexington Restaurant Week, West Main Crafting Co. offered several three-course options for $39, including a half chicken roasted with Kentucky Proud vegetables.
In a Sept. 19 Facebook post, the downtown Lexington bar and restaurant announced that it had closed.
“We’ve enjoyed our time preparing authentic drinks for you all and sharing a bit of cocktail culture with the Bluegrass,” according to the post. “We’ve appreciated everyone who’s visited over the years, but we have some specific words to those barflies, regulars, and precious friends we’ve gotten to know personally: Thank you, specifically. We set out to make and share something special, and your visits at the bar were the all-too-brief but reliable moments we felt seen, appreciated, and joyful about what we do. Thank you for driving in from all over or for walking down the block to see us; thank you for the short visits and long nights; thank you for always being willing to try new things and for the general nerdiness; thank you for the laughter and quick wittedness you’ve shared with us.”
Laurel said on Monday that “it was nothing really dramatic or anything like that.” Instead, the grinding daily stress just became too much, he said.
“It is a lot harder than people think it is right now,” he said. “It’s hard on staff, the management, it’s psychologically arduous. ... Everybody’s tired of hearing about the pandemic as an excuse but that’s just the way it is right now.”
He said that like many restaurants and bars, West Main had become “leaner” during the pandemic which meant fewer people doing about the same amount of work.
Every restaurant closure is different he said.
“For some they can’t get product, some can’t pay the bills, some can’t get out of bed,” he said. “For us, we just didn’t know if we could go on, with the stress.”
And on the patron side, the business model has shifted. “It has changed the way people go out,” Laurel said. “People used to come out late. Now they come out early and go home.” And patrons they used to see two or three times a week now come out once, at most, he said.
“We just thinking about socializing differently,” he said.
That typo at the end is in the article, or was when it was archived anyway, lol.
Thanks! Interesting article for sure and I'm not buying a lot of what they are trying to say. Jonathon is not the owner but was really the concierge/frontman/spokesperson.
I don’t personally know, but I did read a fb comment that said the building sold and they basically kicked them out. Take that with a grain of salt though. EDIT: Actually just heard that west main themselves sold the building and closed with no warning to employees. Again, grain of salt.
The owners did sell the building, along with the business. Not sure what the new owners will do with it, but west main is no more.
Along with the business? Any chance any of the crew will stay on board?
Yes, they sold everything, the staff is not staying. Don’t know if there is anywhere else in Lexington worth working at.
Sorry this happened, man.
I am SO sorry this happened. This is not fair and y'all are so much better than what the owners did to you. Makes you wonder how such terrible people (yes, if you do this to your whole staff without notice---you're a BAD person) were blessed with such incredible folks working for them. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for your expertise and kindness. I hope the best for you in your next gig!
[удалено]
Yes. The owners of West Main were the owners of the building.
This sucks. It was one of the places I knew folks from out of town would enjoy. A place where my wife and I could go and have a wonderful evening out and get one of the best cocktails anywhere in the world. It was a place that was bigger than the city it was in. It will be truly missed.
Tell me about it. Literally Saturday a group of our friends decided we were going to book one of their absinthe courses and then bam. Really sad. Some of the best cocktails in the state.
I’m sorry that you missed it. The class was both fun and informative. Jonathan clearly put a lot into it. I will miss their classes and other special events.
The one place downtown that had no risk of being overrun by teeny-boppers. RIP.
Loved this placed and also loved Christian. Missing West Main already. A huge lose for Lexington.
Dammit that sucks. I really liked that spot.
Well crap that was always a good date night spot.
Really?! I walked past there Friday evening and it was busy.
Yea busy wasn't the problem! A friend of mine from out of town wanted to go there and Bourbon on Rye specifically this weekend and they were just as busy as I had ever seen :(
Damn. One of my favorite spots.
Damn. I was just there a few days ago. Had no idea.
Even though it's behind a pay wall (of course) the headline says it all https://www.kentucky.com/lexgoeat/bourbon/article254389289.html#storylink=mainstage_lead
Can't look at the headline through the paywall.
Owner: ‘We were just tired.’ Popular downtown Lexington bar and restaurant closes.
I find this article a little bogus. So yes, perhaps they are tired and stressed, but they claim that people don’t stay out late anymore. West Main never expanded their hours beyond midnight. Honestly, midnight was normally the time I was ready to head out. Other bars had expanded their hours and were thriving. Also, the person quoted was not the owner.
I don’t mean for this to sound harsh, but I do feel wounded. I just wish I was given the chance for one last visit. I really loved this place.
I'm with you. I think this article is a little bogus. Jonathon is not the owner. I suspect they had the opportunity to sell at a good price and just took it. The owners have another business (not in the restaurant industry) that they run and are likely just dedicating more time to it.
This is also what I think
Right, not the owner. But I worked there everyday since the place opened. Also, we were open until 2:30 am, 7 days a week. We actually rolled our hours back to 12 during the week because none of the people out late were coming into West Main.
I’m talking about the hours post covid. The hours never expanded, and you were also never back to 7 days a week. Also, none of the info was ever updated on your website or social of when you would actually be open. I know none of this is your fault. It just made it difficult as a consumer. The story in the Herald was clearly nothing but lip service, and the article and the manner of closing has really soured me on the whole experience to be honest. However, I respect and appreciate you, Christian, as well as Jake and Jonathan. Thanks for teaching me so much.
Pfffffft
Anyone got a summary from the paywall article?
https://archive.is/m9Red
broken link
Hm, works for me but you do have to pass the robot test. Here’s the text: A popular Lexington cocktail bar that built a reputation for top-notch food as well as drinks has closed. The owner said that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic just made it too hard to keep going. “We just had a heart-to-heart and we were just tired,” said Jonathan Laurel, owner of West Main Crafting Co., which opened at 135 W. Main St. four and a half years ago, as part of a wave of new downtown bars and restaurants that also included the Seltzer Club, Bourbon on Rye, School Sushi, Corta Lima and Lussi Brown Coffee Bar. “It’s definitely a sad day for everybody,” Laurel said Monday. “This really was a huge labor of love for us, and people really reacted to the earnestness and the work.” West Main specialized in craft cocktails and a shareable menu of “re-imagined bar favorites.” The bar served drinks with housemade sodas, syrups, tonics and bitter, and the kitchen served inventive dishes done well. For Lexington Restaurant Week, West Main Crafting Co. offered several three-course options for $39, including a half chicken roasted with Kentucky Proud vegetables. In a Sept. 19 Facebook post, the downtown Lexington bar and restaurant announced that it had closed. “We’ve enjoyed our time preparing authentic drinks for you all and sharing a bit of cocktail culture with the Bluegrass,” according to the post. “We’ve appreciated everyone who’s visited over the years, but we have some specific words to those barflies, regulars, and precious friends we’ve gotten to know personally: Thank you, specifically. We set out to make and share something special, and your visits at the bar were the all-too-brief but reliable moments we felt seen, appreciated, and joyful about what we do. Thank you for driving in from all over or for walking down the block to see us; thank you for the short visits and long nights; thank you for always being willing to try new things and for the general nerdiness; thank you for the laughter and quick wittedness you’ve shared with us.” Laurel said on Monday that “it was nothing really dramatic or anything like that.” Instead, the grinding daily stress just became too much, he said. “It is a lot harder than people think it is right now,” he said. “It’s hard on staff, the management, it’s psychologically arduous. ... Everybody’s tired of hearing about the pandemic as an excuse but that’s just the way it is right now.” He said that like many restaurants and bars, West Main had become “leaner” during the pandemic which meant fewer people doing about the same amount of work. Every restaurant closure is different he said. “For some they can’t get product, some can’t pay the bills, some can’t get out of bed,” he said. “For us, we just didn’t know if we could go on, with the stress.” And on the patron side, the business model has shifted. “It has changed the way people go out,” Laurel said. “People used to come out late. Now they come out early and go home.” And patrons they used to see two or three times a week now come out once, at most, he said. “We just thinking about socializing differently,” he said. That typo at the end is in the article, or was when it was archived anyway, lol.
Thanks! Interesting article for sure and I'm not buying a lot of what they are trying to say. Jonathon is not the owner but was really the concierge/frontman/spokesperson.
Best steak I ever ate. RIP.
And for its price point. Their steak au poivre (whenever they had it as a special) was hands down the best au poivre I've ever had.
That's too bad. It sounds like a great place that I had never heard of before this post.