The beginning of June will see the phased opening of Annette's City CafÈ and Event Center at Old Vine Street in the building that most recently housed La Toulouse restaurant - and Phil Dunn's restaurant before that. Billed as both a restaurant (lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. beginning in July) and a catering and event location, owners Annette Jett and her husband, Frank Bickel, plan on offering for business and other events. Annette's On Vine, their casual dining cafÈ on the corner of Vine and Broadway, operating since December 2005, will remain open. What will be closing is their catering facility on Keithshire Way off Clays Mill Road. The move from a space of 1,250 square feet there to the 6,100 square feet on Old Vine is huge, according to Jett and Bickel. "The storage, the freezer room, the refrigeration, the prep space are amazing," Bickel said.
"The kitchen was designed by Phil Dunn. He's helping us as a consultant, and it's a catering kitchen with 3,000 square feet. We were just maxed out at our old place," Jett said. "And this offers us so much bright, open space. It's going to enable us to do so much more." With a current full-time staff of 12, up to eight of them chefs and cooks, and several longtime part-timers, the extra space is welcome. Two event coordinators/party planners will make use of the office space at the back of the building.
Proposed accommodations are for 200 sitting, 300 standing, and Jett's and Bickel's renovations have opened up and brightened the dining area, allowing for the setup of a variety of seating plans. Conference-size tables to smaller, more personal setups will be available, along with public address systems and a live music area with dance floor. "We'll be able to have a lot of that on hand with the storage we've got now," added Bickel. A mix of local vendors are on board to provide what Jett and Bickel need beyond those items. The full bar, "Bick's Bar," will be open for special events, and "Flight Nights" featuring special wines will become regular happenings. Parking should be ample - sharing arrangements have been discussed with neighboring businesses - and being at street level makes the location easily accessible. The proximity to downtown and its businesses, churches and residences made the decision for Jett and Bickel an easy one.
When asked if the closing of the Lafayette Club was a catalyst for their move, Jett was quick to reply. "We were already looking for a larger space, but of course the closing of the Lafayette Club gave us a nudge. As a matter of fact, the first place we looked at was this location (Old Vine Street), but we did consider the Lafayette Club space, the Coach House spot too, but ended up back where we started."
An immediate reaction to the announcement of the opening of Annette's City CafÈ and Event Center was a collaboration for its use between Annette's, Joseph-Beth and Business Lexington. The benefits of a nearby downtown event center were clear. Tom Martin, editor of Business Lexington, elaborated: "With the closing of the Lafayette Club, Lexington lost an essential meeting place. The aim of our collaboration with Annette's and Joseph-Beth is to create a new setting for the kinds of important discussions of issues as well as the networking that keep us all informed and in touch with each other - and our community." Plans call for an ongoing series of breakfasts, lunches and other events featuring visiting authors of books reviewed in Business Lexington. "We want to encourage reading," added Martin.
Gary Cremeans, general manager of the Lexington Joseph-Beth, agreed. "The more people we can attract and gather in an effort to inform, the better."
Also expressing early interest in establishing a regular presence at the event center are Commerce Lexington, the Professional Womens' Forum and the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). With accommodations for as few as 20 to as many as 300, the flexibility to be as casual or as formal as desired, and the ability to adjust and decorate to any theme, Annette's is preparing to provide an all-in-one location to meet the gathering needs of Lexington's businesses and individuals.
And Jett and Bickel are no strangers to the business they are enlarging. Both originally from Lexington, they honed their skills in major cities throughout the country before returning to Lexington in 2000. Jett has over 25 years experience, including seven in the City Club in Washington, D.C. as well as her years in Chicago at the Metropolitan Club in the Sears building. Her undergraduate degree in restaurant management and an M.B.A. in marketing, along with her years of experience, have prepared her well, and she has perfected her front-of-house personal service. Bickel catered in Los Angeles for everything from small-set parties to the elaborate movie premieres that sport the red carpet. His experience with creating atmospheres for any occasion have translated well to the varying themes of meetings, weddings, and receptions.
And while their off-site catering business is still a continuing and major part of their business, they are excited by the prospects that having a large, adaptable location to offer. Come fall, they have plans of offering Sunday brunch, which, of course, begs the question of what they do in their spare time.
"We have a one- and a two-year-old," they said with a smile.
End of conversation.