Village Host, a pizza restaurant concept based in California and replicated in Lexington, has established itself in a downtown location that proved difficult for previous restaurants, and now it is looking to expand.
The Old Vine street address, formerly home to a string of relatively short-lived concepts, has its challenges, Village Host Pizza and Grill owner Evan Trommer said, but he has taken a few different approaches to attract new business to the heavily renovated 1930s-era building. As a result, the restaurant celebrated its two-year anniversary in January.
“A lot of people see us when we’re packed for UK games. We became one of the places downtown to see a game,” Trommer continued. “We have 35 TVs. But there are times when crowds aren’t drawn to our area and you have to find other ways to grab business. A lot of businesses have failed here, and here we are two years into it. We see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The San Francisco Bay area native worked for Village Host as a teenager into his 20s in every imaginable job with the chain and was given special latitude by the owners to take the concept “back East,” as Californians like to say. Trommer tinkered with the menu.
“At the core of the Village Host recipe is fresh pizza with fresh dough. That’s been 40 years in the making. But we have an expanded menu, bar fare and a bigger salad bar. We also serve breakfast on Saturday and Sunday,” he added.
The restaurant expanded the number of trivia play nights it offers, will try some live music on occasion and delivers more to nearby businesses.
Based on its current success, the Lexington version of Village Host may expand late this year in the city and possibly across the region, Trommer said.
“We really need to get into the suburbs, like out Tates Creek Road or to Hamburg. Those would be my first choices. We want to be closer to residential areas and become a neighborhood pub,” Trommer said.
Trommer thinks his Lexington restaurant model is flexible. If he goes to a smaller town, he believes he could survive there by adjusting his model downward in size. But if he went into the Louisville or northern Kentucky/Cincinnati markets, he could also ramp it up.
Trommer said the real late-night entertainment activity at restaurants, grills and bars happens near Main and Broadway. Village Host isn’t too far from there but is on “an island,” as he puts it, because it’s not surrounded by other restaurant options. He added that downtown customers, especially younger ones, enjoy parking in one area and visiting several locations for food, drink and entertainment.
“I respect that. That’s what I’ll look for in the next neighborhood or town: a spot more centrally located,” said Trommer. “The Hamburg area is that way, with a ton of choices. Many people want to stay in Hamburg to dine, and I don’t blame them. We need to bring our operation to the people if we expect their business.”
Village Host must also stick with its target demographic. While it doesn’t offer the most value-conscious menu items, it believes it presents a premium product. Knowing that, Chris Irvin, general manager at Village Host, said the company will search for communities with people who have more disposable income to enjoy Village Host’s product.
“You want a place with high visibility. You need people to drive by and say ‘What’s that?’ Convenience is important to. It may have good visibility, but if it’s hard to drive into and out of, you may have to pass on it,” Irvin said.
Irvin agreed there aren’t many openings left in high-visibility places such as Nicholasville Road and Hamburg, but he said there may be a few overlooked sites in the city. There’s also a certain amount of saturation, with many casual dining and pizza concepts out there.
Village Host’s salad bar has become an unexpected hit. The company apparently found a need and a niche.
“A lot of younger-generation members have become more health conscious, certainly more so than has my generation,” he said. “Finding that younger demographic in a college setting could be a success for us. Pairing us up with a college town would be a great way to go for us. We really believe in the model and fully anticipate taking this company to a multi-unit level.”
Trommer said Lexington residents love to dine out, and competition is heavy. He cited downtown, for example, and the many new restaurants that open and close there, with another new concept restaurant coming in right behind them.
“You have many loyal diners who’ve been eating at the same place since they were kids, [saying] ‘I’ve been going there for 20 years and I’m not changing,’” Trommer said. “Some people invite new dining experiences and try you, and if it’s their kind of food, they love it.”