A prime retail corner on the University of Kentucky campus is set for a major renovation, with some businesses departing, two others staying on and a new high-end burger restaurant expected to dominate the strip.
Coliseum Plaza, at the corner of Rose Street and Euclid Avenue, is an unusual retail location, situated on the UK campus and the thousands of college students, faculty and staff swarming all around it.
“Yes, it is right in the heart of campus and is considered one of the busiest corners at UK,” said Gordie Hoagland, a partner in Coliseum Plaza. “Qdoba Mexican Eats and Papa John’s Pizza do great business next door, so we have every reason to believe it will be a good location for the tenants in the plaza.”
That tenant mix is going to be changing.
Although the popular coffeehouse Coffea initially was reported to be going to go out of business, a message on its website later said it would not be closing its doors.
“There is actually someone who is going to buy the business and keep it open,” Hoagland confirmed. He said negotiations were ongoing, and no documents had been signed but that the Coffea name was expected to remain.
Frozen Yogurt have closed. The high-end burger restaurant BurgerFi is moving in.
“BurgerFi is taking the Campus Café and Sweet Mango spaces and a small portion of the Coffea space,” said Hoagland. Bangkok House, a longtime Thai restaurant in the plaza, and Coliseum Liquors, are expected to remain as tenants.
“We are excited to work with Spectrum Contracting Services in Nicholasville to put a whole new facade on the buildings,” said Hoagland. “It should really pop on that corner.”
BurgerFi operates another location in Lexington and has a national and international reach.
“We are a franchise partner with BurgerFi International based out of South Florida,” explained David Rodriquez, president of a four-restaurant franchise that will operate at Coliseum Plaza. “We have the one now in The Plaza at Fayette Mall and will be adding one to Coliseum Plaza as well. We also have one coming soon between Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park where the Reds play up in Cincinnati and another one in Lincoln, Nebraska, near the university campus.”
Rodriquez said he would like to be open by the time the UK students return to classes in the fall.
“It is a great location, and I think we will bring something new to the campus,” he said. “It is also close to the Chevy Chase neighborhood and to downtown.”
The plaza was purchased last year for nearly $1.9 million by local developers Phil Greer and his son Lee of the Greer Cos. The Greer Cos. recently closed another restaurant it developed, Coba Cocina, on Richmond Road. Late last year, Phil Greer was named to the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame for his career achievements in business.
The Lexington Division of Planning says the Fayette County Property Valuation Administrator’s office lists Coliseum Plaza as having opened in 1975.