Along with the opening of a nearly 56,000-square-foot Publix on Fountain Blue Lane this summer, several restaurants, cafes and destinations for drinks and sweet treats have opened for business in and around the Fountains at Palomar shopping center.
According to developer Greer Companies’ website, the mixed-use development covers 16.25 acres at the corner of Man O’ War Boulevard and Harrodsburg Road and is designed to accommodate tenants in retail, restaurant, health care, fitness and banking industries, serving Palomar Hills, The Glades and surrounding areas, including South Lexington and Nicholasville.
Company president Lee Greer said the company first became involved with the development in 2018, with the idea of bringing “an exciting mix of tenants that all complemented one another” to south Lexington.
“We have spent a lot of time in restaurants over the years and are putting our best effort into bringing first-class concepts and operators to the development,” he said.
Greer said he has frequented Papi’s, Omakase, Jersey Mike’s and Bella Cafe’s other locations over the years and was pleased these operators chose to expand at Fountains at Palomar, adding that they’re performing better than projected.
He said the development’s allure lies in its proximity to popular neighborhoods like Beaumont, Palomar, Wellington and others, whose residents prefer the convenience of retail locations on the west side of Nicholasville Road to eat, shop and exercise.
The Fountains at Palomar is situated on one of the few tracts between Beaumont and Bellerive that could be developed, because areas to the west are protected from development due to the airport, Greer said.
Malone’s Palomar and Harry’s Palomar, both renovated in 2022, have been in the vicinity for some time. A Sedona Taphouse location arrived in 2018, followed by Papi’s Palomar in 2021.
Adding to the mix is Playa Bowls that opened in 2024; Omakase Sushi & Grill, which expanded on its Chevy Chase location and opened last January; and Floating Lotus Kitchen, which opened in August. A new Graeter’s Ice Cream, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Nothing But Noodles are expected to open in 2026.
Proximity to popular neighborhoods, including Beaumont, Palomar and Wellington, has made the Fountains at Palomar a popular draw for dining, shopping and services.
Chip Graeter, fourth-generation co-owner and chief of retail operations for Cincinnati-based Graeter’s Ice Cream, said the Palomar location should open in March, adding to existing company-owned locations in Lexington on Euclid Avenue and Justice Drive.
The rationale for locating in Palomar was a simple matter of supply and demand.
“It’s an area of town that we felt was underserved,” Graeter said. “Plus, the opportunity to be a part of a new development with a drive-thru was really appealing.”
While maintaining the Graeter’s look and feel, the new site will have a digital menu board and outdoor patio, Graeter said. “We are excited to be a part of the neighborhood and are hoping that our new store fits in well and is a hit with ice-cream lovers in the area,” he said.
The neighborhood also includes a Mirror Twin Brewing taproom set to open in mid-January in nearby South Elkhorn Village, with a Rolling Oven Pizza as its food partner.
Dee Smith, owner and CFO of Playa Bowls Lexington, said there’s a lot to love about the development.
“There’s a large vision for the center, which is still being built out, and we could really see it becoming a place that’s frequented often by people on this side of town,” he said. “Demographics and the amount of traffic of course play a part as well. The Harrodsburg Road area continues to grow, and we are glad to be a part of that growth.”
Smith said there’s also a sense of community among the local business owners.
“Certainly, while we haven’t met all the owners in the center, we have gotten to know the ones closest to us,” he said. “The people at Omakase, which is next door to us, have been great friends.”
Bella Cafe & Grille at Palomar opened at 3901 Fountain Blue Lane in fall 2023, and representatives have watched with interest as new neighbors have opened their doors over the past two years, bolstering the area’s overall draw.
“The Fountains at Palomar has definitely risen in popularity,” said Jillian Richards, marketing and training director. “The opening of the Publix was a part of the area booming, but we saw an increase even before Publix opened. Once the biggest part of construction was finished and guests could get in and out easier, we saw it take off. We were able to really create a friendly relationship with all our neighboring businesses as we learned to navigate the construction times together.”
She said a bonus, and a big difference compared to the group’s other locations throughout Lexington, has been the consistency of business at Palomar, with fewer “big rushes” and more of a steady stream of customers.
“We are really able to connect with guests who work close by or live in the surrounding area,” she said.
A cafe and catering enterprise, Floating Lotus Kitchen, opened in August on Old Harrodsburg Road in the South Elkhorn Village area of Palomar. Eric Montanez, whose mother, chef Melissa Chulavalli, owns the restaurant, described the concept.
“We’re a small-batch kitchen,” Montanez said. “Everything is made thoughtfully with wholesome ingredients. We want to make eating well easy, but not preachy, for the community.”
Each of these new and soon-to-open offerings benefits visitors and residents alike.
As VisitLEX President Mary Quinn Ramer said, “We continue to see interest from visitors in all areas of our community, and that certainly includes the southwest part of Fayette County. In recent months, we have seen expanded hotel offerings, as well as several new food and beverage establishments, especially at the Fountains at Palomar. The Fountains have completely transformed an important intersection in this area of Lexington, which serves not only our locals, but the many visitors in for Keeneland, arts, entertainment and sporting events, and who visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.”
Greer said the last two available pad sites could accommodate a freestanding restaurant or retailer, along with lease options between 2,000 and 10,000 square feet within Palomar Springs. Greer Companies representatives speak to interested parties daily.
“Currently we are working on deals with two full-service restaurants and two quick-service restaurants that we are excited to announce very soon,” Greer said.