Bayou Bluegrass Catering has expanded its operations to Limestone Hall in the Historic Lexington Courthouse building.
A Lexington-based catering company has added a well-known downtown venue — Limestone Hall — to its offerings. Under a new agreement, Bayou Bluegrass Catering has leased the event space for its use and will also be the exclusive food and beverage provider.
Bayou Bluegrass Catering (BBC), co-owned by Shanna and Trevor Johnson, had already had a busy couple of years prior to taking on a new event space. In 2021, the Johnsons purchased the remaining ownership in BBC from Matt and Angie Falcone, who founded BBC in 1998 and who have been business partners with the Johnsons since 2014.
Shanna said that BBC employs about 50 people, 18 of whom are full-time. Roles include a culinary team, event managers, bartenders and part-time service staff.
“We have been the exclusive food and beverage provider for both of our venues — the Round Barn Stable of Memories and Copper Roux,” Shanna Johnson said. “We also work closely with and are a preferred caterer at many outside venues throughout the Bluegrass.”
One of the venues that BBC had worked events in previously was Limestone Hall, located on West Main Street in the renovated Historic Lexington Courthouse building. This iconic downtown structure was built in 1899 from Kentucky limestone and served as a courthouse until 2001.
As an event venue, Limestone Hall can accommodate as many as 500 guests or more, depending on the type of event, said Kaelyn Query, who previously operated an events business in the space. She said events held there range from “fundraisers to festivals, weddings and celebrations, showers and shows, performances, meetings and conferences, and more.”
Query was the first tenant to open in the renovated building in 2018, working for several years prior with grant applications, financial reviews and laying other logistical groundwork for the business before opening.
Her five-year lease expires in March, and Query decided not to renew, “based on challenges operating in this building,” she said.
“The property managers put out a request for proposals, which I also forwarded to Shanna, as Bayou Bluegrass had catered many events in the space, owns other venues, and knows the industry and market very well,” Query said. “I thought it was a great fi t!”
The timing was also ideal, as the Johnsons were looking for a space to grow.
“Trevor had his sights set on expanding into another venue after we purchased the remainder of Bayou Bluegrass in 2021,” Shanna said. “When Kaelyn informed us that she was not renewing the lease for the space, we knew we had to go for it! “We already loved catering there, and it is a great space for what we do best,” she said. “The building itself has so much history and charm.”
Shanna Johnson and Query executed the sale of Limestone Hall and its business name, the remainder of the existing lease plus renewal for an additional term, fixtures, tangible and intellectual property and more as part of the transition to new ownership, which went into effect at the beginning of the year.
Shanna said that BBC will be the exclusive food and beverage provider for Limestone Hall.
“We focus on providing an all-inclusive experience for our guests in the way of venue, food and beverage,” she said. “Our staff will take care of everything as far as tables, chairs, linen, setup, food/beverage service and event sta. ng.”
As the space enters a new chapter, Query expressed affection for Limestone Hall and its significance in the community.
“The space has had many tenants, visitors and purposes through the years,” Query said. “It was important to many in the city, including us, to keep this building vibrant and a place of connection, celebration and community.”