Rebecca and Eric Burnworth / Photo by Estill Robinson
In the restaurant-mad Bluegrass, most owners prize addresses near stylish boutiques in well-trafficked neighborhoods or high-visibility locations near hotels and arenas. Rebecca and Eric Burnworth’s choice for The Stave Restaurant & Bourbon Bar lies farther from the beaten path—in rural Millville, Kentucky. The Woodford County hamlet, situated alongside Glenns Creek five miles south of Frankfort, is little more than a smattering of tree-shrouded homes and a church.
The self-described “horseshoe capital of the world,” one could easily pass right by en route to nearby distilleries like Woodford Reserve, Castle & Key and Glenns Creek Distilling. While the Burnworths are known for designing (she’s an architect and interior designer) and constructing (he’s a builder) some of the coolest industrial-chic restaurants in and around Lexington, the couple chose to locate their own restaurant in a 900-square-foot, humble-as-homemade-soap, metal-roofed wooden structure that most recently housed Glenns Creek Biergarten, which closed in 2013.
“The first time I saw it, I loved it,” said Rebecca Burnworth. “I just saw something in it; something it could become.”
As the story goes, Ralph and Donna Quillin saw it first. When the busy owners of Rooster Brewing in Paris and Oscar Diggs in Lexington were approached about purchasing the idled restaurant, they liked the space but weren't looking to add another location yet. They instead urged Rebecca Burnworth to check it out, and last year, the Burnworths and Quillins bought the property together.
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Architect and designer Rebecca Burnworth created The Stave's interior to be warm and inviting. / Photo by Estill Robinson
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The Stave offers an extensive selection of bourbon and cocktails. / Photo by Estill Robinson
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Entrée selections include catfish and/or shrimp and grits. / Photo by Estill Robinson
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Many of The Stave's dishes are meant for sharing. / Photo by Estill Robinson
The Burnworths led the design and build-out of the restaurant and will operate it, while the Quillins will remain investors. The Stave Restaurant & Bourbon Bar opened in mid-June.
“Our investment is modest,” said Burnworth. “We could be frugal … since we don’t have any contracting and architecting fees.”
The not-so-modest ambition is to maximize the location—as well as the partners’ collective experience and creative vision—to create a distinctly Kentucky destination that appeals to both locals and the myriad travelers along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Hundreds visit Woodford Reserve daily from April to October—sometimes more than 1,000 a day during Keeneland Racecourse’s seasonal meets—and traffic will only increase with the long-awaited opening of Castle & Key.
“The distilleries are so excited about us opening up,” Burnworth said. “They know adding a restaurant to this part of the Bourbon Trail will only attract more visitors.”
The Stave Restaurant & Bourbon Bar is located near Woodford Reserve, Castle & Key and Glenns Creek distilleries. / Photo by Estill Robinson
Diners can find the Burnworths’ fingerprints on Lexington restaurants such as Middle Fork Kitchen Bar, Buddha Lounge, Crank and Boom, Hugo’s Lounge, Ethereal Brewing, Goodfellas Pizzeria, Marikka’s Restaurant and Bier Stube and others. The couple has a knack for taking difficult, dated and even abandoned spaces, and turning them into eye-catching businesses that also function well for restaurant crews.
“It’s fun designing in downtown Lexington, especially with all the old buildings,” Burnworth said. “Oh, the stuff I’ve seen … dirt basements … [kitchen] entryways you had to go outside and down through a cellar to get to. In those types of spaces, you’ve got to be creative.”
Customers must also find them inviting, she said, adding that some designers miss the fact that people are after a special experience when they go out to eat. “I really get irked going to a restaurant … and the place feels like I’m sitting in someone’s living room,” she said. “When that door opens, the customer better say, ‘Wow!’”
“When that door opens, the customer better say, ‘Wow!’” —Rebecca Burnworth
So, why did the designer–builders (and busy parents of three children) want to become restaurant operators? They’ve worked on restaurant projects so closely with others for so long that they got the bug to try it themselves, Burnworth said. They’ve also built a strong network of experienced restaurateurs. “The encouragement and support I’ve gotten has been amazing,” she said. “They’re like, ‘We’ve got you, girl!’”
While it’s reassuring to know help is just a phone call away, Burnworth said she’s realistic about how much on-the-job learning lies before her. “We’ve put a good team together, which is essential,” she said.
Executive Chef Jonathan Sanning / Photo by Estill Robinson
Among them is executive chef Jonathan Sanning, who ran the kitchen at Smithtown Seafood since it opened five years ago. Along with a selection of bourbons and cocktails, Sanning said diners can expect many Kentucky standards with contemporary twists on the menu. Entrée selections include a hot brown, catfish and/or shrimp and grits, as well as appetizers such as a “hot brown poutine” and a pork and beans dish “that’s a lot like carnitas, with long-braised pork that’s fried crisp and served on a white bean puree with sorghum molasses,” Sanning said.
Some items are suited for group sharing, while others are designed for rapid demand, such as when tour buses arrive unannounced. “You’ll see classics, but with my own spin,” Sanning said. “I want the food to be exciting but approachable.”
The whole experience will be “Kentucky, in the best possible sense,” Burnworth said. “We want to be a hideaway country kind of place that showcases our regional cuisine in an inventive, elevated way.”