New Businesses
Metamorphosis Studio, a venture by local artist Jennifer Higgins, opened as a partner in the Walton and Main Studios. In 2000, Higgins began building and painting children's stepstools; combining creativity and functionality, these items led Higgins to expand her imaginative approach to home furnishings to pieces for the kitchen, bedroom, living room as well as additional children's furniture pieces. Metamorphosis Studio is located above Carol Lynn Originals & Events (645 E. Main St). For more information, call (859) 806-5844 or visit www.metamorphosisstudio.com
Christian Dunning has opened two new businesses: Comfort Pro Heating & Air, which provides full-service heating and air conditioning services on residential and light commercial businesses, and Grass Is Always Greener Landscaping, which provides lawn maintenance and cleanup, mulching, snow removal, landscaping, brush-hog, and other landscape related services. For more information, visit www.comfortprohvac.com and www.grassisalwaysgreenerlex.com.
Crossfit Lexington, now open at 1850 Bryant Rd., has turned an empty, 22,000 sq. ft. warehouse into a state-of-the-art training center. Each member works with a Life Coach either in a group setting or on a one-on-one basis. Workouts, known as Workout of the Day, are prescribed each day and are modified for every fitness level. Nutritional advice is also prescribed, as well as a childcare facility for every age group. For more information, visit www.crossfitlexky.com or call (859) 321-6656.
Restaurant Doodles Breakfast & Lunch is now open at 262 N. Limestone, across from Atomic CafĂ. Comfort food with a conscience, the restaurant serves local, organic food whenever possible. Breakfast items include eggs in many incarnations, corned beef hash and silver dollar pancakes. Lunch items include soup, po-boys, salads and deli sandwiches. Doodles is open at 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. Mon. - Fri., and 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday. For more, call (859) 317-8507.
Merrick Inn owner launching "Grab 'n Go" concept in Chevy Chase
Busy families in the Chevy Chase and Ashland neighborhoods will soon have a new option for that quick and easy weeknight dinner. Merrick Inn owner Bobby Murray is fitting up the corner space in Chevy Chase Place that has housed Red, Hot 'n Blue, Smitty's and most recently Jack and Maddy's with plans to open Josey's Grab 'n Go (Josey is the Murrays' 4-year-old daughter) as a prototype for potential franchising. "We do do more to-go business than we ever had, but this is something I've really wanted to do for a number of years," he said.
The veteran Lexington restaurateur said he was inspired by his own weeknight habit of late. "I come up here to the restaurant and I grab a couple of steaks or fresh fish and get all my sides and my salads, dessert or whatever and I head home, enjoy a glass of wine, put the steaks on the grill and everything's done. There's no cleanup, no pots and pans. What I'm doing is along the same lines. We'll have a fresh fish, shrimp kabobs; we'll have a number of different steaks; we'll offer chicken, chops, veal. And we're going to emphasize teaching people how to grill those proteins so they're comfortable with it. We'll offer accompanying glazes or sauces. And we're going to offer a number of hot items which will include our fried chicken and based on the season it could be pot roast, country-fried pork chops, along with all of our vegetables (such as) corn pudding, green beans, twice-baked potatoes. They'll be offered hot or cold."
Customers who plan to do their own cooking will be provided recipes. But for those in a hurry - or just too rushed - Murray said he will offer prepared items such as lasagnas, chicken salads, crab cakes, pasta salads and organic items. Plans calls for a "huge" salad bar and three or four soups daily.
The space has been gutted for a total renovation, its entrance moved around to the front of the building where large windows are being installed. A pre-holiday opening depends on delivery of coolers. "If I don't get the cases before Thanksgiving, then we probably won't open 'til the first of the year. We will not try to open in mid-December. You can never have enough staff then," Murray explained. "I'm a firm believer in baby-steps; doing it right rather than screwing everything up and nobody ever comes back."
And if all goes well? "I would love for it to get me out of the restaurant business," Murray confided. "The business is a lot rougher than it used to be. People have changed. Kids are different from what they were like 10 years ago. I'd like to be able to keep it simple enough that we could open some more stores, move to a different market. I'm kinda excited about that."
Kudos
The University of Kentucky's Rachel Dunnagan was one of only 33 future teachers from across the country to receive a prestigious fellowship from Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, a national advocate for improving the quality of science and mathematics teaching. Valued at nearly $150,000 over the course of five years, the fellowship supports aspiring teachers of promise as they embark on careers teaching high school science and mathematics.
Arthur B. Rouse, of Video Editing Services, as been awarded the 2008 Robert Straus Award for Excellence in the prevention of substance abuse within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Rouse founded and produces the popular "Keep-It-Real: Don't Drink" Internet/Video Contest in 2003 in an effort to reduce underage drinking.