BY KRISTINA ROSEN
Five months ago, Graze closed their second location on South Limestone and announced they were going to start from scratch.
“One of the rules in the restaurant business is you don’t shut down and reopen. Especially in that time frame. We had to come together as a company and regroup,” says co-owner Damion Scott.
The revamped Graze restaurant opened in May inside The Woodlands.
With the Limestone location and the original one in Winchester both closed (though the internet isn’t entirely clear about that yet), co-owners Chef Craig de Villiers and Damion Scott are hoping to bring the best of the previous two restaurants into this new one.
More than a reopening, it was a re-conceptualization, along with a complete renovation of the existing space (formerly home to The Julep Cup). The new Graze has a fancier downtown feel, but still offers the same global comfort food. The previous ever-changing chalkboard menu is more standard with new specials. Customers should expect to see their favorites like Carolina fries, but shouldn’t be surprised if there’s a unique take on a hot brown.
The 3,000-square-foot dining area features a private dining room, a bar, and a spacious patio. The restaurant seats 140, including the bar and patio. Scott said when UK played, no one came to Graze to watch the game. Now there’s 14 televisions throughout the restaurant, including one in each of the restrooms. Lack of parking was considered the most damaging aspect of the Limestone location, and the new location has access to roughly 80 spots, including on-site and neighborhood parking.
De Villiers and Scott believe they can make it downtown and create a good customer base on top of their loyal customers after stepping back and regrouping as a company.
The restaurant is open for dinner with plans to expand to daily lunch and brunch on the weekends.
“Graze is like a well written movie or TV show where you don’t have to see the first one to enjoy the second or third.”
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