Lexington restaurant that started as coffee pop-up closes. Here’s why.

Janet Patton

A Lexington coffee shop that grew from a pop-up to a brick-and-mortar spot is closing after only a few years in business.

Far Out Espresso opened in December 2021 at 496 E. High St., which was the original location of Ramsey’s Diner. The cafe opened as a gourmet coffee shop with an apothecary of “add-ins,” then added Italian desserts and then finally entrees and sandwiches.

Sign up for our LexGo Eat & Drink newsletters


The latest on food, dining and bourbon delivered right to your inbox for free. See what's happening in the world of bourbon, including buying, tasting tips and more on Tuesday. Stick around for the biggest restaurant news in Central Kentucky on Thursday. Sign up here.

It closed at the end of February.

Owner Tyler Rogers previously operated Far Out Espresso as a pop-up trailer in Georgetown for 3-and-a-half years.

Rogers said that the restaurant “just ran out of money.” He said maintenance over the summer that closed the road in front of the restaurant hurt sales.

The restaurant spot at the corner of Woodland Avenue and East High Street, which was the original Ramsey’s, is about to be empty again. Far Out Espresso is closing.
The restaurant spot at the corner of Woodland Avenue and East High Street, which was the original Ramsey’s, is about to be empty again. Far Out Espresso is closing.

“It’s just the location. We weren’t getting enough traffic,” Rogers said. “It was just too expensive for what we were trying to do. Our lease was coming to an end and we decided to call it a day.”

He said he’s considering other options for reopening, including returning to a food truck.

When Far Out Espresso open on Woodland, the menu included hemp-infused baked treats as well as smoothies and teas. In the adjacent storefront at 207 Woodland Ave., Rogers said, they planned to offer retail sales of CBD, health products and locally roasted coffee

“Our shop is kind of ’60-’70s counter-culture themed,” he said in 2022, named for the famous catchphrase of singer-songwriter John Denver. The menu features “coffee but with a twist on it, like lots of medicinal add-ons,” he said.

The corner spot on Woodland and High Street has been home to several restaurants over the last 20 years.

It’s next door to Dahlhus Fudge and across from the Woodland Triangle area, which includes Missy’s Pie and several small businesses, like High on Art and Coffee, Black Swan Books, Create Studio and now Poppy & Pomelo, as well as hair salons and clothing stores.

The neighborhood near the University of Kentucky campus and up the street from Great Bagel & Bakery also includes the Press Juice & Health Bar on Kentucky Avenue and Kentucky Native Cafe at Michler’s Florist.

Advertisement