TakoSushi will open a restaurant in this bustling corridor of Lexington

A regional restaurant chain that offers Latin and Asian flavors will open a new location in the heart of downtown Lexington.

TakoSushi is planning a new restaurant on the property at the northwest corner of West Main and Church streets in Lexington. That’s a site that was once being considered for the Navy Yard Biergarten and Restaurant, before that project was called off last year.

James Williams, president of TakoSushi’s ownership group, said the restaurant is aiming for a summer opening in Lexington.

If looking at the property from Main Street, TakoSushi would occupy the brick building in the back corner of the property, separated from the larger main building that is on the corner of the site at 102 West Main.

This is the second business in recent months that has announced plans to open at the property at West Main and Church. Wine bar Molto Vino, which currently has a spot in Forest Acres, said in December that it would develop a location at the Lexington site.

The Lexington Chronicle first reported the TakoSushi Lexington plans.

TakoSushi currently has locations in Columbia, Greenville, Aiken and the Augusta area. The restaurant has a menu that offers sushi and other Asian dishes, as well as tacos, nachos and other Latin-inspired favorites.

“We’ve got a great, diverse menu,” Williams said. “We’ve even got a cheeseburger on the menu. We have a lot of stuff that is really approachable and makes it really easy. We have great children’s options, as well. It’s great for families. That’s part of why we love the concept.”

Williams said TakoSushi will have indoor and outdoor dining in Lexington.

The site at West Main and Church streets in Lexington was in 2021 part of a contentious debate between the then-planned Navy Yard Biergarten and neighboring St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. The beer garden would have been a multi-faceted facility that would have occupied 11,000 square feet of outdoor dining and 8,000 square feet for indoor dining, with weekend brunches and an outdoor stage.

St. Stephen’s formally protested the alcohol licenses for the beer garden, and the issue was heard in administrative law court. Judge Shirley Robinson eventually ruled in December 2021 that the beer garden could get its alcohol licenses. However, in April 2022, officials with the Navy Yard called off the project at the Main Street location, citing inflation, rising costs and supply chain issues.

The additions of TakoSushi and Molto Vino to Lexington’s Main Street will continue the trend of a culinary corridor for the area. Other restaurants very close by include Keg Cowboy, Nicky’s Pizzeria, Craft Axe Throwing, O’Hara’s Public House, Bodhi Thai Dining and Alodia’s, among others.

“We love it,” Williams said. “We want some density of options nearby. I don’t want you to come eat at TakoSushi seven days a week. But, if you come see us one day a week and go to the other places on other days, then that’s great. We want to be part of the rotation. We think having that density there is an advantage to all of us.”