LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) -- Sav's Grill in Lexington, like many other restaurants, has had to think outside the box to stay open during the pandemic.
"The business is tough right now, so we all are trying to figure a way to stay in business," owner Mamadou "Sav" Savane said.
With a small dining room, Savane has not been able to seat a customer inside since the pandemic began. Instead, he has primarily relied on take-out and he has a few tables set up outside.
To bring more customers back to the restaurant, Savane is building an outdoor seating area that will be heated and named after late Lexington councilman Jake Gibbs. It will be called "Jake's Garden".
"It's a good honor for me to be able to do that," Savane said.
Gibbs was Sav's customer for 12 years. They were friends up until March when Gibbs died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism.
"I often say that Jake and Sav had a bromance," Gibbs' widow Anita Courtney said. "They had similar quiet, gentle spirits, so for this to come together like this is very sweet."
Courtney said Gibbs was a lover of books, trees, and the Lexington community, so the garden is both fitting and meaningful for her and her family.
"It means a lot to us to have a place that represents so much of what Jake cared about," Courtney said.
Savane hopes to get "Jake's Garden" up and ready in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the restaurant is still open.
If you would like to donate to the construction of the garden, you can do so here.
