JESSAMINE CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — A restaurant can mean different things to different people. Long John Silver’s is one of those restaurants. While it was founded in Lexington, the last location inside city limits closed in 2021.
Chief Operating Officer Edmond Heelan has heard stories about what Long John Silver’s means to Kentuckians, saying, “you talk to people, especially in the Lexington area, and they say, ‘My parents took me there after the ballgame,’ or ‘my grandparents took me there after church.”
Those stories are part of what made opening day, July 21, so special at the new location just off of Lexington Road in Nicholasville.
“People started lining up in front of the restaurant and an hour, hour and a half before we actually opened,” Heelan said. “We had a line of cars from the time we opened the doors and, and we tried to service as many guests as we could, and so we got them all done and shut down late that night.”
Grand openings are always exciting for people looking to try out a new restaurant in a new location. This grand opening – just over a mile away from the Fayette County line – was more than just an overly busy day.
“Everybody wants to be the, the biggest opening,” said Heelan. “I'll say that Nicholasville is in the top five of restaurants that we've ever opened for single day sales.”
After such a successful opening, Long John Silver’s says that they're eyeing a return to their birthplace in Lexington.
“We're looking forward,” shared Heelan. “We don't have a piece of property just yet. Our franchisee continues to look for the right spot in Lexington, but I'm pretty sure that you'll see some more Long John Silver’s in the area very soon.”
