LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Unlike other restaurants in Lexington, ItalX has only ever existed during the pandemic, putting things in perspective for staff.
“We're bringing that hard effort to every single shift because we could get shut down tomorrow,” said Brie Lowry Cox, the director of marketing and media at ItalX.
The restaurant, which is owned by the same people who own Corto Lima, opened last October.
“Before we opened, our team was in here working and planning, getting ready,” Lowry Cox said. “We were insulated from the outside world and then we opened and we opened the floodgates.”
But just about one month after the restaurant opened, Gov. Andy Beshear ordered that indoor dining shut down for three weeks, effectively closing some restaurants for the time being, including ItalX.
"Everybody was really scared,” Lowry Cox recalled. “We weren't really sure what was going to happen next. We didn't know when the order would be lifted.”
Gov. Beshear has signaled he does not plan to implement more restrictions on restaurants, which are currently limited to 50% capacity.
Due to the restrictions, ItalX is only open for dinner, six days a week. Lowry Cox hopes that changes soon, but as of now, employees are trying to focus on what they can control: following the guidelines and keeping customers and staff safe.
