Sutton's, the Italian restaurant that's anchored a stretch off Richmond Road in Lexington for almost two decades, served its final meal to the public on Saturday. Owner Gordon Lewis made the call to retire, closing the book on a restaurant that built a loyal following for its food, its dining experience and what regulars often described as a welcoming atmosphere.
Lewis announced the closure Saturday from Sutton's patio, telling the crowd gathered there that timing mattered more to him than pushing on for one more year. As FOX 56 News reported, Lewis announced his retirement. According to kentucky.com, Lewis explained his reasoning plainly: “while I have my health, and I still have some energy, I will go ahead and do that.”
Lewis has lived in Lexington since 1997 and has experience owning eight different restaurants across the city, according to FOX 56 News. Sutton's itself opened in 2008 and spent nearly 20 years serving what FOX 56 News described as a unique Italian menu paired with a pub-style atmosphere and family-friendly fun off Richmond Road. The restaurant also served Italian and American cuisine, according to a 2020 report from wkyt.com, and had earned a reputation early in the COVID-19 pandemic as what kentucky.com identified as the first restaurant in the state to deliver wine and spirits to customers.
Lewis Thanks Staff and Regulars on the Patio
In his farewell remarks Saturday, Lewis thanked past and present staff along with the guests who kept coming back over the years, per FOX 56 News. “Thanks again for all the wonderful memories,” he said, according to the outlet's reporting on the announcement. He also offered the community a sendoff, wishing everyone good fortune, good luck and good health.
Sutton's last day open to the public landed on Saturday, kentucky.com reported, closing out a run that spanned nearly 20 years in one Lexington location. The restaurant had become known, as kentucky.com put it, for its quality food, its dining experience and a welcoming feel that kept customers returning.
Part of a Wider Wave of Lexington Closures
Sutton's exit adds to what's been a rough stretch for Lexington's restaurant scene. Almost 25 local restaurants had closed in the city by 2026, kentucky.com reported, with several owners pointing to rising costs — particularly rent — as a driving factor. That list includes Arcadium, which shut down in April after more than 13 years when building owners declined to renew its lease, and Big City Pizza's Hamburg location, which closed at the end of February after five years due to a rent increase, per the same kentucky.com report.
Other recent casualties named in that same accounting include Bourbon 'n' Toulouse's Leestown Road location, which closed in June after rising food and product costs made the spot unprofitable; Favor, which closed in April after its lease wasn't renewed; and Lockbox, the restaurant inside the 21c Museum Hotel on Main Street, which closed in May after a decade in business. Separately, lex18.com reported that Tolly Ho and Zim's Cafe closed in December, followed by The Goose and Dingbat's Pizza on Jefferson Street, and more recently Joella's Hot Chicken and Big City Pizza in Hamburg.
Costs, Labor and Changing Habits Squeeze Owners
Industry watchers point to a mix of pressures behind the closures. Labor, food supplies and rent have all climbed in recent years, according to fox56news.com, which also noted that restaurants are struggling with both the cost and the consistency of labor: “Everybody has trouble having consistent labor as well as affording it.” That same report pointed to changing customer behavior, including a shift toward food-delivery platforms, as another factor squeezing profitability, along with younger generations drinking less alcohol than previous ones — a trend that hits restaurants reliant on beverage sales. The report also noted that the growing popularity of GLP-1 weight-management medications has been discussed as a possible factor in reducing overall appetite and dining frequency.
Food-away-from-home prices rose 4% from January 2025 to January 2026, lex18.com reported, adding financial strain for both restaurant owners and the customers they depend on. The same report described operators still carrying COVID-era debt alongside labor shortages and rising labor costs, with one account summarizing the bind as insurmountable debt, labor issues, workers unwilling to take jobs, and labor costing more than ever before. Rising rent tied to out-of-state developers is compounding the problem further, according to lex18.com.
