Lexpresso, a new coffee shop in the works for downtown Lexington, is slated for a potential fall opening.
The building at 307 West Main St. is undergoing renovation and will offer specialty espresso drinks with a historic ambiance.
The shop, located next to the historic Smith-Turner House, is the latest project from Athens attorney Blair Dorminey, who has spent the past few years working on the neighboring home. Dorminey hopes the coffee shop will complement the eventual commercial use of the house.
“I figured that given the location of that building, it might make an excellent small coffee shop, both because of the traffic through the town, which is quite strong, and also the local community, which seems to want to have a place to gather during the week,” he said.
Originally a country store, the project is waiting on approval from the Historic Preservation Commission to move forward with an addition to the back of the building. The extension would double the shop’s size, adding a window-lined room behind the original structure to face the Smith-Turner House. The front section will retain much of its original features.
“We're keeping all of the old wood on the inside, and we've been very careful to keep all of the old flooring,” said Joe Gunby, the lead carpenter working with Dorminey on the project. “It gives it that old character look. It'll feel like a worn-in comfortable old building when we're done.”
Dorminey, a longtime coffee enthusiast, plans to feature mostly espresso drinks made with beans from coffee roasters along the East Coast, as well as selections from local roasters.
If approvals and construction stay on schedule, Dorminey hopes to complete the exterior by the end of July, finish the interior in August and hold a soft launch in September.
Renovations on the Smith-Turner House are slowly progressing as well. Following a walkthrough by structural engineers, Dorminey is waiting to receive reports on the stability of the foundation in order to begin work.
“I'm hopeful that we will actually get to that construction in the fall,” Dorminey said.