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The owners of the Red Hen restaurant in downtown Lexington have announced that they will cease operations at the end of the year and reopen in the same location early in 2024 under a new name with a new dining concept.
“We’ve had 15 very memorable years offering farm-to-table fine dining in our historic and intimate spot at 11 E. Washington St.,” said Stephanie Wilkinson, one of the restaurant’s founders and owner. “When we opened in 2008 in the middle of a nationwide financial meltdown, there was no telling if we would sink or swim. Fortunately, we swam pretty well. Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to win dining awards, see the restaurant featured in national publications, and enjoy strong support from our loyal clientele. Now it’s time to try something new.”
Driving the concept change, she said, is the creative inspiration of Matt Adams, Wilkinson’s business partner and Red Hen chef for the last decade.
“When my wife Becca and I came to Lexington, we fell in love — with each other, with the town, with the Red Hen,” Adams said. “We’ve learned a lot and achieved many of the goals we set for ourselves. But we’ve also learned that learning and growing is our passion. We’re excited to have this opportunity to evolve and to create a new place with a unique vibe all its own.”
For now, the owners are keeping the new name and new menu under wraps. They hope to complete the necessary behind-the-scenes changes before unveiling the concept via social media and a new website in the coming weeks.
“While we say goodbye to the Red Hen, its core values will live on,” said Adams. “Our ideals, culinary ethics, and the knowledge we have earned will all be present in everything we touch.”
The Red Hen became the focus of national attention in the summer of 2018 when Wilkinson asked then-President Trump’s press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, to leave the restaurant, a move that brought protests outside of the restaurant, which closed for nearly two weeks.
