Only weeks after they fought to open an outdoor patio there, the owners of St. Paul's Lexington restaurant are selling the Grand Avenue landmark to an unnamed restaurant group based in St. Paul.
Those plans were somewhat cloaked in mystery Monday as the current ownership group, represented by John Hickey, failed to return phone calls throughout the afternoon. Neither did the new owners, whose identity became widely known even though it could not be officially confirmed.
Hickey announced in a news release that the owners had agreed to a sale in principle of the classic steak-and-seafood place, one of the city's favorite gathering spots for family celebrations, political strategizing and corporate parties.
Hickey, his wife, Michelle, and Ed and Jenni Ryan bought the Lex only two years ago from Minneapolis businessman Thomas Scallen. No explanation was given as to why they decided to sell now.
"We feel fortunate to have been the fourth owners of this venerable institution," Hickey said in a statement. "The Lexington has been a fabric of St. Paul for 76 years and we feel pride in having kept the institution going."
He said the restaurant will close on May 31 for the summer, when the new owners will begin work on "a series of renovations" with plans to reopen in the fall.
For neighbors, the big question will be whether the new owners will proceed with plans already underway to open an outdoor patio on the roof of the restaurant next year. They're worried that the noise from the patio on warm summer evenings will be intolerable.
"The whole thing for us was that [the outdoor patio] faced the back of the restaurant and not Grand Avenue, and that's very different from any other restaurant on Grand," said Alice Medley, whose home backs onto the alley behind the Lex. If the patio faced Grand, she said, "it would be way more appealing to all of us."
