Pat and Gracie’s, the local tavern that opened at the Graceland Shopping Center last July, will open its second restaurant Downtown this fall. Taking over the space vacated by Lomonico’s in February, Pat and Gracie’s will bring both an evening tavern and quick lunch spot to the neighborhood.
“We were looking at the Downtown area,” said co-owner Matt Rootes, who partnered with Tony Widman and Craig Chapman to start the company. “We just thought that this area of town needs a kind of a tavern, burger-centric kind of place like us that’s fresh and from-scratch. So we thought ‘Well, let’s give it a shot.’”
Construction has already begun on the space, but it won’t take long. Rootes said the changes will be largely cosmetic, getting the space consistent with the brand.
The aesthetic is meant to reflect the history of the land Pat and Gracie’s sits on — Graceland, which used to be a thoroughbred horse farm, owned by Pat Murnan and his wife, Grace Backenstow. Murnan’s love of gambling and Backenstow’s career as a madam show through the barn wood, low lighting, and Pat and Gracie’s signature red chandelier.
The 2,700 square foot space will seat up to 95 people, with limited seating on the patio.
Pat and Gracie’s core menu will remain with several add-ons. They serve an assortment of fried starters, salads, burgers, sandwiches and sides. At lunch Downtown, they’ll offer a menu of five or six entrees under the $10 price point, with Rootes offering grilled chicken salad, half a club and soup, tenders and wings as potential items. They don’t have a freezer, so all items will be made fresh.
They’ll also run a happy hour from 3 to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, and introduce a night menu with more options, including flatbreads using the wood fire pizza oven left in the space.
Pat and Gracie’s, at 340 E. Gay St., has an opening set for late September. Once open, it’ll operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
For more information, visit patandgracies.com.