LEXINGTON, S.C. — One of the newest businesses coming to downtown Lexington is a biergarten.
Gavin Smith is one of the partners for the new business. He hopes it will become the premiere dining experience in Lexington.
"The truth is Lexington was really the only choice for Navy Yard to call home. We're from here, we grew up here and by bringing Navy Yard to Lexington, I feel like we're doing our part to help better our community."
They plan on partnering with local breweries and wineries, to have food and special nights for the community.
One of those events will include potentially weekly "Yappy Hours" for dog-friendly events. The biergarten plans on partnering with local animal rescue organizations to establish a sense of community.
The idea for the name comes from the two of the partners, including Smith who lived in Washington D.C.'s Navy Yard District. With the community growing into what they consider one of the coolest areas in the country, they wanted to incorporate that with their business.
The structure where it will be, which is across the street from Alodia's, was originally built in 1918. It was originally a furniture store and later on became the Chevrolet dealership.
"What we're doing in that facility is exposing all of its original assets, so the original tin ceilings, we've taken that back down to the original tin, the original floor, which is obviously just a concrete floor," explained Smith. "We're refinishing that leaving it as is and then also exposing all of the original brick to the building."
The partners even found a newspaper buried in the wall from 1945. They plan on having it featured somewhere in the building.
The food on Tuesday through Sunday will include lunch and dinner specials. They will have a Navy Yard Burger that has pimento cheese, jalapeno bacon and fried pickles. The biergarten also plans to have brisket.
On Saturday and Sunday, they'll have brunch will include things like cinnamon roll skillets, homemade pop tarts and a signature item called "clothes-line bacon".
Smith says it will have a lot to offer for the area.
"The space is really going to feature nearly 18,000 square feet, 10,000 square feet of which is outdoor dining experience where families and friends can come together for good food, outdoor games, unique drink options, live entertainment and so much more," explained Smith.
The pandemic has been a tough time for small businesses, but Smith says they're proud they are able to bring this to the area.
"Of course, we'll do our part to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic through social distancing, sanitation and making sure that our staff and even our visitors are following all of those guidelines," said Smith.
The co-partner believes it will open up around late May or June.
Laurin Barnes, the spokesperson for the Town of Lexington, says despite the pandemic, 17 more businesses than in the year past have come to the area.
"It's great to have new businesses locate here, especially businesses that we don't currently have, like new different ideas. We welcome all businesses but it's exciting to get a business like no other."