By Kaden Buss
Over a year after Lexington Coffee Shop (Lex Co) shut its doors, the building remains empty, and there is no timetable for when it might reopen.
Karen and Jon Landis, of Boerne, Texas, purchased the building at 9 W. Washington St. for $395,000 in March 2025, according to city records. The coffee shop had closed for renovations the month before.
“It seems like it’s taking forever for them to finish construction,” said Jody Jaffe, a local resident. “We walk by often and don’t see much happening, to our disappointment.”
This week, Karen Landis referred questions about the project to Gary Barker, the contractor working on the renovation.
Inside of Lex Co on March 13, 2025
The inside of the former Lexington Coffee Shop in early March 2025, just after it closed for renovations. Photo by Emily Scaff
Barker, a Rockbridge County resident, said electrical issues have delayed the work.
“There has been an ongoing conversation with Dominion Power’s legal team,” Barker said. “The building needs a service upgrade, but there isn’t adequate room for the upgrade due to existing infrastructure mounted on the back of the building.”
Barker said the current state of the building presents significant challenges.
“These types of situations are often complex,” the contractor said. “Hopefully we are at the tail end of that process.”
However, he also said there is no clear timetable for the renovation.
“You can’t finalize budgets or timelines until you finalize design and scopes,” he said. “What I will say is that we are now devoting real energy into getting this project underway.”
The space could open as a different shop
The building owners still are planning to reopen the space, Barker said. But it might end up being more than just a coffee shop.
“Lex Co certainly has a devoted following, but the brand must evolve if it’s going to be successful,” Barker said. “I do feel like there will always be coffee brewing, but the coffee may need to take a back seat.”
A Facebook post in February 2025 announced that former manager Rachael Rooney would reopen the space as Lex Co Coffees. But Rooney said that, with the renovation delay, those plans didn’t work out. Now, she’s looking at opening a coffee shop outside of the downtown area.
“I am still hopeful and going to open soon but just most likely not in the downtown area unfortunately,” Rooney said.
Lex Co regulars say the closure is disappointing
Meanwhile, longtime customers say they miss the shop.
Jody Jaffe, a Rockbridge County resident, said the closure has been discouraging.
“It seems like it’s taking forever for them to finish construction,” Jaffe said. “We walk by often and don’t see much happening, to our disappointment.”
Jaffe, a writer, would go to the coffee shop with her husband several times a week when it was open. She said she set a scene in her latest book there.
“The front room was convivial, fun to sit amongst the regulars, feel like part of a community,” she said. “I miss that and the people who gathered and worked there.”
Laura Skidmore, a Natural Bridge resident, said she misses Lex Co’s comfort.
“I would bring a book or my crochet, order a latte and cookie and stay a while,” Skidmore said. “I hope they do reopen, and when they do, I hope the feel of the place is the same.”
Former Lex Co regulars have had to find their coffee fix elsewhere. Jaffe said she goes to Seasons’ Yield. Skidmore said she goes to Pronto and Asunder Coffee in Buena Vista.
“The food is terrific, and the people couldn’t be nicer,” Jaffe said. “But it’s not the Lexington Coffee Shop.”
Lexington has a competitive coffee scene even without Lex Co
The local coffee scene has changed significantly since Lexington Coffee Shop closed. Seasons’ Yield Farm opened Wildberry Market in April 2025 and Seasons Bakery & Café in September 2025.
Barker said the competitive coffee market in Lexington is why the coffee shop may need to change.
“I think we have to acknowledge how difficult it is to compete in the coffee space as a small business,” the contractor said. “Drip coffee alone probably isn’t going to fare well.”
Coffee shops in the Lexington area have also been dealing with rising costs. Pronto and Roadmap CoffeeWorks raised prices in 2025 due to climate change issues and high supply and demand, according to previous reporting by the Rockbridge Report. Local coffee shop owners also say President Donald Trump’s tariffs have increased coffee prices in the last year.
Jeremy Franklin, executive director of Main Street Lexington, said Lex Co was unique —even in a growing local market.
“We have lots of great coffee shops in our downtown district,” Franklin said. “However, we certainly miss Lexington Coffee Shop, given its history and its ties to our community.”
Meridith Benincasa, co-owner of Pronto, said it’s been hard to tell how much Lex Co’s closure has affected her business.
“Lex Co was the only other coffee shop open on Sundays,” Benincasa said. “Our Sundays are probably a little busier, but our Sundays have also just been getting busier over the years.”
Franklin added that he hopes the coffee shop returns.
“We’re hopeful that the building renovations move forward swiftly, so that Lex Co can reopen in the near future,” he said.
For now, customers will have to get their cup of joe elsewhere. But many are still hoping a version of their old hangout returns.
“Hopefully it will feel similar,” Jaffe said. “But the same? No.”