“Did y’all hear that Joe Bologna’s is for sale?”

Over the past day or so, I’ve gotten several variants of that message over a variety of media — text messages, DMs, Facebook tags and just about any other medium you can imagine. This week, several news outlets have reported that Mr. Joe Bologna intends to retire by summer’s end, with the hope that a buyer will take over his iconic Italian restaurant. He’s reportedly already received a few serious offers.

Now, I make no secret about the fact that I’m a big Joe B’s fan. I stop by for dinner any time I get a chance, and I frequently grab takeout when I’m in Lexington, trying my best to not eat the entire meal on the drive back to Louisville. Of course, I’m not alone. I assume these sentiments are pretty universal for most anyone who has a tie to Lexington. Nearly everyone who went to college at UK or Transylvania, or who’s ever worked near campus or downtown, or who’s had a little time to grab dinner before a Kentucky game has a memory of Joe B’s. It’s a memorable place.

First of all, there’s the building. You have to start any conversation about Joe B’s by mentioning the building at 120 West Maxwell. It was built as a Presbyterian church in 1890, was rededicated as a Jewish synagogue in 1914, and became a restaurant complex in 1989. It’s served a lot of Lexingtonians’ needs over the years.

And, of course, there’s Mr. Bologna himself. He opened his eponymous restaurant in 1973 and has been at the present location since the late 1980s. Fifty years of feeding Lexington great food at a reasonable price point — that’s an incredible legacy. At one point, there were three Joe Bologna’s locations across Lexington. The restaurant is an institution, and its namesake is a legend. It’s impossible to think of the restaurant without visualizing Mr. Joe Bologna wearing his signature suspenders and carrying a pan of breadsticks.

And then there are those breadsticks. Y’all know exactly what I mean. Huge, fluffy breadsticks the size of an adult’s forearm, served in a dish of garlic butter. The pizza is pretty great, too. I’m partial to the Sicilian pan pizza with generous slices of Italian sausage and delicate flakes of mushroom. The Stromboli sub is another favorite. In fact, I’ve never really had anything bad from Joe B’s.

For so many folks who’ve spent time in Lexington, there are also the memories. Fifty years’ worth of memories — many of which take us back to younger and more carefree days. Memories of pizza, maybe a beer, and definitely a conversation about the next basketball or football game. Good times, good company, and garlic butter in a place that hasn’t changed, even as the city and campus outside those hallowed walls have grown to previously-unimaginable proportions.

Thanks so much to Mr. Bologna for creating such an incredibly special spot, and here’s hoping the new owners don’t change a single thing.