North Lime Donuts Celebrates Opening Of Edison Center Location

Mayor Greg Fischer, North Lime Coffee & Donuts owner Joe Ross and representatives of Edison Center owner Weyland Ventures this morning celebrated the arrival of the North Lime Coffee & Donuts brand in Old Louisville. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the North Lime location, 1228 S. Seventh St., in front of the Edison Center.

The 3,000-square-foot building where North Lime Old Louisville operates had been vacant since 1982 and required a significant investment to make it useful for the donut shop.  Louisville-based Weyland Ventures, which owns North Lime’s building as well as the neighboring Edison Center, shored up the structure and installed new plumbing and HVAC systems. North Lime’s owners worked with Lexington designer Ben Salley on further renovations that included installing new electrical systems, a commercial kitchen and additional plumbing to serve the shop’s coffee bar.

The goal was to create a cozy atmosphere that would make the place attractive as a community hangout. “We know we’re in the right spot with this location,” Ross said. “This building and the surrounding Old Louisville neighborhood have the same atmosphere as our first location in Lexington in the Limestone Neighborhood. We feel right at home.”

Mayor Fischer applauded the collaboration and investments by both North Lime’s owners and Weyland Ventures. “Teamwork like this is what enables ventures like North Lime to get a start in a new community,” Fischer said. “It also sets a good example for reuse of a property that has been offline for 36 years. Bringing life back to the Edison Center and to this adjacent building is a very positive turn of events.” The Edison Center, a former Louisville Gas & Electric Co. facility, was renovated by Weyland Ventures into an office complex. About 300 Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government employees were the first tenants in the building when it reopened in early 2016.

North Lime’s grand-opening celebration comes a few months after its doors opened to customers. Already the shop has built a following of loyal customers. “I can’t believe how quickly our business has grown,” said Trish Trimble, general manager of the Louisville location. “We have people come from all over town to try our donuts, and we’ve already made great friends with many Old Louisville residents who have been tremendous supporters.”

North Lime Coffee & Donuts is a welcome arrival in Old Louisville as it and the neighboring Edison Center strive to serve as a center of activity in the neighborhood. “From the beginning, our objective was to have the Edison Center host events and have activities that could be enjoyed by our tenants as well as neighboring residents,” said Mariah Weyland Gratz, CEO of Weyland Ventures. “We already see that happening with the NiteFlix outdoor movie series that’s being held this summer in the Edison Center parking lot. North Lime is among the vendors on site selling their donuts.”

Founded in Lexington, Ky., in 2012, North Lime Coffee & Donuts’ first location opened at 575 N. Limestone St. A second Lexington store operates at 3101 Clays Mill Road. The business was started by Ross, a former mortgage broker, Heidi Hays, an engineer, and Teddy Ray, a pastor. North Lime is known for its specialty, gourmet donuts that run the creative flavor gamut from raspberry lemonade to red, white and blueberry to a vegan chocolate chip pancake donut. Their products, based on secret family recipes, also include classics such as bear claws, cinnamon rolls, and glazed and chocolate-iced donuts.