In its continued effort to invest in the Fayette community, Central Methodist University has announced plans for filling the remaining spaces in the newly opened Eagle Plaza on the downtown square. A new restaurant called Lafayette on the Square will anchor the Plaza as the tenant of the largest space in the first floor of the building.
Work has already started on the new spot that all parties hope can be an eye-catching addition to the square, as well as a welcome gathering space for the community.
“The outpouring of love and support that happened right after the closing was very overwhelming for us,” said Brandy Asbury, who, along with Matt Buckman, operated Emmet’s Kitchen & Tap for almost twenty years and will be at the helm of Lafayette on the Square. “So many people were reaching out and asking what they could do to help us.”
Among those reaching out were Central’s leadership, as President Roger Drake and Julee Sherman, vice president for finance and administration, began asking how they could help fill the need for another restaurant in town. With space still open in the anchor spot at Eagle Plaza, there was an excellent opportunity for a “win-win” for both parties. The restaurant needed a bit more room than the open space allowed, however, so Central reached out to one of the current tenants with another bold plan to get the ball rolling.
Elijah Nagbe ’10, owner and operator of a 24-hour fitness center in Eagle Plaza called The Gym, was pleased to work with his alma mater to accommodate the new restaurant. The Gym will move to the north side of the square, where Central’s Esports, dance, and golf facilities currently sit, giving the business twice as much space as it currently occupies. The Esports team will return to campus, while the dance and golf teams will be temporarily back at the main campus while work takes place on the square.
“This move is going to allow me to have more room to do more things and offer services to more people,” said Nagbe. “Eagle Plaza is a beautiful building that has been a pleasure to be a part of, and as an alumnus, I’m honored to work with the University on this project to invest in Fayette.”
Nagbe isn’t the only one heartened by the University’s effort to continue its partnership with the community. Asbury says she grew up in a college town where the school eventually closed and the town slowly died off, so she is happy for Dr. Drake’s and Central’s commitment to partnering with Fayette.
“Dr. Drake’s vision is that the town and the college need to work together and that there has to be a good partnership between the two,” she said. “He doesn’t want to be insulated up there, and we don’t want to be insulated down here, so working together is important for the revitalization of the square.”
Drake and Sherman added to the chorus of praise for the community effort, acknowledging the Downtown Fayette organization and other downtown businesses for their continued support, not only of the current project but also Eagle Plaza and Central students as a whole. A number of generous citizens of Fayette, along with many on Central’s Board of Trustees, have made significant donations to the University to help make the Eagle Plaza renovations possible.
“The University is both proud and thankful for the outpouring of generosity from many of our donors and Trustees,” stated President Drake. “While many have contributed generously and sacrificially, I want to give special recognition to Commercial Trust Company and the Jacobs family for their level of participation in this effort.”
“Fayette is prospering, and there’s an increasing need for new facilities and new options for our students,” said Sherman. “We really appreciate all the support we receive from the Fayette community, and we’ll always do our best to return that support and investment wherever we can.”
As for the restaurant itself, Asbury and Buckman say that patrons can expect great food, great service, and great community connection, and they’re excited to be able to “make everything [their] own,” starting with the name.
A deep dive into the history of the area led the pair to study Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who served the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and all the connections they found seemed to fit perfectly.
“We felt that the name had a nice connection to the town but also touches on the French aspect of the Creole cooking style that we do,” said Buckman. “[The Lafayette] family’s motto was also ‘Why not,’ which felt appropriate.”
While Buckman and Asbury both have tangential connections to Central – Buckman’s wife, Alex ’12, is on the Alumni Board and his brother, Chris, is a 2001 graduate, while Asbury’s husband Brian graduated in 1994 – neither are alumni themselves. But their connection to Fayette and the community runs deep, and they can’t wait to get back to serving it.
“We’re so excited to come back and do what we love and be in the community that we love,” said Asbury. “Neither of us are from Fayette, but we’ve been here for around 20 years, and we’ve decided that this was our community and these are our people.”
With an “aggressive timeline” and all parties on board to keep the project moving, the goal is to open the restaurant in May. Sherman says the move for The Gym should happen in early March, with only a few days of downtime between closure at Eagle Plaza and opening in the new location.
In the meantime, the partnership between the University and the town continues to inspire.
“We all want this to go forward, and Central has been so easy to work with as we try to get things done. Derry [Wiswall, director of plant operations] has been a godsend in helping us with our vision,” said Asbury. “I keep envisioning what it’s going to look like when people come into town and see the restaurant on the corner, the lights, and all the people eating. It’s a nice new building, and I look forward to getting it set up.”
“We knew this was an important spot to fill as we try to recruit and retain students and employees,” added Sherman. “We hope it will be a beautiful front door as visitors come into our community, and that they continue to see thriving businesses and an active downtown before they go those two more blocks to campus.”