LEXINGTON — Richland County Commissioner Cliff Mears said people will have to see The Teller Building to believe what it’s become.
The Note — a cocktail bar and drive-thru in Lexington’s former Home Savings Bank — celebrated a grand opening on March 22. Located at 40 E. Main St., The Teller Building also hosts boutique hotel rooms, offices for Hello Events and Wildwood Partners, and a shared lobby.
“You’ve got to see this place to believe it,” Mears said. “I’ve ever seen anything like it, it’s so unique and creative.”
Siblings Stacie Elkhoury, Shellie Wong and Stephen Webster opened The Teller Building last fall across the street from their other business, Nickel & Bean.
The Note is a reservation-only cocktail bar with a speakeasy atmosphere. Those who book reservations are given an entry code and can order drinks through a sliding kitchen window.
Customers can reserve one of three tables, or the entire lounge if they wish on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The drive-thru is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday–Saturday. Webster said the goal was to offer “approachable, semi-casual food.”
“We’re definitely open to changing things too,” he said. “We want to serve what people like, so our staff has some wiggle room with that.
“We did that with Nickel and Bean — things we thought would be staples completely changed. Our biscuit bites became biscuits, which then became breakfast sandwiches. Now, our baking team makes like 10 times the number of biscuits for sandwiches as they do anything else.”
Elkhoury says ‘proud to give back to the community’
Webster said his personal favorite menu items are the Whiskey Trader cocktail and loaded tots. Elkhoury said she enjoys the bahn mi hot dog, the goddess orzo bowl and garlic parmesan tots.
“Everything is made fresh, in-house and we source locally whenever possible,” Elkhoury said. “We’re really proud to be giving back to the community that’s given us so much.”
The menu offers salads, hot dogs, cheesy mac, tots, orzo bowls and sandwiches. The Note also hosts a walk-up window and weather-permitting outdoor patio.
The Teller Building’s lobby features wallpaper by Allison Pence and vintage coin bags on display in the hotel.
“It’s been a beautiful journey bringing together so many different creatives in this community,” Elkhoury said. “Allison Pence designed our beautiful wallpaper and the ceiling mural above the drive-thru.
“Shrock Construction did an incredible job. When you take a bank building and create this out of it, it’s definitely an outside-of-the-box concept.”
The Webster family originally bought the former bank for additional Nickel & Bean parking, but it didn’t take them long to start thinking about what they could do with the property.
“We never intended to go down this crazy route, but we’re excited for the future,” Stephen Webster said. “Our grandparents, Roscoe and Marian, seem to have built or invested in half of this community.
“Our parents have been tied to the community for a long time, so it’s fun to be the third generation writing our own story.”
Lexington mayor Bob Jarvis thanked the Websters for their investment and wished the business luck.
“We’re very excited to have you guys here and excited that you’re keeping your entrepreneurial spirit alive in the Village of Lexington,” he said.
Customers can make reservations for The Note online or by calling 419-884-7417. The Note is on Facebook and Instagram @thenoteohio. Sample menus are viewable online.
The above photos were provided by Lauren Mills/ LA Photography.