Two of the three owner/managers of Lincoln’s Real restaurant have left the business, which has suspended service for the time being, although “there is no intention to close Real,” according to remaining manager Lindsay Parker.
When Real opened in South Lincoln in 2019, Tom Fosnot was the primary chef and Ruth-Anne Adams was in charge of the front-of-house staff and general operations while Parker handled the business side. Geoff McGean, executive director of the Rural Land Foundation, which owns the building, said this week that Parker “has not indicated to us what the future of the restaurant might be.”
“I am going to spend some time to regroup and consider the right next chapter for the restaurant, especially in light of existing challenges presented by COVID,” Parker said in an email. “That being said, there is no intention to close Real. I have been deeply gratified by the support Real has received from the Lincoln community since we opened in March 2019, and especially since the world changed so dramatically earlier this year. I look forward to the prospect of returning that favor by having Real continue as an inviting gathering spot and community asset for years to come.”
“We truly loved being in Lincoln and the Rural Land Foundation has been an amazing source of support for Tom and I,” Adams said in an email. “In addition, we have tremendous gratitude toward the community that was brought together through the building of Real. We would like, however, to speak with our attorney before commenting further.”
Real is the latest of several restaurants that have come and gone at Lincoln Station. Lincoln Kitchen closed after just 15 months of operation. It was preceded by AKA Bistro, which operated for several years but was ultimately doomed by a pair of unfortunate events: the lengthy closure of nearby Donelan’s after its roof collapsed in a snowstorm in February 2011, significantly reducing business traffic for the entire mall, and the closure of AKA itself for several months starting in December 2013 after a burst ceiling pipe caused extensive interior water damage.
We loved AKA – I took out of towners there all the time too. Keep us posted on REAL. We have been too holed up to eat out, but would get takeout or buy a gift card to support them.
So saddened to hear this news. We started getting takeout in order to support the restaurant, and then found we really loved the food, so carefully prepared. They will be missed.
Could a GoFundMe fundraiser help get Real survive the winter?
Such a tremendous loss for us and for many in Lincoln, as even in COVID we felt a sense of community around REAL. I hope there’s a warm, breezy window that will open for Lindsay. I want to express profound gratitude to Ruth-Anne and Tom for their hard work, their wherewithal to pivot their business model with creativity and a smile as COVID impacted their livelihood. We will miss them very much.