After nearly 11 years in business, Mamadou “Sav” Savane closed his restaurant, Sav’s Grill, on South Limestone Avenue this week, with plans to reopen in a new location on East Main Street in September.

“It’s time to start a new chapter,” Savane said. “This community has been so good to us and it’s really been a blessing for me and my family, but it’s just a tough place to have a restaurant right now.”

Savane cited a recent decline in customer traffic as the main reason for the move. He said that business for his restaurant and others along the South Limestone corridor has dropped off since the opening of more on-campus dining options at the newly renovated and expanded Gatton Student Center on the University of Kentucky’s campus last year.

“It’s been an emotional time for me, but at the same time, happy,” said Savane, whose family joined him on Monday for the final day in business on South Limestone for Sav’s Grill. “But Sav’s Grill is not disappearing. It’s just changing the location and the way we will run the business.”

Sav’s Chill, Savane’s ice cream shop at the corner of Limestone and Maxwell, will remain open, he said, and his restaurant, which specializes in west African cuisine from his native homeland of Guinea, will be moving to the former Subway location at East Main Street and Old Lafayette Avenue.

The new location, which will be called Sav’s, will be renovated this summer into a family-friendly neighborhood gathering spot, said Savane, who also lives in the nearby Kenwick neighborhood. The menu will feature many of his tried-and-true Sav’s Grill specialties and Sav’s Chill ice creams, along with some creative new dishes. Savane will be traveling to Guinea with his daughter, Daika Grace, this summer, looking for additional authentic African culinary selections to bring back to the Bluegrass, he said.

The new restaurant will offer table service, Savane said, and beer will be served as well. It will also have some parking available, the lack of which had been a significant challenge at Savane's previous location. Updates on the renovation progress at the new site and more information on the planned September opening will be posted on the Sav’s Grill Facebook page as it is available, Savane added.

“We would love to be a friendly neighborhood place, where the kids can come along and the parents can socialize together as well,” Savane said. "I’m really looking forward to it.”