Jeff Channell, owner, checking the smoker that will be used in his new restaurant to open on Main Street.

New Restaurant On Main Will Feature Seafood And Smokehouse Items

PAUL GIBSON | Citizen Staff

Jeff Channell is excited about the new restaurant he is opening in Paris. It is located in the Varden building and former home to the Thyme Restaurant, 509 Main Street. According to Channell the restaurant will open soon as some changes are complete and the liquor license is in place.
The restaurant named, Bourbon Smoke House and Sea Food, will offer a wide variety of customer favorites. “We will have steaks, seafood, smokehouse barbecue, burgers and other items seven days a week for lunch and dinner,” Channell said. He added that a Sunday brunch will be offered.
“We will also have sushi and a raw bar Thursday-Saturday and there will be weekly specials,” he said.
The restaurant will undergo some changes in equipment, Channell said, along with an expanded outdoor dining area. Entertainment is also in the plan for customer enjoyment.
Channell is no stranger to the business and has been involved in restaurant operations “for most of my life.” The Smoke House items prepared in the huge custom smoker in back of the restaurant is a specialty. He will also offer catering services for both large and small events and has food trucks for both events and catering.
Originally from Fort Worth, Texas, Channell has done barbecue in a number of venues in Texas and beyond. He provided his Smokehouse barbecue for the Kansas City Royals, a major league baseball franchise and also served his barbecue items in several other states. “I have also been active in barbecue competition events,” he said. “We won in Memphis and that is a nationally known barbecue competition.”
According to Channell, there are plans to open a second restaurant in Central Kentucky, Frankfort, and offer Tex-Mex, Mexican and Spanish cuisine. Although his restaurant plans dominate his time and attention, Channell has been a farrier for many years and specializes in show jumping horses. His clientele includes horse owners across the country and in South America.  He and his late wife had a farm in Bourbon County at one time where they were involved in the show jumping competitions as owners and breeders.