07/24/2026
Long Post Warning!
We’ve called our location inside the Trolley Barn home for the last six years. It’s hard to believe it has already been that long, and we are incredibly grateful for the memories, relationships and support that have come from our time here.
After a great deal of consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to hit the reset button on Cultivate and make some long-overdue changes that will help us grow and improve as both a brand and an organization. That means leaving this location behind - but it also means moving forward into an exciting new chapter.
Word got out a few weeks ago, well before we were ready to announce it - and we’ve received many messages and emails asking why we’re leaving and where we’re going. As is often the case when you own a small business, the answer is a little complicated.
When Cultivate opened, we built the concept around providing fresh, unique, scratch-made food to the surrounding community. Foot-traffic drivers like the Children’s Museum and the Farmers Market in our parking lot played an important role in helping us establish that vision.
As those attractions moved and downtown Frankfort added more hospitality concepts with greater visibility and foot traffic, operating from the back of the Trolley Barn - with very limiting signage rules - became increasingly challenging. Rising rent, deteriorating facilities, shrinking market share, decline in alcohol sales, and inconsistent dine-in traffic made it more difficult to maintain the level of service and consistency we expect from ourselves.
Rather than view those changes only as setbacks, we adapted and leaned into the areas where Cultivate has continued to grow. Carryout, delivery and catering have shown tremendous promise, and they have given us a clear direction for what comes next.
Our final day of service inside the Trolley Barn will be September 18 - but this is not the end of Cultivate.
Beginning September 23, a streamlined Cultivate menu will be available for pickup and delivery from inside The Wine Thief. This arrangement will continue while we finalize plans for a new permanent location that is better suited to the concept Cultivate is becoming.
This transition also gives us the opportunity to make improvements we have wanted to pursue for years. The Wine Thief’s kitchen operates without heavily processed foods and seed oils and offers one of the area’s most comprehensive gluten-free menus. This means a few familiar dishes will receive a facelift in the best possible way, and we’re excited to share those changes with you.
Most importantly, we want to thank our team and every guest who has supported us over the past six years. Whether you dined with us, ordered delivery, trusted us with a catered event or simply recommended us to a friend, you helped make Cultivate what it is today.
We hope you’ll visit us before September 18, continue ordering beginning September 23 and follow along as we prepare for what comes next.
This is not goodbye. Cultivate is evolving and building something better - and we are genuinely excited about the future.
