It's April in Louisville so plenty of restaurants are opening around town. We go over the latest on this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

We start off the show with a conversation about Web and Honey. This deli is coming to the former ShopBar space at 950 Barret Ave. The deli is being launched by Melissa Ann Culton, the former co‑owner of Bluegrass Pizza & Pub in Danville, Kentucky.

ShopBar closed in June 2025 after six years in business.

After that, we chat about Harry's Taphouse, a Jeffersonville bar and restaurant that's coming to Georgetown. And we discuss Smoketown’s Trellis Brewing, which is launching an in-house kitchen to produce food designed specifically to pair with the brewery’s beers. 

We also discuss a new soul food restaurant coming to Russell, called GiGi's Kitchen, a new location for Indi's Chicken in New Albany and the story behind My Brotha's BBQ, which opened recently in Jeffersonville.

Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson. Three local chefs are coming on: Noam Bilitzer, of MeeshMeesh, Anne Shadle of Mayan Cafe and Lawrence Weeks of Murray’s Creole Pub. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

After the restaurant talk, we get to talking about residential real estate. 

The Louisville region is projected to create jobs, but affordability remains a major concern with one-third of the workforce struggling to afford a one-bedroom apartment, as One Louisville CEO Trevor Pawl noted at a recent event. LBF Reporter Olivia Estright also just had an interview the president of Kentucky Realtors about the issue of affordability and more.

Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Join us live: Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson. Three local chefs are coming on: Noam Bilitzer, of MeeshMeesh, Anne Shadle of Mayan Cafe and Lawrence Weeks of Murray’s Creole Pub. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

What would a deal for Brown-Forman Corp. mean in Louisville? We chat about it on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Louisville-based spirits giant Brown-Forman and Paris-based Pernod Ricard have confirmed they're in discussions about a potential merger. LBF Bourbon reporter Stephen P. Schmidt is on this week's show to talk about the size of the company this would create and how it would stack up in the industry. 

Brown-Forman (BF.A, BF.B) is Greater Louisville’s fifth-largest public company, with most recent annual revenue of $3.98 billion. It's key brands include Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. Meanwhile, Pernod Ricard, which had net sales of €10 959 million in fiscal 2025 (roughly $12.6 billion) has more than 200 brands, including Absolut Vodka, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet just to name a few.

We also talk about the philanthropic and sponsorship impact that Brown-Forman has around Louisville. And check in with how Wall Street is thinking about the news.

After the bourbon discussion we talk about the closure of Louisville-based Goodwood Brewing and Spirits local taprooms. The company is undergoing an ownership transition while grappling with mounting financial problems, including multiple lawsuits alleging nonpayment of rent, services and taxes, as LBF's Michael L. Jones reports.

Late in the show we also chat about a new speakeasy coming to Hotel Distil and the upcoming They're Off luncheon, which will feature University of Louisville alum and Detroit Lions backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. 

Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Join us live: Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson. Three local chefs are coming on: Noam Bilitzer, of MeeshMeesh, Anne Shadle of Mayan Cafe and Lawrence Weeks of Murray’s Creole Pub. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

The restaurant scene is ever evolving and we go over the latest on the Access Louisville podcast this week.

To start off the show, we chat about the future of Vincenzo's. With news of the potential redevelopment of the Humana Building and surrounding property, we've all been wondering what would happen to this venerable Louisville restaurant that's on the site. Reporter Michael L. Jones, who interviewed the brothers behind the restaurant, explains that a lot is still up in the air. 

Brothers Agostino and Vincenzo Gabriele opened the authentic Northern Italian restaurant in May 1986 after David Jones Sr., then chairman of Humana, invited Vincenzo to take over the former Columns location in the Humana Conference Center at 150 S. Fifth St. in Downtown Louisville.

But they're now celebrating the restaurant's 40th anniversary at a time when the future of the Humana Building is in flux. LBF previously reported that Louisville-based Poe Cos. has signed a letter of intent to purchase the 26-story Humana Building at 500 W. Main St. and convert it into a 1,000-room hotel. 

Later in the show this week, we chat about the closing of Sharetea, a family-owned business in Middletown. We talk about the latest with Akiko’s, a Karaoke bar on Bardstown Road. 

And we wrap up the restaurant talk with a chat about a new Cuban Italian restaurant, Prado 264, which is coming to the former Mark’s Feed store space.  

Following the restaurant talk, we go over some local media news, including a recent deal that saw WHAS-11 change hands. And we talk about the University of Louisville women's basketball team advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Join us live: Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson. Three local chefs are coming on: Noam Bilitzer, of MeeshMeesh, Anne Shadle of Mayan Cafe and Lawrence Weeks of Murray’s Creole Pub. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

Greater Louisville Inc. is out and One Louisville is in. 

We go over the new economic development strategy on this week's Access Louisville podcast. The creation of One Louisville follows the merger of GLI and the short-lived Louisville Economic Development Alliance last month.

The new economic development agency debuted at GLI's final annual meeting on Wednesday. And LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones recently did an interview with One Louisville Board Chairman Matt Thornton. 

On the show this week, we talk about what led up to the change and what to expect next.

After that we chat about some recent Southern Indiana news, including the sale of the former Hardee's in Jeffersonville — a high-profile location right at the entrance of that city. We also discuss a major reuse project in New Albany that could bring in new residential and retail as well as a potential roadblock for a solar power project in New Washington. 

After a break, we get into some local soccer news, including the departure of Lou City FC's Danny Cruz. Cruz is taking a job in the MLS, leaving Louisville with an opening right as the season begins. We also talk about a recent report that estimates the value of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises, including Racing Louisville FC.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

Join us live: Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

Hollywood is shining a spotlight on Louisville with HBO's true crime documentary "Murder in Glitterball City."

The doc, which released a few weeks ago, was based on the book "A Dark Room in Glitterball City" by local author David Dominé. And he joins us on this week's show. Dominé is also the owner of Louisville Historic Tours, which gives architectural and ghost tours in the city. 

We give our impressions on the 2-part series, which — in spite of the heinous crime at the center of it — somehow manages to paint Louisville in a charming light. That was core to the book as Dominé explains, as he wanted the Old Louisville neighborhood to feature like a character in the book.

As Dominé notes on the show, the book and the documentary are two different things. But he was very happy with HBO's take on it. It's not everyday an author gets his work translated to the screen in such a way. 

"Just a fact that it attracted attention and made it to the screen was very gratifying," he said. "It's great that Louisville still gets it time in the spotlight. I love the fact that people are talking about Louisville."

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify 

Join us live: Our next live podcast, "Access Louisville: The State of Dining Out," is set for 4 p.m. April 21 at 500 West Jefferson.  Three local chefs are coming on: Noam Bilitzer, of MeeshMeesh, Brittany Kelly of North of Bourbon and Lawrence Weeks of Murray’s Creole Pub. We’ll talk about issues facing the industry, including food costs, changing neighborhood dynamics and more. Tickets are available here.

New apartment and single family home developments around town top this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

We start off talking about plans to renovate the Hubbuch & Co. Architecture building at 320-324 W. Main Sts. into 14 apartment units. Developers for the project include Lee Weyland, partner at CORE Real Estate Partners, Dean Wilkinson, president of Wilkinson Builders, and Bobby Bailey, founder of Louisville Geek.

After that, we chat about plans for new apartments at 11501 Schlatter Road, which is the former site of Valor Traditional Academy. Six permits were filed detailing the construction of five apartment buildings and one clubhouse building at the site. The Valor building looks like a castle, which of course gets us joking around about this actual castle being listed for sale in Charlestown, Indiana.

We also talk about a new 61-home development near Downtown Jeffersonville, Indiana and plans for an AirBnB development in Downtown Louisville, called the Colt Club.

After a break, we chat about restaurant news, including Papa John's plans to close 300 underperforming locations around the country. We talk about some new bars around Louisville Slugger Field — that gets us on a tangent about speakeasies. And we wrap up the show with a chat about Bristol Bar & Grille, which is closing its Highlands location after nearly 50 years. 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above. You can also listen in the player above. 

McDonald’s owner-operator John Salls joins us on the Access Louisville podcast this week.

Salls, who has more than 10 years of experience in the fast-food restaurant industry, talks about leading the restaurant group, having an impact on his young employees and carrying on his mother's legacy. 

John Salls is the son of Ira Salls, who in 1991 became the first Black female McDonald's franchisee in Kentucky and Indiana. She passed away in 2024 at the age of 70 and John talked about how she inspired him. 

“It's the reason why I do what I do," he tells LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy. "It's the reason why I'm so dedicated to the brand, just watching my mother — all the sacrifices and strides that she made as a trailblazer. 

"I'm really proud to carry on her legacy and continue to be a staple in the community for everyone, and just try to exemplify some of the things that she believed in.”

He also spoke about  the challenges of operating in a price-competitive market, including rising food costs — something that's plaguing many in the industry. 

“Those pressures are definitely real," he said. "I think over the last year, we may have seen base food [cost] go up about a percent."

In order to counter that he talked about growing marketshare and reaching new customers — "whether it be through the delivery platforms or through the McDonald's mobile app, or just doing some local store marketing or community engagement.”

Salls holds a bachelor of science degree from The University of Kentucky. He's an Eagle Scout and a member of First Baptist Church of Jeffersontown.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We cover a number of topics on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

First, we chat about the University of Louisville ending its long-running management of an early childhood center near campus and severing its ties with Family Scholar House due to budget constraints. Louisville Scholar House includes 56 apartments, the Owsley Brown Frazier Academic Services Center and an Early Learning Campus (ELC), which provides care and early learning for children ages six weeks to four years old through the College of Education and Human Development.

After that, we talk about the Louisville Kings, a United Football League franchise that will start playing in March at Lynn Family Stadium. Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt tells us about efforts to build local support for the new team — particularly among the business community. We also chat about what we think of the team's newly unveiled jerseys, which feature a forrest green meets lime green aesthetic. 

Late in the show, we switch gears to go over the recently announced Bourbon & Beyond lineup. 

The Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Goose take top billing on opening night, which is Friday, Sept. 24, while Mumford & Sons and Kacey Musgraves headline on Sept. 25. Chris Stapleton, The Red Clay Strays, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit play on Sept. 26. And Dave Matthews Band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Counting Crows round out the main stage Sunday, Sept. 27 

The festival, now in its eighth year, is promoted by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, the same company that puts on Louder Than Life.

We wrap up this week's podcast with a chat about a new documentary coming to HBO called "Murder in Glitterball City." Reporter Michael L. Jones recently spoke with author David Dominé about the 2-part series, which is based on Dominé's book "A Dark Room in Glitter Ball City: Murder, Secrets, and Scandal in Old Louisville." 

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

A new pizza joint is coming to NuLu and a new place for steak burgers is coming to the South End. We talk about both — and more — on this week's Access Louisville podcast. 

We start out around Dixie Highway. Reporter Michael L. Jones recently covered a press conference from Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg. During the Feb. 10 conference, the mayor announced the first four restaurants to receive grants from the city’s $1 million Dixie Highway Corridor Fund:

• LongHorn Steakhouse will open a full-service restaurant at 7401 Dixie Highway;
• Crumbl Cookies, one of the nation’s fastest-growing dessert chains, will open its first South End store at 10970 Dixie Highway;
• Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers will build a new restaurant at 8700 Dixie Hwy; and
• Derby City Pizza will expand its location at 12900 Dixie Hwy to include an event space and outdoor game yard.

We also chat about the first Southern Indiana chef to be considered by the James Beard Foundation. Red Yeti’s Chef Michael Bowe was selected as a semifinalist for the 2026 James Beard Awards as Best Chef: Great Lakes Region, as reporter Olivia Estright explains. She met with him at the Downtown Jeffersonville restaurant recently to talk about the honor.

We also chat about Greenside Pizzeria, a new spot from the owner of Gravely Brewing, coming to NuLu. 

And editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy  tells us about a couple of chain restaurant moves — the closure of Bravo near Oxmoor Center and the opening of a new Skyline Chili in Springhurst. After that we chat about the return of soul food restaurant Daddy Vic's, which is back in a new location after it's original space was damaged in a severe thunderstorm last year.

Following a break we talk about the retirement of longtime Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore. Moore was a guest on Access Louisville just last summer and gave us updates on a number of projects in Jeffersonville, which is the second largest city in the Louisville Metro Area.

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

You can't be a suburb of nowhere.

And that means that Downtowns are important to communities, including Louisville. 

Jeff O'Brien, executive director at the Louisville Metro Cabinet for Economic Development, made that point during Access Louisville: Heart of the City, a live event put on by Louisville Business First on Feb. 5 at the Baird Conference Center at 500 W. Jefferson Street. 

The event doubled as a live recording of the Access Louisville podcast. 

Lee Weyland, of Core Real Estate, Hank Hillebrand, of the Poe Cos., and Rebecca Fleischaker, of the Louisville Downtown Partnership were on the show as well. Louisville Business First Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett moderated the discussion.

The panel spoke about the importance of development in Louisville's urban core, not just in downtown but also NuLu, Butchertown and elsewhere. 

It was a particularly timely discussion considering all the recent news on new developments.

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, Louisville-based Poe Cos. announced it had officially signed a letter of intent to purchase the Humana Building at 500 W. Main St. and convert it into a 1,000-room hotel. (Business First exclusively reported Poe Cos. plans on Dec. 12.) 

And only a few weeks ago Business First reported that Indianapolis-based Ghoman Group has secured franchise approval to bring a JW Marriott hotel to the 26-story 401 S. 4th St. Tower — formerly the Brown & Williamson Tower — at 401 S. Fourth St.

So we weren't short on things to talk about. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.