The historical value of Louisville's so called "Odd Fellows building" has been the subject of some debate lately. And we're talking about it on this week's Access Louisville podcast as well.
Historic preservationists have sought to save the building after hearing a plan from nearby Omni Hotels to tear it down. But others, including two Louisville Metro Councilmen, say it isn't worth saving, alleging the Odd Fellows organization has a racism past. The twist is that the structure  isn't even named the Odd Fellows  building, people just call it that. (It's a very typical thing in Louisville to give a building a nickname that sticks.)
Later in the show we get an update on restaurant comings and goings around town. And we chat about our picks for this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.

This week on the Access Louisville podcast we discuss the most powerful people in Louisville.
Louisville Business First just put out a list called The Power 50, which recognizes some of the city's biggest power brokers. LFB Editor-In-Chief Shea Van Hoy tells us some of the people who made this (and you can check out the full list here.)
After that Reporter Sarah Shadburne tells us about an interesting lawsuit involving Brough Brothers Bourbon, which says it's claim of being Kentucky only Black-owned distillery is being infringed upon by a Lexington company.
Lastly Reporter Haley Cawthon updates us the latest restaurant news, this time with a focus on comings and goings in the NuLu neighborhood. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.  

Forecastle is canceled for another year.
We chat about it on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast. Interestingly, when it comes back in 2022 it'll be on Memorial Day Weekend (which we think is good news considering how hot it usually is in July.) We chat about a few favorite Forecastle memories during the segment.
After that we discuss the arrival of Spirit Airlines at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. It will begin serving the airport with a new flight to LAX as well as other locales.
And finally we wrap things up with a little Kentucky Derby talk, including news that a proposed hotel  at Churchill Downs might wind up being smaller than initially anticipated.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. This week's show is hosted by David A. Mann, who's joined by Brooke Timmons, Jason Thomas and Marty Finley. 

Green District, a Louisville-born restaurant brand that's focused on salads and other healthy options has a plan to grow throughout the Midwest.
Two Green District officials, Co-founder and CEO Jordan Doepke and Chef Rob Rice, vice president of operations and salad innovation, join the Access Louisville podcast this week.
We chat about the vision for the concept and how a major private equity investment aims to make that a reality.
We also chat about the company's plans to find its place in urban centers, even as the pandemic has many downtowns temporarily shuttered. 
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services. 

We focus on commercial real estate and restaurant news on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast. But first, we talk about this Louisville-made movie.
Louisville Business First Commercial Real Estate Reporter Marty Finley is on the program to talk about a proposed new hotel going into Nulu and the state of the neighborhood in general. We also chat about one or two recent stories Marty has written about former strip clubs being sold and for possible redevelopment.
Late in the show, LBF Restaurant Reporter Haley Cawthon gives us an update on restaurant comings and goings, including the loss of Matin's Bar-B-Que in the Highlands and the new Hog Father Pizza in Butchertown. 

Papa John's International Inc. founder and former CEO John Schnatter opened up about his ouster from the pizza chain he started on this week's Access Louisville podcast.
He also discusses the existence of two tapes, which he say proves there was a choreographed setup aimed at removing him. These tapes have not been made public, but are a part of a lawsuit Schnatter has again 247 Group LLC (doing business as Laundry Service) and Wasserman Media Group. 
Schnatter left the Papa John's in 2018 after a report surfaced he allegedly used a racial slur while on a media training call with Laundry Service. We talked about that on the podcast too, including asking Schnatter about the context of those comments.
It was a wide-ranging interview in which we covered everything from food trends, a proposed raise in minimum wage, his ouster from Papa John's, the new leadership at Papa John's and more. It's a lot to unpack, so here's some timestamps to navigate the program: 

• 0:58: The next big menu trend
• 3:12: Concerns on business regulations
• 6:55: Proposed minimum wage increase
• 8:15: Papa John's leaving Louisville and Schnatter's next business 
• 14:10: The aforementioned lawsuit and the tapes
• 17:30: The reasons behind the alleged setup 
• 19:10: When do we get to hear the tapes?
• 23:30: Why the alleged racial slur happened
• 25:50: The Louis Freeh report
• 28:50: Current CEO Rob Lynch is "delusional"
• 34:29: Removing former CEO Steve Ritchie, who followed Schnatter as head of the company
• 35:31 Jet setting and local restaurant picks
• 36:40: Social media presence
• 39:20: Thought's on LouVino (Steve Ritchie's new restaurant)

Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services.

Special guest Rebecca Fleischaker joins the Access Louisville podcast this week. Fleischaker is co-chief of Louisville Forward, the economic development arm of Louisville Metro Government, so naturally a discuss of the city's economic prospects takes place. 
Key to that discussion: What's next for Downtown Louisville? Obviously, the pandemic cancelled numerous conventions and sent many downtown professionals to work from home. So we discuss the city's path forward, especially as office space needs change in the wake of the pandemic.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It can be found on most popular podcast services. 

Last year was a rough one for the Louisville economy (and Downtown Louisville in particular) because so many events were canceled . But things are hopefully looking up.
On this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast, we talk about some events that are on the calendar for Louisville Metro in 2021. These include public events like the Kentucky Derby, as well as more industry-focused small events. You can read about the top 15 events here. We also talk about some events that are notably missing.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services as well as on LouisvilleBusinessFirst.com

We take a break from the norm on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast and focus in on Endeavor restaurant group and it's founder Steve Ritchie. Ritchie is the former CEO of Papa John's who recently bought Louvino, a Louisville-born restaurant concept that he plans to expand. Reporter Haley Cawthon shares some audio clips from a recent interview with Ritchie and we talk about how the business is going.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First and available on popular services.

Last year was pretty hard to predict but we bet we can do better next year.
On this week's Access Louisville podcast our panel gives us 14 predictions for Louisville in the new year. The predictions range from everything to the future of Fourth Street Live, the date of the Kentucky Derby to a new flight out of Muhammad Ali Airport.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. This one was pre-recorded because of holiday schedules but we'll be back to regular schedules in the new year.