Access Louisville

What are the most popular businesses in St. Matthews? We recently conducted a survey to find that out. You can find the results of that here. We talk about the poll on this week's Access Louisville podcast. We also chat about which Louisville neighborhoods have the best mix of businesses. St. Matthews is certainly up there. The Highlands and Norton Commons were also contenders.As always we don't just discuss one topic. At the top of the show we make note of two Louisville restaurant brands that were recently involved in franchising deals that aim to take them national: Green District and Biscuit Belly. And lastly we talk about a recent special report from Louisville Business First called Small Business, Big Mission which highlights Black businesses in the area and the access they have to growth capital.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.

We get all misty-eyed and reminiscent this week as we talk about our favorite long-gone bars on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast.It was recently announced that the former O'Malley's corner complex at the corner of 2nd & Liberty Streets was getting a new tenant in the form of two new restaurants. And with that, we started thinking about what's become of several other bygone Louisville nightspots. Reporter Haley Cawthon penned a story about several Louisville spots that have since taken on new uses.As usual we don't just cover one topic on this week's show. We also discuss a recent report about the best places to live in the U.S. Bowling Green, Kentucky makes that list.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from LouisvilleBusinessFirst.com. You can find it on several popular podcast services.

Is Louisville having a housing boom in the middle of the pandemic? It sure seems that way sometimes. In the last week or so Reporter Marty Finley has written about a couple of new residential developments — a new subdivision in the East End, a new townhouse development south of Jeffersontown and a new apartment complex that just finished work in Highview.We talk about all of the above on the Access Louisville podcast. Finley is on the panel to give us an update on all of the above. This also somehow gets into a discussion about home improvements.As usual, we don't just cover one topic during the podcast. Reporter Haley Cawthon tells us about a couple new restaurants coming to the NuLu area. As well as a new taco joint coming to the Highlands.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from LouisvilleBusinessFirst. It's available on popular podcast services.

There's a lot of positive spin being put on the news that Papa John's International Inc. is opening a new global headquarters in Atlanta, instead of Louisville. And hey look, we realize the chamber of commerce and the mayor's office can't publicly scorn the company for this decision. They have to be diplomatic and congratulate Papa John's on their success and potential growth.But we don't have to be diplomatic. We're just going to come right out and say that this is the latest (and largest) company to decide that there's greener pastures out there than Louisville if you're looking to grow globally. It's a troubling trend we talk about on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Apellis Pharmaceuticals is another recent departure as our list of public companies continues to shrink in recent years. We also saw Yum Brands Inc. move the top brass out of Louisville several years back.On the show, we chat about the transition at Papa John's that led to this

TARC, Louisville's public transportation agency, released a 124-page report this week that details alleged sexual harassment by its former director Ferdinand Risco Jr. The report also goes over an alleged sexual relationship that Risco had with a contractor at the agency.We go over the report and what it means for the agency on this week's Access Louisville podcast. We also discuss how this fits into a tumultuous year for Louisville and its mayor, Greg Fischer. As always we don't just talk about one topic on the program. We actually start this week off a bit more lighthearted by discussing a mansion that was put on the market by basketball legend and Papa John's pitchman Shaquille O'Neal. And we chat about some comings and goings in the Louisville restaurant scene, including the closure of Harvest restaurant in Nulu. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services and on LouisvilleBusinessFirst.com.

Louisville's NuLu neighborhood is getting a shipping container housing development. This type of housing, relatively new to the Louisville market, is discussed on the Access Louisville podcast this week.Reporter Marty Finley tells us where the development is going and how the containers will look once complete. And of course we weigh in on whether this type of housing would suit us now (or maybe a little earlier on in life.)As always, we discuss more than one topic. At the top of the show we discuss a plan by Kentucky Venues to host drive-in concerts at the Kentucky Exposition Center. We also talk about a big health care deal this week which effectively takes Passport Health Plan out of the Medicaid contract picture and we chat about a new barber shop brand that's grown up in Louisville and is expanding. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on our website as well as popular podcast services. 

We talk restaurant comings and goings on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Louisville Business First Reporter Haley Cawthon tells us about a few places shutting down, including Crescent Hill Craft House, Spring Street Bar & Grill and Spinelli's Downtown. She also goes over a few of the new spots that are opening up including Swizzle, located at the Galt House, and others.As always, we don't just cover one topic on this week's program. At the beginning of the show, we discuss a new online farmers market and whether the pandemic has impacted how we shop at farmers markets. Later on we talk about commercial real estate, including Dean Dorton's exit from downtown and how downtown can comeback following a difficult year. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's hosted by Cawthon, LBF Digital Editor David Mann and Reporter Marty Finley this week. 

We've been focused on philanthropy all week at Louisville Business First. It's the topic of our Access Louisville podcast this week as we recently wrapped our Partners in Philanthropy program, which went live this week. Content from that program can be found here.Data Editor Allison Stines joins the program this week to talk about how it all works: How data is collected, what we're looking for and so on. Reporter Sarah Shadburne also is on the show this week to talk about an interesting philanthropic partnership between Purrfect Day Cat Cafe in Louisville's Highlands neighborhood and the Kentucky Humane Society.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services and at LouisvilleBusinessFirst.com. 

We focus on the Kentucky Derby — and what it means for hotels and downtown — on this week's Access Louisville podcast.The decision to run the Kentucky Derby with fans was made earlier this week. Reporter Marty Finley walks us through some of the rules and expectations. We also talk about this in the context of the hotel sector and the Downtown Louisville area — both of which are facing challenges in the wake of Covid-19.

It's odd to say it in August but it's almost Kentucky Derby time. The big race, which was rescheduled from May to September because of the coronavirus outbreak, is now just about a month away. We were told a while back that it would be run with fans in attendance but we're starting to wonder about that now that coronavirus cases have spiked. We discuss the prospects this week on the Access Louisville podcast.With just a few weeks to go a lot of details still need to be hashed out, including how many fans will be there. At this point we know that up to 24,000 could be in the infield with a still undetermined number in the stands. As usual we don't just talk about one topic on this week's show. We discuss a new "glamping" ground that's opening soon in Kentucky. Reporter Marty Finley gives us an update on a few big commercial real estate projects that are in the works around town — one in the medical district and another near Ballard High School. And finally we chat a litt

This week on Access Louisville we open the show with some new about restaurant innovations and talk about what we'd like to see next.  We also bring you the story behind the Buff City Soaps deal. Reporter Haley Cawthon talks about the company's growth plan as well as why the company owner has stuck around in Louisville even though the soap company is headquartered elsewhere. On our final topic of the show this week we chat with Louisville Business First data editor Allison Stines about our Best Places to Work program. She fills us in on how the honorees are chosen and breaks down how the program works. Late in the show we talk about perks at work–– things we've seen other companies do and some of our favorite perks. 

What are Louisville's wealthiest neighborhoods?We discuss on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Louisville Business First Data Editor Allison Stines recently finished researching our annual list of the area's wealthiest ZIP codes. She tells us about the top five and gives a bit of information about each: population, income and so on.As usual, we don't just cover one topic on the show. Early on we talk about recent restaurant closings. Our hosts, including Stines, Design/Multimedia Editor Brooke Timmons and Digital Editor David Mann, also talk about what type of restaurants they would like to open if they had the chance.Also, late in the show, we discuss whether schools should allow students to comeback in the fall considering the surge in cases of Covid-19 in the U.S.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First.

We cover several different topics on the Access Louisville podcast this week. First off, we note that Hopcat, a large bar and restaurant in the Highlands has closed. We discuss ideas for this now open space. And note some restaurants we've lost over the years that we're now sorely missing.After that reporter Marty Finley gives us an update on a redevelopment project involving a 13-story building in Smoketown. Restaurant, retail and apartment uses are planned. And finally we talk about Gov. Andy Beshear's mask mandate. The governor is requiring masks for most people starting on July 10. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. This week's show is hosted by Finley and Design/Multimedia Editor Brooke Timmons and Digital Editor David A. Mann. 

There's been lots of action taking place in Louisville's restaurant scene during the last few weeks. We chat about new spots to check out as well as reopenings on this week's Access Louisville podcast.Haley Cawthon, restaurant reporter for Louisville Business First, gives us the scoop on a new Cuban spot in NuLu, La Bodeguita de Mima. She tells about the group behind the eatery and some of its dishes. She also gives us an update on a new Spanish restaurant in Jeffersontown, Barcelona Bistro Bar, which was started by a Spanish voice actress. And we chat about some new places and reopenings downtown — an upscale restaurant called One Thirty Three, a new smokehouse called Smoked on Second, and updates on Whiskey Dry at Fourth Street Live and Walkers Exchange at the Galt House. As usual we don't just talk about one topic on the show. We discuss favorite pizza spots and a new pie from Papa John's. And we chat about Louisville City FC's plan to bring soccer back to Louisville with fans

Churchill Downs announced this week that the Kentucky Derby is coming back with fans in September. That's a surprising development considering sports have been slow to comeback even without fans and cases of Covid-19 are surging across the U.S.We've not been told how many fans would be allowed to attend the Derby, which was delayed from its usual May date because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Churchill Downs officials have said the crowd could be reduced by as much as 60 percent but that would still be tens of thousands of people at one venue — 45,000 to 60,000 even.We chat about the plan on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Reporter Marty Finley, who closely follows Churchill Downs shares the details and editors David A. Mann and Brooke Timmons discuss whether this is a good idea. (It isn't, we conclude.)As always we don't just talk about one topic. We also discuss the sale of Headliners Music Hall and share a few of our favorite memories from the storied venue. And we get an update

This week we’re talking about Oldham County and its future development plans. Oldham County is known as the educated and wealthy Kentucky county that empties out during the day. But a pair of blockbuster developments could change that narrative in the future. Reporter Marty Finley breaks down the proposed project at the Close Family Farm and discusses other recent projects in the county. We also discuss the idea of the four day work week and a talk about a company that's shifting their workforce to permanent work from home status after many employees said they preferred the model. On top of moving to the work from home the company has also instituted the four day work week. We chat about this idea and whether we see more companies jumping on this idea. We wrap up the discussion with big news out of Frankfort with  Governor Beshear’s announcement to resurrect the online health insurance exchange, Kynect. Reporter Chris Larson gives some details on when we can expect the online portal to reopen as well as

Surely this race discussion many of us have been taking part in during the last two weeks in America can lead to change.That's what we talk about on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Uncomfortable as it can be, talking about race relations is a key part of fixing the problems that have festered in America and Louisville for far too long. From a coverage standpoint, we realize that Louisville Metro Police and city government isn't our typical wheelhouse. We're focused on what's happening in the business community day to day. That said, we do have a role to play in this moment, including with our recent cover story asking how does Louisville move forward? We also cover recent developments that have come out of this discussion, including plans from Chef Edward Lee to help the West End with a new Main Street kitchen, the governor's pledge to work toward 100% health insurance coverage for the state's black population and Humana's plan to donate $11 million to help rebui

A special guest joins the Access Louisville podcast this week. Kyle Henderson, of Angel's Envy Distillery, is on the show to talk about how his company has continued production during the Covid-19 outbreak.During the discussion he tells us how the company was able to keep all of its staff even while big parts of the business (namely the tourism part) was shut down. And we talk about what the crisis has meant to sales for Angel's Envy. Obviously, not much bourbon has been sold at bars or restaurants in the last few months and that's an important channel for this Louisville brand.As always, we don't just discuss one topic on this week's show. We also talk about Kentucky's economic reopening, including restaurants and barber shops.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. This week's episode is hosted by Digital Editor David A. Mann and Reporter Sarah Shadburne.  

The silver lining during the Covid-19 outbreak has been that a lot of us have become pretty good at working remotely (that, and margarita deliveries.) When things get back to normal, should we just keep on doing it?We discuss on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Could it be possible that office workers split time between home and the office. Design and Multimedia Editor Brooke Timmons makes the point that productivity is certainly increased by the fact that there's not as many distractions at home. This discussion ties in with a report from CBRE which looks at how various sectors (including offices) will recover after the outbreak starts to ebb. As always we don't just talk about one topic on the show. The panel also takes a quiz on Fortune 500 companies in Kentucky (we're down to just one these days.) And late in the show we get an update on what's opening up in Kentucky next. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. This week's show is hosted b

The losses are starting to mount for Louisville's restaurant scene as the coronavirus shutdown lingers. We talk about that on this week's episode of the Access Louisville podcast.During the last few weeks we've reported that Scarlett's Bakery and Verbena Cafe have closed as a result the social distancing measures put in place to stem the spread of the virus. There's also been a few others that have closed that weren't a direct result of the virus but it was a contributing factor.Restaurant reporter Haley Cawthon tells us about all of the above. As usual we don't just talk about one topic on this show.We also discuss positive things we've seen come out of the outbreak. We've been trying to roll some of that news into a new feature for our website called Silver Linings. We also chat about our favorite distractions to break up the quarantine blues. There's a little bit of sports talk in there, including this recent report on the Louisville Bats.Access Louisville