Access Louisville

The Access Louisville podcast takes a surprisingly sporty turn this week.We've got an interview with Bev Yanez, head coach of Racing Louisville FC. Yanez, who's in her first year leading the team, tells us about her career in soccer and how she found her way to Louisville. We also talk about what it's like to be a working mom of two small children who is also working in a high-profile sports job. For more on Yanez, check out this profile story we recently posted as the season is getting set to begin.After the interview, we talk about a couple other local sports developments in the world of bowling and golf.LBF Reporter Joel Stinnett is on the show to tell us about the Executive Strike & Spare, a bowling alley that has long been located near the Kentucky State Fair Grounds, moving to Jeffersontown. It'll be taking over a Dick's Sporting Goods location on South Hurstbourne that is expected to close soon. In the world of golf, Stinnett also tells us about a story he recently finished

We've got a classic roundup of local restaurant news on the Access Louisville podcast this week. First up, we chat about LuCretia's Kitchen, a new soul food spot coming to Old Louisville. It will open at 617 W. Oak St., near the intersection of Oak and Seventh streets, on Friday, March 15. The menu will include fried chicken, meatloaf, smothered pork chops, ribs, rib tips and brisket and more.After that we talk about a second location that's on the horizon for Steak & Bourbon, across from Derby City Gaming. The steak restaurant, which started out in Westport Village, is going into the former Z's Oyster Bar location in Downtown Louisville. We also talk about some favorite cocktails and steak pairings during this segment.After that we go over some recent board of directors news at Texas Roadhouse. And we discuss a new oyster bar coming to the Germantown neighborhood, called Franny's. It'll be located in a new development that's being built on Goss Avenue.You can join us fo

This week's Access Louisville podcast has a bit of everything.We talk about Shaquille O'Neal's departure from the board of Papa John's International Inc. as well as Mitch McConnell's plans to step down as Senate Republican Leader.After that we get into some real estate news: A piece of property in the Highlands between Baxter Avenue and Bardstown Road, that was for a long-time home of KFC, is up for sale. We've also got news on a new development in NuLu, which will be called NuLu Marketplace North.After that we talk with Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt, who tell us about a mystery-infused experience being offered by Bardstown Bourbon Co. that he recently attended. And we talk about Jack Harlow's upcoming festival at Waterfront Park. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. Access Louisville Live! Join us for a live recording of the Access Louisville podcast o

Plenty of people know Michael L. Jones as Louisville Business First's economic development and restaurants reporter. But he's also a music guru, local history buff and author of three books. On the Access Louisville podcast this week, we talk with Jones (a regular on the show) about his latest book  "Soulful Sounds of Derby Town," which just launched.  Jones and his collaborators on the book look back at some of the history of Black music in Louisville.On the show, he tells us about how the book is a culmination of eight years of work. "You can imagine six music nerds sitting and talking about who's important enough to go in the book — should they go in gospel? Should they go into jazz?," Jones said on the show.The pages are filled with stories about musicians who began in Louisville and went on to make a mark in the industry at large. As Jones explains,  singer Helen Humes and jazz trumpeter Jonah Jones were among a slew of people who got their start playing in a community

How do you know when you've made it in Louisville? Well, you get on Louisville Business First's Power 50 list, of course.The Power 50 is  LBF's annual special section highlighting 50 of the most influential people in Greater Louisville’s business and related communities.We talk about who's on the Power 50 and how they were picked on this week's Access Louisville podcast. LBF Editor Shea Van Hoy is on the show to tell us about some of the new faces on the List as well. We rolled out the Power 50 list in two separate lists earlier this week (Here's the first 25 post; and here's the second 25 post.) We also debut our Five on the Rise list of up-and-coming leaders, which you can find here. Later in the show we talk about the latest in a plan to upgrade the Kentucky Exposition Center. Schmidt Associates was recently picked as the architect on the long-term project. That said, there is some concern that it's all moving too slowly.Lastly on the show I tell you about our upcomi

Downtown Louisville suffered a 1-2 punch this week, based on news that two big companies would be vacating office space.We talked about it on this week's Access Louisville podcast.Humana Inc. announced it would be vacating the signature, 27-story Main Street office tower that bears its name. The health care company is consolidating its workforce into other buildings. That Humana news came on Monday. Then on Tuesday Louisville Business First learned that Fifth Third Bank is vacating its office space at 401 S. 4th Street  and taking space near NuLu. You might say: So two companies are leaving there office space — what's the big deal? Well, it's part of a larger trend of companies leaving Downtown in favor of other areas. Office workers aren't the only thing a city needs — it also needs visitors, residents and sports teams and so on. But, absent a large core of residents, office workers help support the restaurants and other establishments that give the city a key part of its identity. On the

We've got a classic roundup of restaurant news on this week's Access Louisville podcast.First, we chat with Reporter Michael L. Jones about Spinelli's Pizza making a return to Downtown Louisville. It's going into space at the corner of Fourth and Chestnut Streets that formerly housed Riot Cafe, providing a space for a good lunch as well as live music.We also have updates on a new pickle ball retailer, called MatchSet, which is heading into Westport Plaza. We've got a story about Gustavo's moving a location in Prospect and a new strategy to own more of its real estate. There's details on a new golf simulator venue, Five Iron Golf, coming to NuLu. And finally, we've got news on two Louisville chefs who were named James Beard semifinalists.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We talk about the Netflix series 'Wrestlers' on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Al Snow, partner in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), joins us to share what it was like to film the show as well as some of his inspirations during his career and what happens next.Reporter Michael L. Jones is also on the show to talk about covering OVW and some of the business people behind it for a recent story in Louisville Business First.As he explains, the main arc of “Wrestlers” documents the sometimes turbulent relationship between Snow, and Matt Jones, founder of Kentucky Sports Radio, the managing partner of a majority ownership group that includes Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg.  Snow, a former WWE wrestler, is devoted to preserving the traditions of wrestling, including the outrageous storylines, while Jones is trying to modernize the way the OVW operates to increase its revenue.  Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services like Ap

The restaurant news never quite stops. Details on a few new local places top our show on this week's Access Louisville podcast. To start things off we chat about Marco's Pizza, a growing chain with its sights set on Louisville, and it's next location going to Jeffersontown. We also cover a renovation at Royals Hot Chicken in Nulu, 7 Brew making space for a new coffee stand in East Louisville as well as Parlour coming to the Falls City Brewing space on Liberty Street. We've also got a story on a student housing development going into Downtown Louisville near Jefferson Community & Technical College.  And a report on a local family business that recently sold — Thomas Car Wash. Lastly, we talk about the most expensive home that sold in the area all last year.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.

Vince Tyra, the former athletic director for the University of Louisville is caught in a corporate crossfire in Canada. Montreal-based Gildan Activeware Inc. had recently departed ways with its CEO and named Tyra as his replacement.But now an investment firm, Browning West LP, is calling for Tyra's termination arguing he has "weak" credentials. Reporter Joel Stinnett tells us about the story on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Later in the show we talk about Sports Illustrated's new deal with Churchill Downs, giving the brand naming rights on a new space at the famous racetrack. We also talk about SI's brand recognition in a crowded sports media space.Later, Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt tells us about predictions for the bourbon industry in 2024. He recently wrote a two-part story on the topic: Here's part one and part two. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services such as Apple Podcast and Spot

The team at Access Louisville and Louisville Business First have once again set out to predict the future. On this week's episode we look at what 2024 will hold for the Louisville community. We tackle a large range of topics in our predictions, from sports to M&A to construction projects. You will have to listen in on your favorite podcast streaming app to hear all of them but here are just a few:The One Park construction project will begin.Louisville will land a Margaritaville Hotel — been talking about that one for a while, haven't we?Racing Louisville will make the playoffs — they do have a new coach after all.And Bob Dylan will come to town for his new venture.The predictions show is a favorite Access Louisville tradition.In fact, last week on Access Louisville, we traveled back in time to our 2023 predictions to see how they aged in hindsight. We only got a few right — but one of us did make a successful prediction on how Mayor Greenberg's economic strategy would roll out with more inv

So, it turns out, 2023 was pretty hard to predict — or maybe we're just not great with a crystal ball. In the last few years, we at the Access Louisville podcast have developed an end-of-the-year tradition where we sit down and try to predict what might happen the next year. Our predictions are mostly for fun. But we also have some insights because we're always monitoring trends and efforts around the community as part of our reporting for Louisville Business First.On this week's podcast, we're going back and looking at what predictions we made at the beginning of 2023 to see what we actually got right. Turns out, it was very little. And the stuff we did get right was probably pretty obvious. But hey, that's the game.Be sure to tune in next week as we look to the future to make predictions for the upcoming year. And the plan is to review them in a year and see how we did.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.

Louisville is famous for its bourbon distillers, but what about the folks mixing cocktails behind the bar?With Christmas and New Year's Day approaching, we thought now might be a good time to check in with one person who does just that each day.  Randi Densford, beverage director for Barn8 Farm Restaurant & Bourbon Bar.Densford tells us about how each season on the farm influences the cocktails, upcoming flavor trends and gives us some insight into how to make a career out of being a beverage director. Barn8 Farm Restaurant & Bourbon Bar is located at Hermitage Farm in Oldham County. In addition to being a restaurant, it's an attraction that showcases a bit of Kentucky's agricultural roots. Densford has 11 years of restaurant and bartending experience. She's a Louisville native and a graduate of Sullivan University with a bachelor's degree in culinary arts. She previously worked at Decca, a former NuLu restaurant and Bardstown Bourbon Co., a distillery with its own restaurant

We've got a bit of news and a special guest on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Lincoln Crum, of Lincoln Crum Realty & Auctions, joins the show to talk about his newest venture called My Local Santa. Crum talks about the business he's building around performing as St. Nick at corporate and other events. Crum tells us how his work being Santa Claus, which he sees as a second career, has been a rewarding endeavor both financially and spiritually.As usual we go over some recent news as well.Reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show and tells us about Mayor Craig Greenberg's recently finalized economic development plan.  And Reporter Eleanor Tolbert tells us about an event center that's coming to Progress Park — a Louisville "glampground."We've also got news on a new Indian-Mexican fusion restaurant that recently opened, called Tikka Tacos, and an update on a land purchase by the Parklands of Floyds Fork.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Busines

We've got a little bit of everything on this week's Access Louisville podcast — starting with a little news from the bourbon world.We lead with Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt who tells us about a couple of large projects in the works from Angel's Envy. We also talk about the roots of a Kentucky bourbon brand called Never Say Die.After that, we switch gears and talk about health care and the need for nurses with Mark Vogt, head of Galen College of Nursing. He tells us about how his organization is working to ease a nursing shortage as well as challenges that have arisen in the profession that have taken place since the Covid-19 pandemic.  At the end of the show we talk about some retail news, including the sale of the Paddocks Shop and a new manager at Racing Louisville FC. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services. 

Looking for a few things to do around town to get you into the holiday spirit? We've got a few suggestions on this week's Access Louisville podcast.Typically we discuss local news on the show. But since it's a holiday week, LBF Editors David A. Mann and Haley Cawthon and Reporters Michael L. Jones and Eleanor Tolbert sit down to chat about some of their favorite holiday traditions as well as new things to try out. A few things we chat about:Hayrides at Hayswood Nature Reserve in Corydon, IndianaCutting down Christmas trees at Huber's Orchard and WineryWatching a Charlie Brown ThanksgivingFête De Noël Winter Holiday Festival in ParistownIce skating in Downtown JeffersonvilleWe'll be back for our usual news chat next week. Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find it on popular podcast services.

Changes are likely coming to Transit Authority of River City (TARC) by virtue of the fact that the agency is getting a new leader soon.LBF reported earlier this week that Carrie Butler, who has led the organization in recent years, has submitted her resignation. So we talk about what that might mean for the future of TARC on this week's Access Louisville podcast. This leads into a discussion of transit in Louisville overall and why it's just not popular among most residents. After that we talk about a couple of other high profile leadership changes at Louisville organizations, including the upcoming departure of Tori Murden McClure from Spalding University and  a new CEO for Seven Counties Services.After that we get into a little restaurant news, including new locations for Noche Mexican BBQ and Charleys Cheesesteaks. We also chat about the soon-to-be open Derby City Gaming Downtown and its slick new 3-D video board.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can find i

A couple of recent restaurant stories lead this week's Access Louisville podcast. LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones is on the show to talk about a few stories he's authored lately, including the recent closure of Manhattan Grill in Downtown Louisville,  a new Oxmoor Center location for The Eagle, a fried chicken restaurant that's also in the Highlands, and a new location in Old Louisville for Fleur de Tea.After that LBF Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett is on the program to talk about safety grades for Louisville hospitals coming from The Leapfrog Group. We go over which hospitals got which grades and what those could mean. In other health care news, we also discuss the recent acquisition of SentryHealth and the story behind that Fast 50 company.Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts. 

Building a network can be an invaluable thing both in business and other aspects of life. We talk about networks, upcoming events and even share a few tips on networking on this week's Access Louisville podcast. The heart of our show this week is an interview with Chris Redd and Ricky Mason, co-founders of Network n' Chill. They tell us about how they started their organization to bring people together as well as talk about their individual entrepreneurial efforts.After the interview, we share a few tips for networking. And we highlight an event that's coming up — Louisville Business First's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion event on Nov. 9. Redd and Mason will be joining us for that one.After that we go over some recent news, including a big move for a Downtown Louisville employer, ComputerShare. And we talk about a law firm, Gray Ice Higdon, that's locating in St. Matthews.And finally we go over some area restaurant news — including a new Filipino restaurant coming to Middletown, an

More than 100 Louisville leaders recently went to Boston to see what economic lessons they can learn.Now, sure, Boston is a much bigger city than Louisville but that doesn't mean there aren't examples we can't follow. We talked about that this week on the Access Louisville podcast with LBF Reporter Michael L. Jones, who was on the trip. Camilla Schroeder, president at Advance Ready Mix Concrete, who helped organize the trip with Greater Louisville Inc. is also on the program to tell us about it.You can find recent coverage of the trip here: Boston tourism improvement district illustrates of potential of new Louisville districtWhat Louisville can learn from Boston's reduction in gun violenceBoston Longwood Collective is a model for LOUMED in Downtown LouisvilleChasing innovation might not be the best economic development strategyPartnership between business and educational communities key to talent attraction and retention