Advertise on podcast: Access Louisville

We go heavy on the hospitality news on this week's Access Louisville podcast.  To start the show, we chat about the uncertain future of Mile Wide Beer Co., whose owners say the brewery will either be sold or cease operations by the end of the year. The podcast also covers Molly Malone's, which has put its Highlands and Covington properties up for sale. And we chat about KIWA, a Korean coffee shop in Clifton that has closed while its owner looks for a buyer. In spite of all the closure and sale talk, the local dining scene still has new life in it.  Reporter Michael L. Jones tells us about plans for a greenhouse restaurant concept in Jeffersontown.  And Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett tells us about Swig — a Utah-based "dirty soda" shop — expanding with a proposed Middletown location. We also mention Adelita Mexican Restaurant, which is moving from Clifton into the former Chik'n Mi location.  On the commercial real estate front, we talk about the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office moving from the 515 Building and what it signals for the much anticipated Humana building hotel conversion. And we break down new details about the massive Nulu Crossing development, including its $841 million price tag, hotel component and recently approved tax incentive package. To wrap up the show, Stinnett also shares his experience covering memorial services for UPS Flight 2976. The flight crashed shortly after take off from Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport on Nov. 4, 2025 killing 15 people.  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. You can also listen on the player above.

We recap the annual Greater Louisville Idea Development Expedition (GLIDE) trip this week on Access Louisville. Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy and Reporter Michael L. Jones were along for the ride as the annual outing took local leaders to Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. We talk about what Louisville leaders can learn from one of the country's fastest-growing regions, including regional collaboration and higher education partnerships, downtown development and public transit. A recurring theme from the trip was cooperation. Leaders in Raleigh, Durham and the broader Research Triangle region work across city lines, universities and economic development organizations to pursue shared goals rather than compete with one another, as Van Hoy explained. Jones was busy writing during the trip and you can find his stories here:  Louisville studies North Carolina’s business recruitment playbookLouisville's $275M sports district draws lessons from Durham's American Tobacco CampusMayor Greenberg joins Raleigh, Durham leaders to discuss growthLouisville leaders look to Raleigh for a Downtown recovery blueprintThe conversation this week also dives into downtown development. We chat about a visit to the Durham Bulls' ballpark district and how its success mirrors ambitions for the planned mixed-use development next to Louisville Slugger Field.  We also explore bigger questions about Louisville's future.  How can Louisville better convert university research into companies and jobs? What role do education, transit and regional cooperation play in economic growth? And does the community have the appetite for the kind of change and investment that's helped other cities transform themselves? Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First.

We explore a growing trend in bourbon tourism on this week's Access Louisville podcast: private bourbon clubs.  Fresh off a tour of the Old Carter Whiskey Co., Reporter Stephen P. Schmidt discusses several members-only bourbon concepts that offer exclusive bottle access, lockers, events and premium experiences, even as bourbon prices on store shelves soften.  We discuss which local brands would make the best membership clubs. We also dive into Louisville Business First's 2026 Fast 50 program, which recognizes the region's fastest-growing private companies.  Special Projects Editor Allison Stines shares highlights from this year's rankings, including the remarkable growth of top-ranked pharmacy benefits company AffirmedRx and the return of several familiar companies to the list. The group discusses industry trends behind the data, including the continued strength of construction and manufacturing firms across the region. In a sponsored segment, LBF Publisher Lisa Benson sits down with Baird Vice Chairman Jim Allen for a conversation about the firm's long-standing ties to Louisville, its community involvement and its philanthropic priorities. To close out the episode, the team offers a few things to think about, including what Louisville's new nonstop flight to Toronto could mean for bourbon tourism. We also highlight a recent installment of Louisville Business First's "The Boss" series, featuring Butchertown developer Andy Blieden.  Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

A massive mixed-use development in Oldham County is moving toward reality, and it could reshape the eastern edge of the Louisville region.  On this week's Access Louisville, Reporter Olivia Estright breaks down the latest on Clore Station, a 500-acre project envisioned as a Norton Commons-style community with housing, retail, healthcare, senior living and more. We discuss what the project says about population growth in Oldham County as well as Louisville's appetite for walkable neighborhoods. We also take a look at the local housing market, as mortgage rates have climbed above 7%. Estright shares the latest market data and explains why buyers and sellers are navigating a very different environment than they were just a year ago.  Later in the show, Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy discusses how Derby season is leveraged as an economic development tool. The conversation stems from a recent event highlighting Louisville's successful bid for the 2028 U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials and we explore how local leaders use major events and hospitality to attract business, conventions and tourism. We also go over the sale of the Taylorhurst Shopping Center in Louisville's East End. In our "Give Us Something to Think About" segment, we chat about pickleball's popularity, Bardstown's emerging "Bourbon Row," and an upcoming business trip to Raleigh, North Carolina. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.

A major investment is giving one of the region's most ambitious projects a shot in the arm. On the Access Louisville podcast this week we chat about a $20 million grant awarded to Origin Park, the sprawling 430-acre recreation and conservation project planned along the Ohio River in Southern Indiana. Reporter Olivia Estright explains that River Heritage Conservancy⁠, the nonprofit tasked with developing Origin Park⁠, received the major grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. for the park’s next phase, which includes environmental restoration and expanded public access to Buttonbush Woods. After that, we dive into a legal battle involving a lost collection of recordings by the Louisville Orchestra. Michael L. Jones breaks down the lawsuit and the orchestra's resurgence under Teddy Abrams. We also chat about a new luxury apartment development planned for La Grange. The Denton Floyd project will bring nearly 300 apartments to Oldham County as developers try to meet growing demand for housing options beyond traditional single-family homes. We also discuss the Louisville mayoral race following a recent debate between Mayor Craig Greenberg and challenger Shameka Parrish-Wright, including their differing views on development, investment priorities and Louisville's relationship with Frankfort. Finally, we check in on the Hot Dog Lady, a familiar local vendor in Downtown Louisville. A licensing issue forced her to remove some menu items and she's now working to raise money for a food truck. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Louisville's restaurant scene keeps cooking — and that's the topic of this week's Access Louisville podcast. We start with Gustavo's Mexican Grill, which has broken ground on its next location in eastern Jefferson County. Reporter Michael L. Jones discusses what's behind Gustavo Reyes's continued expansion and why the restaurant has built such a loyal following in a crowded category. After that, we shift across the river to New Albany, where Byrd's Hot Chicken is bringing its Nashville-style menu to Southern Indiana. Zak Owens breaks down the California-based chain's plans and we chat about the enduring popularity of hot chicken and one of its famous origin stories.  The conversation then turns to Noah's Kitchen, which recently hired former Food Network executive chef Rob Bleifer. Michael explains how Bleifer's 24-year career with the TV network led him to Kentucky and why Louisville's food scene continues to attract culinary talent from larger markets, including New York City. In addition to Bleifer, Drake Aldrich at Perso is mentioned.  We also talk grocery wars as Publix opens another Kentucky location, this time in Elizabethtown. Finally, we chat about Oniichan's Kitchen, a new vendor inside Logan Street Market serving Japanese comfort food.  Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.

We talk all things Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Special Projects Editor Allison Stines and Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy join the show to discuss the massive crowds, how the festival continues to evolve and the impact the events have on Louisville by bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city during September. We're probably a week or so out from knowing exactly what attendance looked like for the festivals. The two festivals are put on by Danny Wimmer Presents and have had a major impact over the years. Louder Than Life was expected to have an estimated economic impact of  $24.1 million, while Bourbon & Beyond is expected to bring in $13.8 million. According to Louisville Tourism, the two festivals generated an estimated $43 million in local economic impact in 2025. So if the estimates above hold true, they would be off that figure slightly at $37.9 million this year.   We also chat about how Louisville's food scene is represented at the festival grounds. And of course, we swap stories about memorable performances, favorite festival experiences, standout food and drink options and more. On the show this week, we also talk about Danny Wimmer Presents commitment to keeping the events in Louisville for the next 10 years.  Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We sit down with one of Louisville's most recognizable business leaders on this week's Access Louisville podcast.  Republic Bank Executive Chairman Steve Trager joins the show to discuss the bank's continued growth, including its presence in five states, a record financial performance and competitive advantages. In an interview wtih LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy, Trager also shares his thoughts on technology in banking, including how Republic is using artificial intelligence internally while maintaining a strong focus on personal relationships.  "We have multiple internal [AI] agents that we've developed that can answer questions and help our people serve their customers in various areas," he said. However, he added, "I don't see it customer-facing directly anytime soon.I have my own experience with customer-facing AI, and it's been terrible almost every time I've tried to use it." With that said, he also comments on how he believes bankers should have a personal relationship with their clients  We also talk philanthropy and community leadership, with Trager reflecting on the influence of his Jewish faith and why projects such as the Trager MicroForest and other downtown investments are important to Louisville's future. We get off business topics a bit too and Trager gives us recommendations on restaurants and where he likes to take out of town guests. He even shares a fast food guilty pleasure: "You know what? I love Popeyes' fried chicken," he said, noting that he'll sometimes hit the drive thru there if the mood strikes him right. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The NHL's Los Angeles Kings have requested more time to decide whether to challenge the Louisville UFL team's trademark. We chat about what's at stake, where the Louisville King's name came from and look back at the football team's championship-winning first season. The conversation then shifts to college athletics, where University of Louisville officials say their fundraising and NIL strategy is paying off better than expected. Despite recent success, athletic leaders continue to push for broader changes to the college sports model and federal legislation that could help support non-revenue sports programs. On the bourbon front, we chat about Brown-Forman reviving the historic Kentucky Boy brand with a limited release honoring longtime master distiller emeritus Chris Morris.  After that, Reporter Olivia Estright tells us about a proposed $300 million housing development near The Parklands that could bring nearly 800 homes to eastern Jefferson County. She also talks about a unique adaptive reuse project in New Albany, where a former church is being transformed into a recording studio and com music space. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

We discuss a pair of major investments in Louisville on this week's Access Louisville podcast.  GE Appliances announced a $1 billion investment at Appliance Park, including plans to move dryer production from Mexico to Louisville. Meanwhile Amazon is opening a new same-day delivery facility near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, which will help support its expanded rapid-delivery network. We also dive into the latest developments at Brown-Forman on this week's show.  LBF Digital Editor Zak Owens tells us about criticism from members of the Brown family over the company's strategy, including the growth of flavored Jack Daniel's products. And we break down comments from outgoing CEO Lawson Whiting during the company's latest earnings call.  Plus, we talk about Yum Brands' decision to complete the sale of Pizza Hut as the Louisville-based company sharpens its focus on other opportunities. Later in the show, Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett shares the story behind a mysterious door along Lexington Road that leads to a historic lagering tunnel, which is slated to become a unique event venue known as The Vault. We also discuss new progress on the Belvedere redevelopment after the project received a $5 million grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation. We revisit the ongoing saga of Akiko's karaoke bar, whose property is headed to auction, and what the sale might say about the changing landscape of Louisville's Highlands neighborhood. At the very end of the show we highlight LDG Development's court victory over the City of Prospect, a ruling that clears the way for a long-delayed affordable housing development. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Louisville has plenty to offer visitors, but can the city's tourism sector keep up with demand?  We chat about that and more with Louisville Tourism CEO Cleo Battle on this week's Access Louisville podcast. Battle is on the show this week for an interview with LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy. The two talk about Louisville coming off a fourth consecutive year of record tourism revenue, generating a $4.4 billion economic impact in Jefferson County. "Thursday through Sunday in this city, we are jamming every month of the year," he said. But he notes that Louisville needs additional hotel rooms to keep pace with growing conventions and remain competitive with peer cities. This was something that Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett wrote about in a recent cover story.  Through Louisville Tourism, 610 meetings and events are booked each year. Those events are growing, he said, but in order for them to stay in Louisville, the city needs to grow with them.  "That's our challenge," he said. "We have the smallest amount of hotel rooms in our competitive set. We have the smallest number of direct flights in our competitive set. We have to compete and so we need to grow. In addition to the convention side of the business, Battle and Van Hoy talked about big events that bring guests to town, including music festivals like Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life as well as Louisville's plans to host the USA Gymnastics Olympic Trials in 2028. "I don't know that it's sunk in for people that the Olympic flags are going to fly above Louisville and represent Louisville and Kentucky," he said. "There is just not a price you can put on that type of exposure and advertising and marketing that we're going to get from that." Battle also shares what Louisville Tourism is doing to market the city, why Chicago remains Louisville's top visitor market and what trends he's watching across the tourism industry. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.

We serve up a packed restaurant roundup on the Access Louisville podcast this week, including some familiar names and new concepts entering the market.  Reporter Michael L Jones starts us off with an update on Captain's Quarters' plans for a new event venue. The Boathouse, as the space will be called, will consist of a 1,700 square foot main hall and a 600-square-foot patio. The space will accommodate up to 100 guests for seated dinners and 140 guests for cocktail-style receptions. Additionally, we chat about the news that KingFish, one of Louisville's longtime and very recognizable restaurant brands, is up for sale. Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett notes that the business, as well as the riverfront real estate from its two locations (in Louisville and in Jeffersonville, Indiana), are on the market. We also chat about a new pan-Asian concept headed to the former Anoosh Bistro space, called Wasabi; the upcoming auction of the former Bakersfield space in the Highlands; and the opening of Magnolia Bakery in NuLu. Beyond restaurants, the discussion turns to real estate, including the collapse of the Meidinger Tower deal and what it could mean for Fourth Street Live. We also discuss the listing of the former Old National Bank office space on Main Street and talk about a long-awaited affordable housing development coming to the Merriwether neighborhood. Late in the show, Stinnett reflects on the passing of Charles Griffin Sr., a longtime downtown business owner who died recently at age 84. And we chat about the upside to Publix signing a lease in the Highlands. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First.

We discuss the latest look at Louisville’s Belvedere overhaul on this week's Access Louisville podcast.  New renderings show a greener, more flexible public space designed to host everything from concerts to farmers markets. But, as Reporter Michael L. Jones explains, much of the project's budget will actually go toward repairing the aging parking garage beneath it.  We also look at the latest addition to the Galt House’s ongoing makeover: a collection of luxury suites themed around Louisville traditions including U of L athletics and horse racing. Plus, we toss around a few other Louisville icons we think could inspire future suites. Later in the show, we chat about the recently opened Grand Lyric Theater in the Russell neighborhood, a venue that honors West Louisville's entertainment history while aiming to spark new economic development along the Muhammad Ali corridor.  We also discuss Texas Roadhouse's purchase of the iconic Wright Tower on Dutchmans Lane and what the growing restaurant company might have planned for the 16-story building. Late in the show, Jones highlights his cover story on Dr. Mushtaque Juneja, the Louisville anesthesiologist whose had a remarkable career in medicine and real estate. Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy previews this fall's music festivals and I talk about Ford's ongoing overhaul of Louisville Assembly Plant. Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.

We look at Louisville's hotel development boom on this week's Access Louisville podcast.  Senior Reporter Joel Stinnett breaks down why tourism leaders and convention organizers say Louisville needs more hotel rooms — something he'd looked into for a recent cover story.  While weekend tourism remains strong, the larger opportunity is attracting and growing conventions during the week. We discuss nearly a dozen proposed hotel projects around Downtown Louisville and one in Southern Indiana and what they could mean for the local economy. We also talk about the proposed Clockworks development in Clarksville, Indiana, where developers plan to anchor a $500 million mixed-use project with a 175-room Marriott hotel.  Later in the show, we discuss the surprising news that no Louisville hospital made the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of Kentucky's top hospitals. Stinnett explains which health systems topped the list and offers some perspective on how those rankings are determined. We also cover Baptist Health Floyd's planned emergency department expansion in New Albany and a new bioscience research facility planned as part of the University of Louisville's Innovation Park development near the Belknap Campus. Late in the show we mention the future of the former Theatair X property.  Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, which are linked above.

Residential real estate trends define Louisville's growth and neighborhoods.  This week the Access Louisville podcast got out of the studio for a live recording during which we dive in to local and national residential real estate trends.  Three local experts joined us for the discussion: Stacy Durbin, president of HomeServices KOI, Inc., overseeing Huff Realty, Semonin Realtors, and Rector Hayden Realtors.; Jakeeva Lee, CEO of Greater Louisville Association of Realtors; and Jon Mand, head of Jon Mand & Associates, part of Lenihan Sotheby's. The event was held Thursday, July 30 at the Baird Conference Center on the 29th floor of 500 W. Jefferson in Downtown Louisville.  Access Louisville, sponsored by Baird, is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. You can listen in the player above. You can also follow it on popular podcast services including Apple Podcasts and Spotify