Our mission is to celebrate and support Louisville’s diverse independent restaurants and their many contributions to our community
Visit our website at ://www.louisvilleoriginals.com
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Why should you care about your local independent restaurants? There are many reasons, among them:
In food and atmosphere, local restaurants reflect the unique character of our city. Whether you choose a casual ethnic eatery, a fine French restaurant, or a neighborhood joint dishing up down-home southern fare, the food and experience you get at our independent restaurants is only available in Louisville. And it will be served up with the warm hospitality and natural graciousness our city is known for.
Local restaurants also contribute to the vibrant cultural life of our community. A flourishing independent restaurant scene is a sure sign that other “arts” are thriving and equally well-supported. Believe it or not, an active independent restaurant scene is right up there with good schools and housing stock as one of the top reasons sophisticated business people and companies give for favoring one community over another when making relocation decisions.
Of course, there are also financial reasons for selecting independent restaurants as your choice when dining out. For one thing, your dollars spent in a locally owned restaurant stay in your community. Two recent studies have proven conclusively that 73% of dollars spent with independent retailers stay in the community, while only 43% of dollars spent with national chains remain.
Your support of local restaurants also becomes support of local charities. Some of the charities supported by our members include: Dare to Care, March of Dimes, House of Ruth, St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, Highland Community Ministries, Home of the Innocents, St Baldrick’s (National Childhood Cancer Foundation), American Red Cross, the Shamrock Society, Public Radio Partnership, Actors Theatre of Louisville and many others, including the many benefits and fundraisers put on by schools, churches and small non-profit groups throughout the year.
Finally, consider what make a city into a livable, desirable community? Certainly a world-class city is impossible without a world-class group of independent restaurants, but what makes a place home?.
As Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, CVS, and Starbucks continue to cut a swath through the Main Streets of America, the environment becomes less and less hospitable to the independent operators who know and love their customers. The neighborhood hardware store, the corner drugstore, the local bookstore or record shop, and the independent restaurant will be lost forever without a conscious decision by consumers to support the locally owned shops and eateries that make their city unique.
What restaurants are part of Louisville Originals?
ARTEMISIA 620 E. Market St. 583-4177
ASIATIQUE 1767 Bardstown Rd. 451-2749
AUGUST MOON 2269 Lexington Rd. 456-6569
BAXTER STATION 1201 Payne St. 584-1635
BROWNING’S BREWERY 401 E. Main St. 515-0174
CAFR LOU LOU 1800 Frankfort Ave. 893-7776
CAFE MTERO 1700 Bardstown Rd. 458-4830
COACH LAMP 751 Vine St. 583-9165
CUMBERLAND BREWS 1576 Bardstown 458-8727
DE LA TORRES / LA BODEGA 1606 Bardstown Rd. 456-4955
EL MUNDO 2345 Frankfort Ave. 899-9930
EQUUS / JACK’S BAR 122 Sears Ave. 897-9721
THE IRISH ROVER 2319 Frankfort Ave. 899-3544
IRISH ROVER, TOO 117 E. Main St. LaGrange 222-2286
JARFI’S BISTRO 501 W. Main St. 589-5060
L & N WINE BAR and BISTRO 1765 Mellwood Ave. 897-0070
LENTINI’S 1543 Bardstown Rd. 459-3020
MELILLO’S 829 E. Market St. 540-9975
NAPA RIVER GRILL 3938 Dupont Circle 893-0141
PARK PLACE on MAIN 401 E. Main St. 515-0172
PALERMO VIEJO 1359 Bardstown Rd. 456-6461
THE PATRON 3400 Frankfort Ave. 896-1661
SAFFRON’S 131 W. Market St. 584-7800
UPTOWN CAFE 1624 Bardstown Rd. 458-4212
