Former Kunz's Restaurant

$10 per square foot if my math is right

for downtown louisville

seems ok

way too big for my britches though

I wouldn't be surprised if the fair board doesn't get a percentage of sales as well. Its a pretty common practice and they may get up to 3% based on what the place takes in on sales tax.

The rent is a great deal for the Z's crew. I can't wait to see the finished product!

The rent is a great deal for the Z's crew. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Is that "a great deal" as in a lot or as in a really, really good deal?

Here is the article from the CJ site:

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... -1/UPDATES

It is supposed to be in the paper tomorrow.

I guess the cats out of the bag. I think everybody had a very good idea who was going there, but just wasn't really sure.
Sorry about all the mystery, but I could not say anything untill the press release, which it looks as tho some people receive the paper a lot earlier than others. Good luck to the Z's staff. I am looking forward to the changes. Supposedly they will try to open by Derby, but if it is not up to Z's standard it will not open untill everything is just like they want. Again sorry for the mystery, but a promise is a promise.

[Robin Garr]

I could not say anything untill the press release, which it looks as tho some people receive the paper a lot earlier than others.

Fill me in on this privately, Rick. I'm not sure who thought it would be to their benefit to have the news in the CJ before anyone else had it, but I tend to remember things like that.

Fill me in on this privately, Rick. I'm not sure who thought it would be to their benefit to have the news in the CJ before anyone else had it, but I tend to remember things like that.

Cue the theme from the Godfather. They'll sleep with the sea bass.

Ha! I don't get the paper at all. It was on their website yesterday afternoon under latest headlines at the top of the home page.

[Robin Garr]

Cue the theme from the Godfather. They'll sleep with the sea bass.

Naw, it's not that bad. It hurts my feelings, though.

The full story on Z's Fusion is in today's CJ. This is excellent news as we add a high quality locally run restaruant in the burgeoning downtown convention and entertainment district.

I could not say anything untill the press release, which it looks as tho some people receive the paper a lot earlier than others.

Fill me in on this privately, Rick. I'm not sure who thought it would be to their benefit to have the news in the CJ before anyone else had it, but I tend to remember things like that.

This puzzles me as well. What is the upside to keeping this type of information from foodies so as to preserve the CJ's "scoop" on it. I would understand not wanting it disclosed until the deal on the property had been finalized, but not so that CJ gets credit for the news.

[Robin Garr]

What is the upside to keeping this type of information from foodies so as to preserve the CJ's "scoop" on it. I would understand not wanting it disclosed until the deal on the property had been finalized, but not so that CJ gets credit for the news.

In fairness, having talked behind the scenes with Rick, I think I understand now. It wasn't about Z's channeling a food story to Gannett. It was about Z's not wanting to talk about the pending deal until after the Fair Board voted. The CJ has a reporter who covers the Fair Board, and he picked up the story.

I'm okay with that, although I would have loved it if Merzhad had thought to tip me off on an "embargoed" basis in advance. I would have respected that, and then we could have broken the story as a big restaurant news rather than just a CJ metro blurb by a government reporter.

Rent sounds astronomically high but it is a key location with surrounding hotels.

Rent sounds astronomically high but it is a key location with surrounding hotels.

$10 a square foot annually is a good deal. Taking responsibility for paying the bills on a 10,000 square feet facility is no easy task though. I don't know the demographics of downtown, or pay much attention to how many conventions are hosted at the convention center... but comparing that price to what I'm paying and what new retail space in Crestwood is going for, I'd say it is a fantastic deal. Crestwood's commercial rent is around $15-$23 a square foot annually.

With a facility that size though, the operators still (IMHO) have to project sales of over 200,000 a month to keep the bills paid, and the lights on. Which isn't something that many operators want to have to think about when they try to sleep at night. I don't know the Z's organization, but I'm sure they got the nod from the Fair Board because they are up to the challenge. Having to find a new tenant in 2 or 3 years isn't something they want to mess with, or watching the building sit empty...