Need opinions about restaurant location

I want to thank everyone for their input.

One block over in each direction is the Louisville Palace and Louisville Gardens and just a few blocks down 5th St. is the Center for the Arts and the Convention Center. There is a after 5pm free parking lot directly across the street from this building. My question is this building is sitting in the middle of all of these venues, why would it not work. Plus this would be the only authentic French restaurant in Louisville. We here in Louisville only live within 15-20 minutes from downtown and Louie was drawing in customers an hour away to eat at his last restaurnat in Crown Point, Indiana. He must of been doing something extraordinary.
I will keep posting updates.

Let's see what area of Louisville is still growing substantially faster than any other in the time of recession.

Three or four years ago there were 50 homes and 2 businesses and now there are over 370 homes and 30 businesses. People of all ages and demographics Live, Work and Play there. The 2011 HomeArarma will also be there AND when the Community is complete there will be somewhere around 3,000 homes, many more businesses and offices, possibly a YMCA and a public school too.

St Mary's Academy and Goldberg Simpson are part of it now. Imagine what the growth will be like in better times! Seems like an ideal place for a restaurant and in some cases you can actually live above it. Two people mentioned the community... Norton Commons! Even without the support in Norton Commons you are already surrounded by strong demographics from Glen Oaks, Prospect, Hurstbourne Lane, Westport Road, and the Prospect areas.

I hate to sound like an ad, but it is hard not to get excited about Norton Commons. No, I am not a Real Estate Agent, but I am excited about where I have lived for almost 5 years (We were among the 1st.) and I am always excited to show anyone around. Yes, you pay more in some cases, but you don't get buildings that need to be retrofitted to current standards and the issues that go along with an existing property AND parking is always free.

One block over in each direction is the Louisville Palace and Louisville Gardens and just a few blocks down 5th St. is the Center for the Arts and the Convention Center. There is a after 5pm free parking lot directly across the street from this building. My question is this building is sitting in the middle of all of these venues, why would it not work. Plus this would be the only authentic French restaurant in Louisville. We here in Louisville only live within 15-20 minutes from downtown and Louie was drawing in customers an hour away to eat at his last restaurnat in Crown Point, Indiana. He must of been doing something extraordinary.
I will keep posting updates.

If it's good enough that it's a "destination" restaurant, then you might be fine. Downtown at night is tricky though - after about 6:00, especially during the week, pedestrian traffic is heavily centered around the hotels, 4th Street, Theatre Square, the Convention Center, Center for the Arts, and soon to be the arena. I work at 5th and Jefferson, and while you are right that the Palace and Theatre Square is just a block away, the proposed area itself is kind of a dead zone at night, and the walk from there to the Palace/Brown/etc. takes you right by the sketchy stip clubs. The walk from there to the KY Center is more like 5 blocks south, and the convention center 4 blocks south and 2 blocks east. In a more consistently developed downtown, that's nothing, but our downtown is still developing in fits and starts and is a bit disconnected, and people are less willing to walk around when they have to cross dead areas.

Personally, I'd love to see something amazing go in there and succeed. It's a part of downtown that could really use a facelift, and perhaps a successful, fine-dining establishment could be an anchor for that block. It's just a risky location for downtown.

[Robin Garr]

I know two prominent restaurateurs who both located there in the same belief, Debbie, and then sat in their empty restaurant at night crying, "Why, oh WHY won't Louisvillians walk one block over from Fourth Street?" You might consider talking to Majid and to Manoosh.

Part of the problem, I think, is critical mass. A lot of people are reluctant to head over even one dark, empty block in downtown Louisville at night. They want to stay where the lights and people are.

I want to thank everyone for their input.

One block over in each direction is the Louisville Palace and Louisville Gardens and just a few blocks down 5th St. is the Center for the Arts and the Convention Center. There is a after 5pm free parking lot directly across the street from this building. My question is this building is sitting in the middle of all of these venues, why would it not work. Plus this would be the only authentic French restaurant in Louisville. We here in Louisville only live within 15-20 minutes from downtown and Louie was drawing in customers an hour away to eat at his last restaurnat in Crown Point, Indiana. He must of been doing something extraordinary.
I will keep posting updates.

Plus this would be the only authentic French restaurant in Louisville.

http://www.lerelaisrestaurant.com/ ?

Don't do it, Louis! It's one thing to be a destination restaurant in Crown Point, and entirely another to be a destination restaurant in Louisville. You could have the best French food in the northern hemisphere and still struggle in that location. Mais non!

[Robin Garr]

Plus this would be the only authentic French restaurant in Louisville.

http://www.lerelaisrestaurant.com/ ?

I was just gonna say!

I've noticed over the years that Le Relais gets a lot of flack for not being "authentic". I even subscribed to this notion as well at one time after visiting Paris. However, after listening to the owner (Mr. Dike) converse about his cuisine w/ my wife & in-laws (Parisians) I've discovered that they're merely preparing these dishes in the tradition of a region that most Americans aren't used to eating in (e.g: Switzerland/Southeast France). This makes sense when one considers the fact that the owner is Swiss, not French. Their steak tartare is a perfect example of this. It's not prepared how you'd most often find it in Île-de-France (including Paris). Just like in the U.S. there are various regions w/ various ways of preparing dishes (e.g: barbecue or chili). I can tell you right now that Louis is from Southwest France & some of his dishes will be different than what many are expecting as well (because he isn't Parisian). We must also consider the fact that many restaurants are catering to an American audience so the consensus (whether or not it's actually true) is that things must be prepared differently (e.g: escargot w/o the shell). I suppose the point is that there's no need for there to be an Anthony vs. Louis battle over who is more "authentic" when there's plenty of room in this city for cuisine from more than one region of France (& even Switzerland).

I'd like to second (or possibly third or fourth?) the opinion that it would be a terrible choice of location. The only money to be made there is at lunch, and even that requires high volume/low cost, which doesn't exactly play well with the idea of a nice French restaurant.

I love French food, and have been wishing for another French restaurant in Lousiville ever since Le Beaujolais closed, but I wouldn't go downtown to eat there more than maybe once a year or so. If it were located in the Highlands or Crescent Hill, I'd be there more like once a month assuming the food is good.

My question is this building is sitting in the middle of all of these venues, why would it not work

(my explanation for why evening business would be tough)

There is a very simple reason for this. Downtown has a strong employer and workforce base. We are lucky that our downtown is still is an main employment hub and pretty vibrant. Some other downtown cities have lost that.

However, of course many travel from outside of downtown to work. When they leave work they drive 15, 20 minutes or even longer to get to their homes. When they get home, they are not going to make a 2nd trip downtown to dine (for the most part).

With that said, you never know how a new business will do. Some places do extremely well when the location makes no sense. Some places suffer when they seem to have a great location. That is the risky nature of any retail/restaurant business.....the unknown.

I hate to say it (sniff, sniff) but what's the status of the old Primo location? A good spot now that Nulu and the Arena are starting to hop.

[Robin Garr]

I hate to say it (sniff, sniff) but what's the status of the old Primo location? A good spot now that Nulu and the Arena are starting to hop.

Oooooo! Tempting, very tempting! The only question being, if that spot was too weak to support an operation as viable as Primo with Bim at the helm, has Nulu popped up that much? I have to wonder about leasing prices, too. for a guy who's been looking at places like Karem's and Boombozz and Manoosh's. It's an impressive venue ...

I dine out...often. Like 2 times per week, at times, more.

I NEVER even consider going downtown to dine out. Not sure why, I live close enough. But it just does not seem convenient.

is it parking? perceived crime possibilities/personal safety?

I'm honestly curious, if you don't mind sharing

We rarely eat at home. Maybe twice a week at the most. Many of our friends are the same way. We rarely eat downtown. Can't remember but twice in the last year and that was at RedStar and Myan Gypsy they were great. But why bother with the Downtown mess unless you have to when there are so many great alternatives outside of that zone!

I am sitting with a gift certificate about to expire for 8 for dinner at Vincenzo's. Absolutely love the food and the atmosphere, BUT again we hate going downtown. So would I ever consider placing a restaurant downtown when there are so many great areas in Louisville? It would have to be a special fit.