UPDATE: According to Mendel Hertz, owner/manger of the Starks Building, the new Colonnade is actually going into a first-floor spot in the back of the first floor, with 3,340 square feet. The entrance will be inside the building and eventually through the alley. It will open in about 3 months.
The space formerly being considered by McCormick & Shmick’s, which is the former Rodes first-floor space, is still available. Hertz said he is negotiating with a major Midwest steak-and-seafood restaurant for that space, and hopes to complete negotiations by the end of the year.
“My hope is that this would be a much better fit for the space.” he said.
Lots of people have fond memories of the Colonnade Cafeteria. Back in the late ’90s, I used to go over to the Starks Building and meet sources over there in the basement. It was an old-fashioned cafeteria, with actual vegetables and good, healthy food. The kind you can’t get at restaurants anymore. The staff was friendly and helpful, heaping your order on fresh, clean plates.
But the Colonnade closed at the Starks Building, and later re-opened at the Louisville Antique Mall on East Broadway. That, however, didn’t last long. It closed earlier this year.
The city has now found a nice spot for owners Chester and Kenneth Krill. Not in the old location in the basement of the Starks Building, but in the first floor space formerly slated for . . . you guessed it . . . a national seafood restaurant.
Now this isn’t another criticism of the Cordish loan, but it does have a connection. Because it was only after Cordish failed to perform on getting the upscale seafood restaurant opened that was originally involved in that $950,000 loan, which was subsequently used for the Sports and Social Club.
The loan to get the Colonnade open again on the prominent downtown corner is just $40,000. It’s forgivable as long as the place stays open. And lots of downtown workers will enjoy the cafeteria. It’s a smart move by the city to get a familiar, local business in that spot. Let’s applaud that.
The city also announced a low-interest $40,000 loan for a dental practice in Hurstbourne, and a $9,500 low-interest loan to Oak Street Hardware for handicap-accessible bathrooms.
13 responses so far ↓
1 Lepus // Sep 24, 2009 at 10:28 am
I LOVED the Colonnade, especially their stewed tomatoes and their homemade mustard.
I wish they would bottle that mustard, best I’ve ever had…
2 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Sep 24, 2009 at 10:39 am
Now the city needs to replicate this kind of action, multiple times over.
Mayor Jer needs to support local independent businesses as much (or more) than external corporate ones.
And why not? What is the possible reason for not doing so?
3 Steve Coomes // Sep 24, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Much as I love criticizing the Cordish debacle(s), I’m not convinced it was Cordish’s fault McCormick & Schmick’s didn’t move in. Not long after that possible deal was announced, I interviewed Doug Schmick (in my work for Nation’s Restaurant News magazine, and on a totally unrelated matter). He said they loved the space, thought Louisville was a solid restaurant town, and that terms were favorable.
But they also wisely sensed the recession was coming and that expansion to a midsized market might not be a good thing.
To have executed that deal and others being considered, Schmick said the company would have had to draw in its line of credit, not from cash reserves, and he wasn’t sure that was prudent at the moment.
Turns out he was right. Given how tight credit markets became, M&S smartly held on to the terms it had from its lenders, and it’s likely since used that credit to bolster current operations.
So while fingering Cordish on this one is fun, it’s just not that simple.
4 Tony Hyatt // Sep 24, 2009 at 1:50 pm
The colonade had the best 7:25am breakfast for reporters who had to work the early morning shows. There was nothing like it when you had been up since 3:30am
5 MetroHack // Sep 24, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Sure is nice of the city to let them back in, after they were ran out by Cordish in the first place.
6 Harold // Sep 24, 2009 at 3:29 pm
If they keep their prices low, they will clean up from all the office workers who are sick of paying $12 for a hamburger on 4th street. I’m assuming this is going in the space next to Seng?
7 Carter Burger // Sep 24, 2009 at 6:46 pm
What’s in the basement now? Anything?
8 fish // Sep 24, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I wish McCormick and Schmick would have set up shop there rather than the Collonade.
9 Bruce Maples // Sep 24, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Would also like to know what’s in the basement now. And, glad to see the C back in business. Will make the walk down there just to support it.
10 chief // Sep 24, 2009 at 9:31 pm
IS the remaining $850million left over from the $1,8 million going to be used and dedicated to LOCAL business that might like to participate?….you think there should be a comparriason of what Chester Krill can get done with $40k large for free COMPARED to Cordish!!!!
I’ll be the Best damn barometer ever ….I can see the headlines ….Local Business Entrepenuer outfits restaurant with free $40k loan….Far cay from a $950k remodel….which BTW ….is TANKING!….
The core workforce that works downtown that make $25-$30k or less a year is about to choke on those $12 hamburgers!
Chester Krill will be smart enough to service the locals that want a $5.99 lunch!,,,,Krill will Kill it!
11 Carter Burger // Sep 25, 2009 at 8:45 am
I, for one, will be going to the Colonnade for lunch rather than the over priced places on 4th street. maybe this will start a “food war” if the Colonnade can draw enough people away.
12 AC360 // Sep 25, 2009 at 10:25 am
Can’t wait to see the old Colonnade back. The one at the Antique Mall wasn’t nearly the same. I want the steam table and all the overcooked veggies back!
13 Some guy at the C-J // Sep 25, 2009 at 10:27 am
One thing the original Colonnade offered that I’ve never seen ANYWHERE else:
Delicious gooseberry pie.
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