Jack in the Box, a bakery and more: These Louisville restaurants are opening in October
As October begins, get ready for a slew of new dining spots to open in Louisville.
Whether you're looking for a place to sing karaoke or grab a chicken salad, a variety of restaurants are joining the sea of options in the area.
Here's the full list of restaurants opening this month.
Know of an opening we missed? Send a note to food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
7 Brew Coffee
12525 Shelbyville Road, 7brew.com; Expected to open late October
A new location for the chain "changing the drive-thru coffee industry" is planned to open in Middletown in late October. 7 Brew Coffee will soon enter the Louisville scene, after opening drive-thru spots in Lexington, Bowling Green and Versailles.
7 Brew, which launched its first stand in 2017 in Rogers, Arkansas, bills itself as "so much more than just a coffee stand," according to its website. "It’s the concept of cultivating kindness and joy with every drink – through our service, speed, quality, energy and atmosphere." The menu includes "seven originals," a selection of speciality coffees such as one flavored with white chocolate and Irish cream, plus espresso shots. Classic hot and iced coffees are available, along with teas, smoothies and seasonal drinks such as pumpkin-flavored coffees.
7 Brew also announced it will soon be opening a location in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
The Bakery at Sullivan University
3100 Bardstown Road., facebook.com/TheBakeryAtSullivanUniversity, Opens Oct. 3
When The Bakery closed in Feb. 2020, it was supposed to be a short-term closure. Then the pandemic hit. More than three years later, The Bakery will reopen in early October at 3100 Bardstown Road across from Sullivan University’s main campus.
“The bakery has been a staple in the neighborhood for many, many years,” Emily Kunkel, marketing manager for Sullivan University, said. “We’re excited for this new direction we’re going. We’ve transitioned away from your traditional bakery and more toward old European style with artisan breads, light sandwiches and things to ensure we’re showcasing our craft in the best way possible.”
The Bakery went through a “complete renovation,” which includes light green walls, a brick accent wall and updated decor. The menu includes house-made pastries, breads and sandwiches, as well as hot and iced coffees. Sullivan University graduates Ann Currie and Teeylah Webster will operate the bakery, which offers internship opportunities for Sullivan students.
The restaurant, which previously focused on grab-and-go dining, also added indoor and outdoor seating.
“We’re so excited,” Kunkel said. “We want people to come in and escape the every day and just take a second to be.”
Chicken Salad Chick
7706 Bardstown Road, chickensaladchick.com; Opens Oct. 3
Chicken Salad Chick, billed as the nation’s only fast-casual chicken salad restaurant, is landing another location in Louisville. The eatery is located at 7706 Bardstown Road in the Cedar Creek shopping center.
It will host a grand opening on Tuesday. To celebrate the occasion, the first 100 guests to arrive will win free chicken salad for a year.
This comes about two years after Chicken Salad Chick opened its first Louisville location in Middletown.
“We love the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and putting smiles on the faces of the people who walk through our doors,” Laney Brittingham, the location’s operator, said in a release. “Whether that be new guests, our regulars or team members, we want to serve others through the love of chicken salad. We are so grateful for all the support we have received in Middletown and the opportunity to grow our footprint in Kentucky with Chicken Salad Chick's made-from-scratch, Southern favorites.”
The menu features chicken salad in a variety of flavors, including barbecue, lemon basil and a blend of ranch, bacon and cheese.
Enso
1756 Frankfort Ave., Opening Oct. 25
Ensō is almost ready to open. They just need somewhere for people to sit.
The nontraditional Japanese restaurant with Southern flavors is slated to open Oct. 25 in Clifton across from The Silver Dollar. It’s the latest restaurant from Chef Lawrence Weeks, who leads the food program at North of Bourbon.
“We probably could have opened two months ago,” Weeks said. “We’re just waiting on our chairs.”
The chairs in question were ordered more than six months ago from Japan and should arrive by Oct. 25. It’s just one of dozens of details going into the opening of Enso, a restaurant “pulling influences from Japan and matching the parallels with Southern food,” according to Weeks.
“We don’t want to call it a fusion restaurant,” the chef said. “It’s recognizing two cultures and the similarities between them.”
The two cultures are close to heart for Weeks. He grew up in Louisville and other places in the South. His parents were stationed in Okinawa, Japan, in the 1980s.
“I’ve always loved Japanese cuisine, culture and art,” he said. “I’ve always had an appreciation for it. This is putting everything I’ve learned to paper.”
That includes showcasing a variety of dishes, beyond sushi and ramen, he said.
“We’re going to have some ingredients that aren’t seen around here,” Weeks said. “It’s a chance for people to try new things.”
For the bar program, Enso will change things up based on “microseasons.” Each month, certain ingredients in season will inspire drinks and their flavors.
“It’s just setting the standard,” Weeks said. “We’re using the best quality of ingredients we can get our hands on.”
With the restaurant’s hours, Weeks also hopes to “bring late-night dining back to Louisville.”
Enso will be open for full service from 4-10 p.m. and offer a late-night menu from 10 p.m. to midnight from Wednesday through Saturday.
Jack In The Box
10700 Dixie Highway, 3232 Bardstown Road; jackinthebox.com; expected to open in October
Jack in the Box is getting into the Louisville market. The area's first Jack in the Box location at 10700 Dixie Highway is now open, according to the franchise's website. A second location at 3232 Bardstown Road is expected to follow this month.
Jack in the Box serves burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and salads, tacos, fries and sides as well as breakfast, late-night food, shakes and desserts. The "Classic Buttery Jack" burger is the restaurant's flagship burger, made with melted garlic herb butter on a quarter-pound beef patty with swiss cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and a toasted brioche bun.
Miki's Karaoke Bar
2230 Frankfort Ave., facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550490851167; expected to open in mid-October
If you’re looking for a place to find karaoke jams no matter what day it is, put this spot on your list.
Miki’s Karaoke Bar is slated to open within a few weeks on Frankfort Avenue in the former Jake and Elwood's restaurant space. Mikyong Miller, a native of Seoul, South Korea, who has lived in Louisville for 20 years, is behind the new spot.
"We're pretty much ready,” Miller recently told the Courier Journal. She’s waiting on a final health department inspection and a few other details.
Miki’s Karaoke Bar, an ode to Miller’s nickname, will offer karaoke daily and serve fast-casual Korean street food, including make-your-own bowls.
Miller, who has worked in the restaurant business for 23 years, has dreamed of opening her own place. She wanted to offer “something simple” on the food side and a place with a homey feel.
“I want it to be a happy place,” she said.
Miki’s will be open from 5 p.m. to midnight daily.
The Misfit Lou
119 S. 7th St., misfitlou.com, opening in mid October
The home of a well-known former sandwich shop and jazz club downtown will again be serving food and entertainment. The Misfit Lou, a bar and restaurant with a movie theater downstairs, previously planned to open in September and is now on track to host a soft opening on Oct. 13, according to owners Martin Svab and Ryan Hughes-Svab. They have spent weeks renovating the downtown building formerly occupied by Jimmy Can't Dance and Another Place Sandwich Shop. The Misfit plans to offer craft beer and cocktails, plus sandwiches, sausages and other fare.
Note: Two other restaurants are expected to open this month. The Courier Journal will update with more details.
Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot, 1803 Bardstown Road, is expected to open on Oct. 28, according to Google.
Beyond The Sun, 1023 Bardstown Road, is expected to open in October at the site of the former Mellow Mushroom.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: See 7 new restaurants set to open in Louisville this October
