Today’s featured photo: “Barbara Eden and Don Ho at an event for I Dream of Jeannie (1965),” courtesy of IMDB.
Speaking as a stubborn older cuss who last ate at a McDonald’s back when Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” was the top song on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 (that’d be 2006, folks), it has seemed evident to me lately that an uncommonly large proportion of local food and drink news has to do with chain and franchise “concepts.”
Then David A. Mann went and confirmed this hunch. Writing at Louisville Business First, Mann opened with news of mounting excitement with the prospective arrival in Louisville of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a fast casual chain out of landlocked Kansas City, and dedicated to cosplay-pretend “Aloha spirit”.
“We’re thrilled to be entering Kentucky with talented operator groups who will grow the brand to key regions with strong population densities,” said Shannon Scott, Chief Marketing Officer at Hawaiian Bros.
“The franchise group behind this development possesses fantastic operations experience and the know-how to build strong teams, which will help drive restaurant performance and establish guest loyalty. With its vibrant business community and dynamic restaurant scene, Louisville is a natural fit for our brand’s Aloha spirit.”
Now that’s a level of pan-seared-level sexiness calculated to make you hungrier than you’ve ever before — am I right? The can of tuna in my cupboard is looking like peak island authenticity at this point; serve with Saltines and Don Ho.
Then Mann pulled it all together with this account of arrivals old and new: “Hawaii is known for its beautiful weather, but here in the Louisville area, it’s raining fast-casual chains.”
Ugly Dumpling, a New Jersey-based fast-casual chain, is coming to East Louisville … (specializing) in Shanghai-style street food … it is owned by Vertex Hospitality Group, a national restaurant franchise company.
Asheville, North Carolina-based Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar is also planning to open its first Kentucky location at 10017 Ballardsville Road.
Denver-based Teriyaki Madness just signed a lease for space at 1225 Veterans Parkway in Clarksville, Indiana.
And of course, Shake Shack is planning to open its first Louisville restaurant inside Oxmoor Center at 7900 Shelbyville Road.
Mann’s piece is here: Hawaiian Bros Island Grill inks development deal for greater Louisville market. Be aware that even when the content isn’t to my liking, LBF covers stories like this better than anyone else hereabouts.
Meanwhile, my reaction to fast food chains borrows liberally from Erica Jong’s classic quote about blue movies.
“My reaction to fast food chains is as follows: After the first visit, I want to go eat at them all. After the first two visits, I never want to eat again as long as I live.”
Take it away, Don.
The post Metro Louisville confirms passionate love affair with chains like Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, et al appeared first on Food & Dining Magazine.
