March 11 – 13 | Louisville — Early Bird registration ends November 2nd. Sign up today!
#THISISLOUISVILLE
We are excited to bring the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit to our home city — Louisville, Kentucky.
Not only is Louisville home to restaurant industry giants like YUM! Brands and Papa John’s Pizza, it also boasts a strong and growing foodie scene. We expect many of these independent restaurant operators will welcome the opportunity to attend the Summit in their own backyard.
We think you’re going to love Louisville just as much as we do. Below are just a few things to do in the city and surrounding Bluegrass Region while you’re here.
Churchill Downs & The Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby has been held at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May for the past 143 years. You can relive much of that history at the adjacent Kentucky Derby Museum. A visit to the museum includes a tour of Churchill Downs and a showing of The Greatest Race, a one-of-a-kind 360-degree, high definition film.
Photo Credit: Churchill Downs Racetrack / Dan Dry Associates
Kentucky Bourbon Trail
About 95% of the world’s bourbon supply is made in Kentucky. Distilleries that are open to visitors include Four Roses, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey and Woodford Reserve. Getting to some of these distilleries will take you past some of the most beautiful thoroughbred horse farms you will ever see.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
Bats for baseball legends such as Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Ernie Banks, Joe DiMaggio, Johnny Bench and Hank Aaron have been made in Louisville for more than a century. Many of them are on display at the Louisville Slugger Museum, which also includes a tour of the factory where bats are still made for today’s major leaguers.
Muhammad Ali Center
Born in Louisville as Cassius Clay, boxing legend Muhammad Ali became one of the most recognizable figures in the history of sports. This interactive museum looks at the life and career of the man many know as simply “The Greatest.”
Belle of Louisville
Take an Ohio River dinner cruise on the 100 year-old Belle of Louisville, America’s last true Mississippi river steamboat still in operation.
Photo Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers / Jack Sweeney
Waterfront Park
Scenic views of the Ohio River are available throughout the park, but some of the best views come from the Big Four Bridge. The Big Four is a walking bridge that spans the river, connecting Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana.
Foodie-ville
If you consider yourself a foodie, Louisville is your kind of town. Here are just a few of the accolades the city has received:
- Louisville was named one of the “Best Foodie Getaways around the World” by Zagat.
- Louisville was named one of the top 10 “Tastiest Towns” by Southern Living.
- Zagat named Louisville one of 7 Up-and-Coming Food Cities in the U.S.
- Louisville’s NuLu neighborhood is one of Zagat’s “20 Hot Food Neighborhoods in 12 U.S. Cities” and East Market Street was named one of the “10 Best Foodie Streets in America” by Food & Wine.
Photo: Kentucky Hot Brown
