Popular restaurant to open new Louisville location in Okolona off Outer Loop

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A popular restaurant is adding to its list of Louisville locations, planning to open in Okolona.

According to Lee Greer, Drake's restaurant is coming to Outer Loop. Greer is the developer and president of Greer Companies, out of Lexington.

"Right next to the Heine Brothers' and the Central Bank, we plan -- we're actually starting construction -- on Drake's restaurant," Greer said.

This location is near Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen in the 3500 block of Outer Loop. According to Drake's director of marketing, this will be Drake's 12th Kentucky location and fourth in Louisville, by the time it opens late this summer.

Drake's already has locations in St. Matthews, off Hurstbourne Parkway, and in the Paddock Shoppes in Louisville, as well as a restaurant in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

"It's probably been roughly 15 or 16 years ago that we acquired the land. Roughly 10 acres there," said Greer, talking about the property off Outer Loop. "Our primary purpose was to develop the Cheddar's restaurant. At the time we were Cheddar's franchisees and ended up with 46 Cheddar's before we sold them all."

A developer says Drake's restaurant will open a new location off Outer Loop in Okolona. (WDRB image)

Signs are now up advertising the new Drake's location and dirt is being moved on the site. Don Noe, an Okolona resident, lives in one of the neighborhoods nearby. He said he's lived here more than 40 years.

"As far as the neighbors, outstanding people. I mean, I've got good neighbors," said Noe.

Now that the trees are gone to make way for the new development, Central Bank, next to where Drake's will be, can be seen from the top of Noe's driveway.

"That's the way of the world. I mean, things are changing," he said.

Noe said he'll likely visit the new Drake's once it opens, but would also like to see a developer add small grocery store options close by.

"... Like the old convenience used to be, some place where the people can walk to, talk, converse," Noe said.

In the future, Greer said he'd like to develop a hotel on the site. However, that's only an idea at this point and subject to change.

"We would love to do a hotel there in the rear of that property one day. Just given the proximity to the airport and to Churchill Downs, and a lot of the big businesses in the area and the interstate -- right off the interstate there -- believe that would be a good location," he said.

If a hotel is built there, Greer said it would not happen this year.

"I think we'll explore that possibility this year and if it makes since, then I'd say it's something we could do in the next two to three years," he said.

Down the road, a different developer has filed plans proposing retail and restaurant space, including a Starbucks just off Preston Highway and Outer Loop near the old library. WDRB reported on that in Aug. 2023. To read that story, click here.

Greer said he expects Drake's to be successful at the Okolona location, adding he hopes it can open for the community to visit soon.

"Once they start seeing the footers go in the ground and construction starting, it'll go up fast," he said.

Greer said he expects Drake's to open this summer, or at the latest early fall.

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