LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new restaurant backed by a pair of Hollywood mainstays will soon open in downtown Louisville.
Nic & Norman's — the brainchild of an actor and director of "The Walking Dead" — will open Monday on Whiskey Alley, a slowly emerging destination for restaurants and bars on Washington Street just east of the KFC Yum! Center.
Plans to reimagine the downtown Louisville street have been in the works for nearly four years. Initial ideas 2019 called for street concerts, a block zigzagged by string lights hung from building facades, along with outdoor dining and drinking, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted its momentum.
Nic & Norman's is the latest concept to open, and it's got some weight behind it. Norman Reedus, who played Daryl Dixon on "The Walking Dead," and Greg Nicotero, director and special effects makeup artist on the show, started the concept. The Louisville location will be their fourth.
"The food is very southern inspired," said David Valentine, who's worked with Reedus and Nicotero since the beginning. "It's been a fun journey creating a lot of these items."
Valentine said the concept started when Reedus and Nicotero met while filming the show.
"They needed a place to eat and invite all of their cast members and crew members in the show," Valentine said. "So that's kind of how it started.
"We're all just friends, and I build their restaurants for them."
Nic & Norman's doesn't have a head chef, so Valentine helped design the menu. But just because it has some big names behind it doesn't mean it'll come with hefty prices. Gail Bellison, administrative director of Nic & Norman's, said fame can bring people in, but the quality of the food is what will bring them back.
"We want to be very price-driven," Valentine said. "You don't see an expensive item on our menu."
And though the restaurant just opened its doors, plans are already underway expand outside with a patio.
Nic & Norman's will be open for lunch and dinner starting July 3.
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