Longtime Louisville lunch spot struggles to remain open as thousands of workers haven't returned downtown

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Tourists coming to downtown Louisville during the week have a big advantage, there's plenty of room to roam.

That's because thousands of workers still haven't returned since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Now, one breakfast and lunch staple might not make it much longer. Cravings Ala Carte, located in the PNC tower at 101 S. Fifth Street in downtown Louisville, has been serving meals for the past 26 years and stayed open during the pandemic.

"At one time, we were down to 50 people a day at the height of Covid and civil unrest," Chuck Krill said.

The biggest loss during the shutdown, came across the street as Humana alone would account for hundreds of meals served by Cravings every day.

Now during lunchtime, there's not as much hustle and bustle.

The Krills say the toughest part for them has been the false promise that thousands of workers would come back downtown to fill the streets and fill their restaurant.

If they don't return soon, they don't think they can stay open much longer.

Tourism is actually ahead of pre-pandemic levels but the Louisville Downtown Partnership knows it takes more than that.

"Really where we are wanting to see those numbers improve are the office workers, the daytime workers during the day," Rebecca Fleischaker with the Louisville Downtown Partnership said. "We're still seeing not as much activity on the street."

Cravings owners say they haven't used any government money during the pandemic but many small downtown eateries could use some help.

Fleischaker says she's urging the city to do that with some of the unspent federal relief funds.

With some restaurants closing and others not open every day, the city has also tried to fill the gap with "Food Truck Wednesday."

"I didn't go to Harvard business school, but inviting food trucks to compete with struggling businesses is not the way to revive downtown," Krill said.

Fleischaker says in order to bring downtown back, the city is looking beyond tourism and downtown workers. But with business at just half of what it used to be, Krill needs more people walking into Cravings now.

"If the large companies that are surrounding us don't get their people back in their offices downtown, which I fear and it's just my opinion, we're gonna have a ghost town," Krill said.

For more information on Cravings Ala Carte, click here.