LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville restaurants are looking for ways to bring more customers back into dining rooms as they continue to deal with changes in customer traffic after the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a 2025 study by the National Restaurant Association, nearly 75% of restaurant traffic now happens off premises, meaning almost three out of four restaurant orders are taken to go.
The Louisville Independent Business Alliance has relaunched a gift card program aimed at supporting local restaurants. The program, first introduced in 1996, stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Folks who’ve been around Louisville may remember the original Louisville Originals gift card program,” said Jennifer Rubenstein, executive director of the Louisville Independent Business Alliance.
Rubenstein said the gift card can be used like a credit card and is valid at eight restaurants in Louisville.
“You feel good when you’re buying the gift card as well as when you’re using it because you know you’re supporting this awesome food scene in Louisville,” Rubenstein said.
Galaxie, a nightclub and restaurant in Louisville’s NuLu area, is one of the participating businesses.
Owner Thor Morgan said he remembers March 2020, when restaurants could not serve customers inside.
“It was tough,” Morgan said. “It was hard to not be able to have customers inside and really cut our business to almost nothing.”
Morgan said that six years since the pandemic began, foot traffic still is not where it used to be.
“Here at Galaxie, like you mentioned, we do live music, we have a bar, we have a happy hour and we have a full restaurant,” Morgan said. “So giving people that avenue, like various outlets, to just come get out of the house to do stuff is at the crux of what we provide, so something like this is super helpful for us.”
The gift cards can be purchased online through the Louisville Independent Business Alliance or at select Rainbow Blossom stores.
Rubenstein said the program relaunch was made possible by a $20,000 donation from Churchill Downs.
Dining and Cooking