Unwanted Shopping Center

After John Riley's Auto Service went out of business on Bardstown Road, it was remodeled into this modernist monstrosity. The glorious green garage has been replaced with clean, austere, nicey-nicey, boring-as-hell retail spaces that look ideal for insurance agents, travel agents, attorneys, dentists, and other things that don't really belong in the heart of the Highlands hipster strip.

A year later, the spaces are still sitting empty.

Karma Cafe

Can't say as I'm sorry to see the Karma Cafe go. The food was mediocre and completely inconsistent.

First time I dined at Karma Cafe, their burger was fresh, thick, hand-patted, and delicious. Next time I went there it was a pre-formed pre-frozen thin hockey puck, like you get in a school cafeteria. When I complained, some angry hippie came out and insisted that it was same kind of burger they'd always served since day one. Which was a blatant lie.

I gave them a third chance, many months later. The food was slightly better this time, but the service was atrocious and everyone in the place seemed in some sort of a dull stupor, moving sluggishly and acting like their minds were a million miles away. Far out, man. Outasite. Dude.


Interestingly, a sign still on the bulletin board at the nearby Highland Grounds coffee shop advertises a "National Dream Awareness Weekend" event in the former Karma Cafe building, but neglects to provide a crucial datum: the time and date of said event.

King Buffet

I never went inside the King Buffet near the I-64 Exit off Blankenbaker. I started to one night, and then realized they had a "C" grade from the Health Department - the only one I've ever seen - on the door.

Recently, I drove by and saw they've finally given up the ghost. Although I can't say I lament their passing for culinary reasons, I'll sure miss them for architectural reasons.

Welcome...

Each day when I'm out and about, I'm stunned by the ever-increasing flood of businesses that have gone belly-up. As the economy continues to spiral downward, I'm going to take a moment each day and say farewell to a local Louisville-area establishment that's gone the way of Carthage. It's all grist for my someday-to-be-published 15-volume book What Used To Be Where Back In The Day; start reserving your copies now.