LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Restaurants in Louisville are adapting after a later Oaks post time led to a sharp drop in dinner reservations.
In past years, Derby weekend brought triple the usual business to Volare Italian Ristorante during its three days of fine dining. This year, however, the restaurant is opening earlier at 4:30 p.m. to attract customers before the race.
“With those earlier seatings starting to fill up with the great locals that have supported us for so many years, I think we’re still going to have a solid Friday night,” Executive Chef Joshua Moore said. “Just different, a little bit different than normal.”
After the Oaks post time shifted to 8:40 p.m., many customers chose to remain at the track instead of heading out for dinner, leading to a noticeable decline in reservations.
In response, Volare is now targeting guests who plan to skip the race altogether.
“And just come straight to dinner,” General Manager Jonathan Tarullo said, “watch it on the big screen, make their bets at a table on their app, and so we’re open to anything.”
The Kentucky Restaurant Association is also encouraging early planning, urging diners to “Book Your Oaks and Derby Dining Experiences Early!”
The association’s website highlights about two dozen member restaurants, reflecting a shift in dining habits during Derby weekend.
“There are a lot of carryout options,” KRA President Stacy Roof said. “There are a lot of early dinner options, brunch options, maybe even traditional places that didn’t always offer brunch.”
Seviche, another longtime favorite for Derby visitors, is seeing similar trends.
Owner Chef Anthony Lamas said reservations for Oaks night dropped from 350 to 120 this year.
“That’s a long day,” Lamas said. “But, the 120 that we have are people that are actually leaving early, saying we don’t want to stay that late. So, we are getting some.”
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