10:40 a.m. today, Market St. Barbers at 748 E. Market St. in Nulu. Boulevard loves this formal portrait of shop dog Banjo Lee. The proprietors say their basset hound will get his own Facebook page and cam this summer. Here’s the shop’s Facebook page.
Latest news, with a special focus on big Louisville employers; updated at 1:43 p.m.
FORD said April U.S. auto sales rose 4%, and that retail sales grew 3%, also its best April retail results since 2006. “We saw strong consumer demand in April, especially for pickups,” said Mark LaNeve, vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service (CNBC). Ford shares recently traded at $13.49, down 1%, as automakers overall fell with a broadly lower market.
YUM: A 40-year old British man received a suspended prison sentence after being accused of threatening to kill an employee at a KFC store in late February in central England. Craig Mellor was caught on video surveillance camera putting his hands around Kallum Byatt‘s neck at the restaurant in Hanley, south of Manchester. Mellor was arrested and later pled guilty to a racially aggravated assault on Byatt (Stokes Sentinel).
UPS is adding to its Louisville fleet of hybrid electric delivery trucks, to a total 125, to extend their range and improve fuel efficiency (Courier-Journal).
In other news, Kentucky’s coal industry continued its freefall in the first quarter, falling nearly 13% statewide. The bulk of the job losses came in Eastern Kentucky, with more than a 1,000 lost there. Statewide, about 6,900 coal miners are employed, the lowest level recorded since 1898 (WFPL).
Kentucky artist Marianna McDonald draws gorgeous pastels of landscapes around the state, some of which she features on a set of note cards. I bought these yesterday at her booth at the just-concluded Cherokee Triangle Association annual art fair in the Highlands; $12 for a set of four. Here’s one, called “East Family Sister Shop.”
McDonald’s studio is at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill.
Related: Admission to the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft will be free for one year after its June 4 reopening.
Big smiles, big personalities and big business networking — yes, it’s everyone’s favorite feature in the society shiny sheets: party photos! Boulevard picks through the pics, choosing our favorite coverage. Today’s entry is from The Voice-Tribune:
Carstanjen Hat and Tie Exchange
Last Tuesday, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen and his wife Julia hosted their annual hat and tie exchange at their lovely Prospect home. The event encouraged attendees to bring their hats and ties from last year and swap them with other party-goers to create the perfect Derby look.
Texas Roadhouse reports first-quarter results after stock markets close today at 4 p.m. ET. Here’s how the Louisville-based company describes itself in its annual 10-K report to the Securities and Exchange Commission; its most recent was filed Feb. 26.:
Texas Roadhouse is a growing restaurant company operating predominately in the casual dining segment . Our founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Kent Taylor, started the business in 1993 with the opening of the first Texas Roadhouse restaurant in Clarksville, Ind. Since then, we have grown to 483 restaurants in 49 states and four foreign countries. Our mission statement is, “Legendary Food, Legendary Service.” Our operating strategy is designed to position each of our restaurants as the local hometown favorite for a broad segment of consumers seeking high-quality, affordable meals served with friendly, attentive service. As of Dec. 29, we owned and operated 401 restaurants and franchised an additional 82 restaurants.
In The Courier-Journal 70 years ago today during Derby Week, retailer Nisley Co. at 449 S. Fourth St. turned to a racing-themed rhyme to advertise ladies’ spectator shoes; $6 a pair. Adjusted for inflation, $6 would have the same buying power today as $73, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator.
Related: a photo of the store’s interior in the 1940s.
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