OneWest held a grand opening for Gores SmokeOut BBQ on Friday, May 12 as part of its accelerator program in the West End.
OneWest is a community nonprofit that works to grow the West End of Louisville through neighborhood revitalization and to improve economic and job development. Their vision is to create vibrant buildings to bring in more affordable restaurants, grocery stores, retail and other services to increase development.
OneWest chose Gores for its two-year residency, adding jobs and a new food option to the West End. The company will help with financial aspects such as bookkeeping and business operations, and assist with human resources and marketing. Gores will seek a permanent space in the West End at the end of its residency.
Gores, owned by Andre and Sherelle Gore, began as a food truck with event catering. The restaurant is now located at 516B S. 18th St. in one of two row houses that were renovated for the project. OneWest will select another restaurant to move into the second row house in the coming months.
We conducted a survey of the community and one of our main takeaways was there is a great desire for more local restaurants in the West End, said OneWest President & CEO Evon Smith in a press release. We are thrilled to be able to collaborate with a talented and enterprising couple like the Gores. We have taken abandoned row houses, rehabbed them, and [we] are creating new opportunities.
Gores is open Monday through Saturday from 12-8 p.m., and closed on Sundays.
This article appears in May 9, 2023.