The restaurant titans threw a swanky celebration, cementing the steakhouse’s past 20 years and taking a look back on all of the people, events and memories that helped make it possible.
Mr. Ruby spoke to LEO Weekly about how the restaurant made its way to Louisville and some of his favorite parts about getting to know the city over the past 20 years.
LEO: Can you tell us a little about this celebration?
Mr. Ruby: This is our 20th anniversary in Louisville, and it’s been a great ride. We’re hoping to do another 120. So that’s what we’re celebrating. We’re thanking the people that have helped support us and our employees that have made this possible. Let’s have a little party.
LEO: What brought you to Louisville originally?
Mr. Ruby: Lisa Haller, with the Galt House, she was the Sales Director. She came to Cincinnati and said “We’re doing this development at Waterfront Plaza. There’s a Galt House Hotel and I would like you to put a restaurant there.” I said “Well, tell your bosses to come to Northern Kentucky to my place called the Waterfront, it’s a floating restaurant on three barges, magnificent place, and we’ll talk.” So Mary Moseley and Sam Moseley and their people came to the Waterfront.
There was a restaurant that was called South Beach Grill. [Mary and Sam Moseley] experienced something they’d never seen before and they wanted me to replicate it here [in Louisville]. The good news is I didn’t have to put it on the river because that will be something I’ll never do again. We gave them the Jeff Ruby experience and we’ve been here 20 years.
LEO: What are some of your favorite parts of Louisville and having a business in Louisville?
Mr. Ruby: The community has been behind us. They supported us- southern hospitality. It was our first restaurant outside of Cincinnati, so it was a risk to come to another city where nobody knew me. The risk was great, but the reward has been better. You’ve gotta take risks to have a reward.
It was the hospitality, the community. I’m into horse racing. I’m into bourbon. I knew Rick Pitino. I’ve got myself a national championship ring from UofL. I’ve been friends with Pat Kelsey for a long time. Churchill Downs, relationships with the jockeys, the people, the southern hospitality here.
We come to a city where we want to do food that the people in that city can relate to and enjoy. We had to do some southern cooking. I had to bring some south to the mouth to our guests here in Louisville. So that’s what we did. The guests here have supported us and have gotten behind us for 20 years. That’s a long time to be loyal. The employees made it possible.
Jeff Ruby’s is located on 325 W. Main St.