An African-Soul food fusion restaurant has opened in the Russell neighborhood at 418 S. 18th St. In addition to the restaurant, ASPIRE will have artist studios above the cafe.
The cafe, deli and fresh market is owned and operated by Vitalis Lanshima, who came to Louisville 15 years ago from Nigeria to study at Bellarmine University. He has been an educator with Jefferson County Public Schools and most recently, a candidate for County Clerk in the 2014 election.
Aware that much of the West End is classified as a food desert, an urban area with limited access to fresh foods, Lanshima and his chef Rondell Well want the restaurant to offer healthful food to the community. His African soul food fusion menu will include vegetarian and vegan foods, including his specialty, a Nigerian stew.
