As the water finally begins to recede, those who make their living along the Ohio River are just starting their long journey to recovery. The floods were unforgiving for numerous bars and restaurants that dot River Road. So, restaurateur Chef John Varanese made the decision to rally the Louisville community in support of its food community. The Ohio River flooding cut off revenue for several days and now significant resources will be spent to cleanup and rebuild the eateries so they can reopen for business. To help fill that financial void, Varanese, owner of River House Restaurant & Raw Bar, Levee, as well as Varanese Restaurant, will host benefit concerts this Thursday, March 8 through Saturday, March 10, for his colleagues in the food and beverage industry. Varanese will also be delivering food and bottled water to employees and volunteers doing clean up at restaurants on Friday.
“I thought this flood brought our restaurant great challenges, especially for our first time experience, but when I look at some of my neighbors and how much work and challenges are ahead of them, I wanted to be able to help soften their hardships,” stated Chef John Varanese in a press release.
Laurie Jane and The 45’s will headline the flood relief concert on Thursday, March 8, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Levee, Wax Factory will play on Friday, March 9, from 9 p.m. to 1 A.M. and Kirby’s Dreamland is scheduled to perform on Saturday night from 9 P.M. to 1 A.M. The Levee is located on 3015 River Road. Charitable donations are requested to attend this weekend’s live music. All donations raised will go to River Road bars and restaurants that were damaged by the floods via APRON, Inc., a non-profit made up of chefs, servers, owners, and others whose mission is to support food and beverage workers in times of financial crisis.
