Mesh restaurant open date postponed

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Tim Harris

Construction is under way on Mesh restaurant. It will be located at 3612 Brownsboro Road on the site where Azalea Restaurant and Bauer's 1870 Tavern once operated.

Caitlin Bowling

Reporter- Louisville Business First

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Louisvillians will have to wait another four months before they can visit Mesh, a new restaurant that's in the works on Brownsboro Road.

The Louisville Mesh, a fine-dining concept owned by Indianapolis-based Cunningham Restaurant Group, will be the second of its kind in the United States — the first being located on Massachusetts Avenue in Indiana's state capital.

The restaurant is under construction at 3612 Brownboro Road, the former site of Azalea restaurant and, before that, Bauer's 1870 Tavern. It was expected to open sometime this year. However, the opening has moved to February 2015.

Nothing unusual caused the delay, said Mike Cunningham, owner of Cunningham Restaurant Group. "Things got pushed back and delayed, and that is just the way things are sometimes."

The company is investing $2.8 million in the new restaurant.

Once complete, the 7,600-square-foot restaurant will be able to seat about 240 people inside, with some additional seating available on an outdoor patio. It will employ 80 to 100 people, Cunningham said.

Mesh's menu will be similar to that of its Indianapolis counterpart. Menu items include pomme frites, mushroom and goat cheese strudel, roasted chicken with grits and halibut.

Cunningham said that they liked the idea of opening a Mesh location in Louisville because of the city's strong presence of independently owned. He said Indianapolis is full of chain establishments.

Louisville is "a great restaurant market," Cunningham said.

The Cunningham Restaurant Group also owns six other concepts, including Bru Burger Bar, Boulder Creek Dining, Stone Creek Dining, Charbonos, Moerlein Lager House and Union 50.

Cunningham said another of the company's concepts could be introduced in Louisville. "We are actively looking for other locations in Louisville."

Caitlin Bowling covers these beats: Restaurants, retail, human resources, and women & minority affairs.