LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s Food Network star Darnell “Super Chef” Ferguson, opened a new dine-in seafood eatery in the Russell neighborhood.
Darnell "Super Chef "Ferguson may not be from the west end, but he says he feels a connection to the neighborhood anyway.
"There’s no better place to have a talk of the town than in the west end that’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to move some of the positivity, the focus, that energy here," explains Tha Drippin Crab owner.
The acclaimed celebrity chef is known for a range of thriving dining concepts including SuperChefs in the Highlands.
But the 34-year-old is thinking hyper local when it comes to his newest sit down restaurant. Tha Drippin Crab is located at West Jefferson and South 12th street in the Russell neighborhood.
Ferguson is fixated on redeveloping and feeding the growth in west Louisville.
"This is bigger than food. This is the start of something big here in the west end," said Ferguson.
The seafood restaurant was buzzing with excitement as workers opened their doors to the public for their soft opening.
The grand opening is expected to happen in about three and half weeks. The focus right now is on the food.
"The most flavorful seafood restaurant that you can get full at," suggests Ferguson.
The new seafood concept offers plenty of flavorful options scattered throughout the menu. "Everybody is going to want the seafood lasagna. It's a smoked salmon lasagna with a fried lobster tail," adds Ferguson.
While customers wait to be served, they’ll notice a dedicated wall featuring several west Louisville icons including Jefferson County Judge Derwin Webb, Brad Harris, and Louisville Urban League President and CEO Sadiqa Reynolds.
"A big part of that is these are people who are either from the west end, have been loving on the west end, investing in the west end, putting their time, effort, energy into making the west end a better place," explains Ferguson.
Arnetia Horton and Jillian Webb have lived in west Louisville for decades and are excited for the growth.
"You always have to travel far east, far south, but there’s nothing in the west end so I’m so excited to have a restaurant, a nice restaurant, right here in the neighborhood," said Horton.
"I would like to see more come to the west end, I really would. It's a great part of town and it has just had a bad name for a long time," explains Webb.
In the meantime, this restaurateur is hoping this will serve as a blueprint for up and coming businesses as well as new chefs.
"This is all purpose filled, this all supposed to be happening and we are going to give people what they paid for," said Ferguson.
Tha Drippin Crab is hoping to introduce a franchise program in the future that opens in other states.