Radcliff Gets Jersey Mike's, Firehouse Subs, and More

Key Takeaways

• Jersey Mike's is coming to the former bank next to Radcliff City Hall on West Lincoln Trail — landscaping already underway
• Firehouse Subs leased space at 990 S. Dixie Blvd in Radcliff, plus a second location near Publix in Elizabethtown
• Two new sweet-focused food trucks: Kuddies on Wheels (mobile Kuddies Soda Shop) and The Creamery Cart (rolled ice cream)
• One-of-one Shohei Ohtani autograph card pulled at Lincoln Center sports card shop — second special pull from that store
• The Stoddard House B&B opens in Vine Grove as the Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb in Elizabethtown closes

Summary

Nate Bryan's Business Buzz this week was loaded with good news for Radcliff. Two national sub chains — Jersey Mike's and Firehouse Subs — are both on their way, adding to a pipeline that already includes Wingstop, Dairy Queen, Wawa, and General Fo's. Radcliff's food landscape is changing fast.

Beyond Radcliff, two new sweet-focused food trucks are launching in Hardin County, a rare baseball card pull made waves at Lincoln Center, and the short-term rental market saw both an opening and a closing in the same week.

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If you've been paying attention to Radcliff over the past few months, you've noticed the momentum building. This week, Nate Bryan confirmed it's not slowing down.

The big news is a double play — Nate's words — of sub shops headed to Radcliff. Jersey Mike's is setting up in the former bank building next to Radcliff City Hall on West Lincoln Trail. Landscaping has already started. The franchisee is reportedly the same owner as the Elizabethtown location, though no opening date has been announced. Britten, who lives in Radcliff, couldn't remember exactly which bank it used to be — "I think it was federal, maybe farmers" — but confirmed the location is right in front of the U-Haul on West Lincoln Trail. There's been some speculation about whether they'll use the old bank drive-through for orders. "I think that would be a good idea if they could," Nate said.

On the same day, Bass Group Commercial announced a Firehouse Subs lease at 990 S. Dixie Blvd in the Pizza Hut Shopping Center. Renovations may have already started at the Radcliff location, which could mean it opens before the second Firehouse Subs location already announced near Publix in Elizabethtown. Hardin County is getting two Firehouse locations. "We used to have one on Dixie in E-town," Nate noted. "It closed and was replaced by Wingstop."

When you stack Jersey Mike's and Firehouse on top of the Wingstop, Dairy Queen, Wawa, and General Fo's already in the pipeline for Radcliff, the picture is clear. "Radcliff's food game is about to ramp up pretty quick," Nate said. Rachel asked what's driving all the activity, and the answers from Nate and Scott were complementary. Nate pointed to Elizabethtown's saturation — investors are smart enough to see opportunity where there's less competition and room to create demand. Scott, fresh off winning the RSBA Innovation Award for helping triple their membership, added that the Radcliff Small Business Alliance's newcomer events at Fort Knox bring a steady flow of new residents. And Nate noted that Radcliff is fundamentally a lunch town — people coming on and off the post need quick-service options, which is exactly what these restaurants provide.

The food truck scene is growing too. Two new sweet-focused mobile operations are on the way. Kuddies on Wheels is the mobile version of Kuddies Soda Shop, which operates downtown as part of Social on Main. That's Cameron's business expanding into a mobile format. And The Creamery Cart is a rolled ice cream trailer launched by Kayla Christ of Digital Solutions in Radcliff and Paul from the former Showtime Cinemas and Showtime Haunted House. The trailer hasn't arrived yet, but they'll be on the road soon. "There's not too many of those around," Nate said of rolled ice cream operations in the area.

In collector news, a one-of-one Shohei Ohtani autograph card was pulled at the sports card shop in Lincoln Center. For non-collectors, that means it's the only card of that type that exists in the entire set — a massive deal for both the shop and the person who pulled it. "This is the second special card they've had pulled already," Nate shared. "When they say pull, it means you got a special card."

On the lodging front, Vine Grove has a new bed and breakfast called The Stoddard House. Nate is planning to visit. At the same time, the Taylor Swift-themed Airbnb in Elizabethtown is closing down. It had been featured on WDRB and Nate did a full video walkthrough when it was active. Rachel offered some real estate perspective: "We see the churn quite often where something hits for a little bit and then evolves into something different. The ones that are in the nicest locations and have the biggest amenities are rising to the top." If you're a Swifty, the owners are selling their Taylor Swift decorations — reach out to them if you want a piece.

Pete from Radcliff tipped Nate about Jersey Mike's, and the Firehouse Subs news came from someone sharing the Bass Group Commercial post. As Nate put it, "A lot of this stuff, people send me. There's no way I could possibly know everything." If you've got business news, a new opening, a closure, or a rumor worth tracking down, reach out to Nate or drop it in the comments at HardinLocal.com.