A Lexington-based specialty dessert brand is coming to the Phoenix Hill neighborhood.
The crepe-based café Shake n Crave is opening its first Louisville location at 650 Baxter Ave., according to city records. The new restaurant will be located between Carali’s Rotisserie Chicken and Lexington-based Goodfellas Pizzeria.
The Shake n Crave menu features a wide variety of food and drink options, including shakes, coffee and non-alcoholic drinks. The crepes and waffles come with toppings like Oreo, Biscoff, Kinder Bueno and pistachio.
The first Shake n Crave location is at 535 S. Upper St. near the University of Kentucky campus. The concept was launched in 2024 by brothers Ahmed Yousef and Mahmoud Yousef along with their cousin Mahmoud Abu Alhaj and friend Khaled Alsaid.
Louisville Business First reached out to Shake n Crave for more details on the new location, but the message was not immediately returned.
The new Louisville restaurant is going into a multi-use complex at the corner of Broadway and Baxter Avenue owned by Louisville Baxter Apartments LLC.
The complex is home to Century Baxter Apartments (formerly Baxter Apartments) and several businesses. It is the former home of the Phoenix Hill Tavern.
Asheville, North Carolina-based Hi-Wire Brewing closed its 5,500-square-foot taproom in the complex in October. Prior to the opening of the taproom, Hi-Wire had distributed its beer in the Louisville area for four years.
The commercial property is leased by TRIO Commercial Property.
LBF previously reported on the former Bader’s Food Mart at 1248 E. Broadway, across the street from the Century Baxter Apartments, reopening as a Rockets convenience store and Shell gas station.
Goodfellas Pizzeria called off plans for the Bader’s site in early 2019 before moving to its current location.
By Michael L. Jones – Reporter, Louisville Business First
Mar 24, 2026
