Endeavor Louisville led 18 Endeavor Entrepreneurs from 10 countries on an F&B tour of the city this week, featuring site visits, panels and discussions with Endeavor Louisville board members, as well as other business leaders, involved in the industry. The tour provided an opportunity for these industry icons to deliver firsthand knowledge to Endeavor Entrepreneurs about scaling up, going big, and winning in the industry.

Known by outsiders as the home of the Kentucky Derby, the city of Louisville offers so much more than horse racing. Louisville is an F&B mecca, home to more than 125 F&B companies that employ over 15,000 individuals and are responsible for over $23 billion in revenue. The Board of Endeavor Louisville is highly representative of the city’s strong F&B and CPG landscape. Most have started, led, or grown multi-billion dollar global companies and brands.

Over the course of the two-day tour, entrepreneurs and staff toured the Papa John’s headquarters; the kitchen at Chef Space, Louisville’s first kitchen incubator; the Texas Roadhouse headquarters; a Thornton’s Gas & Food Mart; and the kitchen of Bubba’s 33. Panels and discussions featured F&B Industry leaders from Endeavor Louisville’s board, including Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter, Manna Inc. President Ryan Bridgeman, Texas Roadhouse Founder and CEO Kent Taylor, Thornton’s, Inc., CEO Matt Thornton, as well as other experts from the Louisville community. Entrepreneurs also indulged in the local fare, with a fresh Farm to Fork dinner with the Endeavor Louisville community.