Carmichael s has been in business in Louisville for more than 30 years. It was started in April of 1978 by Carol Besse and Michael Boggs (the store name is a combination of their first names), and has been owned and operated by them ever since. It is a family business in the best tradition. As the business grew, so did the number of family members involved, and the staff now includes a second generation.Carmichael s original store was located at 1582 Bardstown Road at the corner of Bonnycastle. In 1978 the Bardstown Road strip was desolate, a far cry from the lively corridor of cool shops and interesting restaurants it is today, having barely recovered from the devastating 1974 tornado. The only people out on the street to greet the staff some mornings were men queued up to sell blood at the Plasma Alliance. In 1983, the store moved to its present location at 1295 Bardstown Road. Sales were steady but in 1995 Heine Brothers Coffee opened their first location in the same building, and a year later Ramsi s Cafe on the World opened next door. Carmichael s corner at Bardstown Rd and Longest became one of the liveliest spots in the entire city. The synergy created by the dense cluster of shops and restaurants in the vicinity made that stretch of Bardstown Road a destination for the entire region.