Tour Groups, Buses & Happy Hours At Claudia Sanders Dinner House

A tour group or happy hour gathering at Claudia Sanders Dinner House brings a group together for scratch-made Southern food in a warm, character-filled setting. For tour buses, we customize a menu to suit any group size, and for after-work gatherings, appetizer and drink packages are available for groups of all sizes.

The venue's heritage — founded in 1968 beside the historic Blackwood Hall home — gives the visit a sense of place, and the Kentucky horse-country décor and fireplaces make the setting feel distinctive. Tour groups traveling through Kentucky often stop in Shelbyville for a meal that feels like part of the journey rather than a generic roadside stop.

Menus are customized to the group and can include a seated meal, a buffet, or an appetizer-and-drinks reception. The full bar serves beer, wine, and cocktails, and homemade pies and cobblers are available for dessert. Bus parking is on site, and the staff is ready to welcome a group arriving together.

Group visits here suit tour buses traveling through Kentucky, organizations planning a group outing, and workplaces hosting a happy hour. It works for both a busload of travelers stopping for a meal and a department gathering for appetizers and drinks after work. The private rooms keep the group contained, and the customizable menus scale to any size.

Groups from Louisville, Southern Indiana, and across Kentucky often choose Shelbyville for a central gathering point. The venue welcomes large groups and tour buses, and the divisible Colonel's Quarters means a 60-person happy hour and a 400-person tour group meal both fit without the room feeling empty or overcrowded.

Choose a room based on your group size and whether you want a seated meal or a standing reception.

For a tour group, the Kentucky Room (up to 150) or the Colonel's Quarters (up to 450) can hold a busload or several buses at once. For a happy hour, the Thoroughbred or Saddlebred Room (up to 55 each) suits a smaller department, while the larger rooms accommodate a bigger gathering. The divisible layout lets us fit the group comfortably.

We offer several service formats so the visit matches your group and the time of day.

A buffet is the most popular choice for a tour group — it scales easily for a large guest list and lets travelers serve themselves at their own pace. An appetizer-and-drinks reception is the natural choice for a happy hour, with passed and stationed bites and a full bar. A seated meal also works for a more structured group visit.

Menus draw from the same scratch-made Southern food served in the dining room — fried chicken, sugar-cured Kentucky country ham, the Kentucky Hot Brown, chicken livers, steaks and chops, eight family-style vegetables, and homemade pies. See the full menu and the carry-out menu for the dishes that can anchor your event.

The full bar serves beer, wine, and cocktails, with beverage service priced by the drink or by the bottle. Appetizer and drink packages are available for groups of all sizes, and homemade pies and cobblers are available for dessert.

Bring your buses — we customize a menu for any group size, and parking is on site. Tour groups traveling through Kentucky often stop in Shelbyville for a meal that feels like part of the journey, and the staff is ready to welcome a group arriving together. Let us know the bus count and the group size so we can plan the parking, the seating, and the meal service.

Because the venue sits beside the historic Blackwood Hall home in Kentucky horse country, a tour group meal here comes with a story — the restaurant was founded in 1968 by Colonel Harland Sanders and his wife Claudia, and the setting carries that heritage. It is a stop that feels like more than a meal.

We can time the meal service so a group arriving by bus sits down to a ready table without a long wait, and the buffet format lets travelers eat at their own pace before the bus moves on.

Planning starts with a call to (502) 633-5600 or a message through the contact form. Tell us the group type, your date, group size, and any food preferences, and we will help you choose a room and build a menu.

Because every event is customized, we do not publish per-person pricing online. Tell us your date, guest count, and the style of service you want, and we will send menu options and pricing. There is no obligation, and we are happy to walk through the rooms and the menu before you decide.

For a tour bus visit, let us know the bus count and the arrival time so we can plan the parking, the seating, and the meal service. For a happy hour, tell us the group size and the timing so we can arrange the appetizers and the bar.

Before the visit, confirm your group size, menu selections, and the arrival time. If the group is arriving by bus, let us know the bus count so we can plan the parking and the seating.

• ✓We customize a menu for any group size.
• ✓Bus parking is on site.
• ✓Our staff sets up the room, the meal, and the bar.
• ✓Appetizer and drink packages are available for happy hours.
• ✓Homemade pies and cobblers are available for dessert.

On the day, our team handles service and cleanup so the group can focus on the meal and the visit. The private room keeps the group separate from the dining room, giving the travelers or the happy hour party space to gather together.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House is at 3202 Shelbyville Rd (U.S. 60), Shelbyville, Kentucky 40065, east of Louisville. Guests from Louisville, Southern Indiana, and across Kentucky often gather here, and the Kentucky horse-country setting gives the occasion a sense of place. Parking is on site, and tour buses are welcome.

Claudia Sanders Dinner House is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 AM to 8 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 8 AM to 8 PM, with breakfast served on weekends. The venue is closed Monday and Tuesday. Holiday hours may differ — call (502) 633-5600 to confirm.

Tour group visits most often take place on a weekday or weekend within our posted hours — Wednesday through Sunday. Happy hours often follow a workday, so evening gatherings are common, and the venue's hours give flexibility for an after-work reception.

Receptions are based on a per-person price for food, beverage by the drink or bottle, and any other special services requested, with a minimum of 50 guests. A Basic Reception includes skirted service tables with serving equipment, china or glass plates, forks, napkins, and tables and chairs for your guests. All other services are at an additional charge.

For group visits below the 50-guest reception minimum, ask about a private-room meal or happy hour with an appetizer-and-drinks package — we can often host smaller groups with a reserved room and a customized menu.