New year, new restaurants: 5 places opening in January in Louisville

Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal
·4 min read

Let's welcome in the new year with some new restaurants. Several places are expected to open in January, including a new location of a beloved doughnut shop, a downtown bar, and a Korean barbecue restaurant.

Read on for details about what's coming to Louisville this month.

Know of a restaurant opening in November that we missed? Let me know at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

Hi-Five Doughnuts

1940 Harvard Drive, hifivedoughnuts.com

Hi-Five Doughnuts is expected to open in early 2024 at 1940 Harvard Drive.
Hi-Five Doughnuts is expected to open in early 2024 at 1940 Harvard Drive.

It’s been a long time without Hi-Five Doughnuts. The popular doughnut shop launched in 2012 and grew from tent to truck to tiny brick-and-mortar before it seemingly outgrew its Butchertown building. Hi-Five closed its Butchertown space in November 2022, saying on social media, "This was not a decision within our control, so please be patient as we transition into our new home."

The new home, a much bigger space on Harvard Drive in the Highlands, has been in the works for over a year. According to a recent update on Hi-Five’s Facebook, you should be able to get one of its sweet treats again soon.

“The new space is rolling right along,” reads the post. “We are shooting for a January 2024 opening date.”

Hop Atomica

1318 McHenry St., yelp.com/biz/hop-atomica-louisville

Paul Berrier and Kenneth Suchower have teamed up to open Hop Atomica, a brewery, distillery and wood-fired pizzeria.
Paul Berrier and Kenneth Suchower have teamed up to open Hop Atomica, a brewery, distillery and wood-fired pizzeria.

Work is hopping right along at Hop Atomica, which will serve as a craft brewery, distillery and pizzeria all in one Germantown spot.

Louisville native Paul Berrier, and Kenneth Suchower, who grew up in Georgia, have teamed up to bring Hop Atomica, which has one other original location in Savannah Georgia, to Louisville.

The 4,500-square-foot space has undergone plenty of renovations and includes an outdoor beer garden.

Hop Atomica, a craft brewery which will also distill its own spirits and serve woodfired pizza, is set to open in November at 1318 McHenry St. in Germantown.
Hop Atomica, a craft brewery which will also distill its own spirits and serve woodfired pizza, is set to open in November at 1318 McHenry St. in Germantown.

The eatery shares a name with the Hop Atomica in Savannah, but Berrier and Suchower said they have “full creative license” of the menu and options will change up option, as they previously told the Courier Journal.

“We really wanted to leverage Savannah’s experience,” Berrier previously said, including the experience of its master brewer, Smith Matthews. “They’ve got all of this expertise on the brewing side. It just made sense.”

The Misfit Lou

119 S. 7th St., misfitlou.com

The Misfit Lou is set to open in late September, bringing new life to the site of a former sandwich shop and jazz club in downtown Louisville.
The Misfit Lou is set to open in late September, bringing new life to the site of a former sandwich shop and jazz club in downtown Louisville.

You can already get a glimpse into The Misfit Lou by visiting its basement bar, The Hereafter, which the owners described as "our late 19th century-inspired cocktail parlor, with some tribute to New Orleans, that will feature live jazz, blues, bluegrass acts along with film nights."

For now, patrons enter the bar via a street-level office lobby elevator. The speakeasy vibes will ease up when The Misfit Lou, a craft beer and sandwich shop, fully opens and visitors can access The Hereafter by simply going down the staircase in the back of the restaurant.

The Misfit Lou is expected to open after a months-long renovation mostly done by owners Martin Svab and Ryan Hughes-Svab. The Hereafter aims to be an old-school cocktail parlor with a stage for live music and other events.

Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot

1803 Bardstown Road, facebook.com

Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot is expected to open in November at 1803 Bardstown Road.
Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot is expected to open in November at 1803 Bardstown Road.

The opening date for Top 1 Korean BBQ & Hotpot has once again been pushed back. Top 1 is expected to open on Jan. 6, an employee told the Courier Journal when a reporter recently called the establishment at 1803 Bardstown Road.

The restaurant and bar, specializing in all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue and hot pot dishes, will take over The Bard's Town location, which closed in early 2023. The opening date, as seen on Google, has been pushed back a few times in recent months.

WNB Factory

1019 Bardstown Road, 10224 Taylorsville Road, wnbfactory.com

This Atlanta-based wings and burger chain opened two locations right at the end of 2023, one in the Highlands at 1019 Bardstown Road in the space that previously held La Que, and a second at 10224 Taylorsville Road, according to its website.

WNB Factory was founded in 1997 by two friends, Troy Pyo and Shin Kang. The chain now has dozens of franchise locations in Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Texas and Ohio, the Courier Journal previously reported.

WNB serves certified Angus beef steakburgers on brioche buns or pretzel buns, and signature craft burgers including a Teryaki-glazed Hawaiian burger, onion ring bacon burger, Korean-style barbecue burger, and mushroom burger. There are also turkey burgers, a vegetable burger, and an Impossible burger.

WNB Factory offers 24 flavors of wings in orders of six, eight, 10, 12, 18, 30, 60, and 100 pieces, plus combo meals, chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, cheesesteaks, fried rice, salads, sides and shakes.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: January restaurant openings in Louisville: Hi-Five Doughnuts, Top 1