What's coming in 2024? Here are 6 of Louisville's most anticipated restaurant openings

Whether you're a foodie, a fan of sweet treats, or a craft beer lover, there's plenty to look forward to in 2024.

Louisville is set to gain several new restaurants in the coming months, including two breweries, a Butchertown bar, and a ramen restaurant in the Highlands.

Plus, Hi-Five Doughnuts is slated to make its long-awaited return. Read on for details about some of the most anticipated openings of 2024.

Heard

1601 Story Ave., opening Spring 2024

A new bar and restaurant, called Heard, is expected to open within the next few months in the space formerly occupied by Gold Bar.

The bar, as its name suggests, will pay homage to the service industry, according to co-owner Kristin Grubb.

She and her husband, Brian Grubb, began the project at 1601 Story Ave. with a different theme for the bar, which was previously going to be called The Sphinx.

They have since changed the concept, inspired by “the one word that truly unites the front and back of the house during service and beyond,” Grubb told the Courier Journal.

“With the kitchen open as late as the bar, the vibe will be energetic, offering a fusion of burritos, ramen, quick bites, and other handheld options at an affordable price,” she said. “You know, the things we all crave late at night or after a long shift.”

Grubb said she hopes Heard relates to anyone who has worked in the service industry. The menu will feature nods to that with weekly specials called “family meal” and a signature cocktail, called “NCNS… No Call No Show.”

The owners hope to open in early spring. Currently, the building is “undergoing a redesign and facelift,” said Grubb. The space will feature murals created by Louisville-based muralist Kacy Jackson.

“We’re really having fun with the concept,” Grubb said.

Hi-Five Doughnuts

1940 Harvard Drive, opening January 2024 

For those fixing for something sweet from Hi-Five Doughnuts, your wait is almost over. Hi-Five closed its Butchertown space in Nov. 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 doughnut shop’s new home in the Highlands has been in the works for over a year.

“The new space is rolling right along,” Hi-Five posted recently on Facebook. “We are shooting for a January 2024 opening date.”

Hop Atomica

1318 McHenry St., opening in early 2024

At Hop Atomica, you won’t have to choose between a craft beer or a craft cocktail. The brewery, distillery, and pizzeria is slated to open in early 2024, according to owners Paul Berrier and Kenneth Suchower. The 4,500-square-foot space at 1318 McHenry St. is on the same property as the Germantown Mill Lofts and includes an outdoor patio that will serve as a beer garden.

Along with roughly 20 rotating beers on tap, Hop Atomica will offer its own spirits, craft cocktails, Kentucky-made wine, and a variety of pizzas.

“It’s really cool to know as our daughters get older, we’re going to have something to share with them,” Berrier previously told the Courier Journal. “We definitely think we’re going to bring something different to the community.”

If you search Hop Atomica online, you might find a result for a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. That’s because Berrier and Suchower partnered with the owners of that Georgia-based Hop Atomica to open their version of the concept.

Kiwami Ramen

1700 Bardstown Road, opening early 2024

The sign for Kiwami Ramen on Bardstown Road has been up for months where the Wild Ginger Sushi Bistro, an Asian fusion restaurant in Deer Park, once stood. Kiwami Ramen initially targeted a December opening date, however, a sizable remodel is still underway. Co-owner Duy Tran estimates the renovation will cost $500,000.

“Right now, our construction is projected to be completed in January, barring any more delays,” co-owner Duy Tran recently told the Courier Journal.

Kiwami Ramen is expected to open by February, he said.

Tran teamed up with his brother, Duc, to open Kiwami and bring “something really authentic” to their hometown of Louisville, he previously said.

Kiwami’s executive chef, Ame Tani, has made ramen in Japan for over 20 years. The restaurant’s broth will be something special, Tran said, as it takes about 20 hours to cook.

The Sake a Go Go

620 E. Market St., opening Spring 2024 

After a slight delay, a new sushi restaurant is expected to open in Nulu within a few months.

The Sake a Go Go is the latest project from Kevin Grangier, who owns Le Moo, The Village Anchor and Grassa Gramma Italian Restaurant under the Belle Noble Entertainment Group, LLC.

Grangier told the Courier Journal that such a concept has long been on his bucket list.

The 3,500-square-foot Japanese restaurant takes inspiration from Whisky a Go Go, a nightclub on the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles. The eatery, in the former Toast on Market space, will have a full bar and offer around 200 variations of sake, as Grangier said.

Sake a Go Go, a tribute to the iconic Whisky a Go Go on West Hollywood, California’s Sunset Strip, will offer 175 seats and four dining rooms. The space includes an eight-person private omakase room, a sushi bar run by three sushi chefs and a 16-seat sake and Japanese bourbon bar, the centerpiece of which showcases an intricately hand-carved 6-foot stone Buddha.

The restaurant’s menu will feature “Japanese-sourced proteins,” and ingredients will be flown in daily, Grangier told the Courier Journal.

“I want to move the guest somewhere unknown," Grangier said. "It is both my greatest challenge and my responsibility as a restaurateur."

Trellis Brewing

827 Logan St., opening in 2024

A new 7,500-square-foot brewery and taproom is scheduled to open within the next few months in Louisville's Smoketown neighborhood.

Trellis Brewing will open in a former office space at 827 Logan St., which has been unoccupied for many years.

Owners Kyle Jahn and Ryan Reed previously expected Trellis would open by the end of 2023, but a recent update on Facebook says the opening date is a few months away.

“There's a lot more work to get done over the next few months before we're ready to serve you a delicious beverage, but we're excited about the progress so far,” the post read.

The brewery will “focus on grain-forward, clean lagers to highlight the unique flavor of Kentucky-grown barley, rye, and wheat through a partnership with South Fork Malthouse (Cynthiana, KY), along with other modern IPAs and stouts,” stated a previous press release.

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

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Restaurants, breweries, bars opening in Louisville in 2024