The GOAT is (mostly) reopened in Carmel. Here's why.

Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·5 min read

If you didn't know the GOAT, the once-controversial Carmel bar, has opened again, that's not an accident. Nearly two years after it closed, the Midtown bar quietly reopened in late March.

There were no announcements on social media and hardly any effort to attract the crowds that flocked to The GOAT (Greatest of All Taverns) in 2020, which led to multiple complaints from neighbors. With the COVID-19 pandemic and a months-long back-and-forth with Carmel's Board of Zoning Appeals in the rearview mirror, The GOAT now seeks a fresh start.

Before the reopening: The GOAT timeline of events

Why The GOAT closed

In August 2020, The GOAT opened in the former home of Bub's Café at 220 2nd St. SW in a primarily residential area along the Monon Trail. A zoning variance had allowed Bub's to operate in the residential zone but required that it close by 2 p.m. daily. The GOAT owner Kevin Paul, who also owns Brockway Pub, Danny Boy Beer Works and the upcoming Boneyard Bar and Restaurant in Carmel, said before The GOAT opened that the city had a plan to rezone the property. Paul declined to comment further for this story.

Carmel initially overlooked the zoning variance, inadvertently allowing The GOAT to stay open until 3 a.m. However, after neighbors complained of excessive noise, littering, and urination on private property, in December 2020 the city enforced the 2 p.m. closing time.

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Dan McFeely, a spokesperson for The GOAT, said an influx of patrons from Marion County — which had significantly stricter pandemic-related regulations on bars than Hamilton County at the time — contributed to the rowdy crowds and public disturbances.

"I'm not disparaging people from out of town," he said. "I'm just saying that with only a few places open, it was bound to get very crowded, if not maybe even overcrowded."

The bar began closing at 2 p.m. Days later, The Goat reached an agreement with the city of Carmel allowing it to remain open until 11 p.m.

While complaints from neighbors decreased over the following months, the Carmel Zoning Board of Appeals decided at an April 26, 2021 meeting to deny variances that would have loosened restrictions on the tavern. Faced with the threat of being shut down if it violated one of several commitments — including a maximum occupancy of 80 based on the number of toilets at the establishment — The GOAT voluntarily shuttered shortly after the zoning meeting.

An American flag and a goat flag fly in the air outside The GOAT bar on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Carmel, Indiana.
An American flag and a goat flag fly in the air outside The GOAT bar on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Carmel, Indiana.

The road to reopening

In May 2021, Paul filed a complaint in Hamilton County Superior Court. The GOAT received a new hearing when Superior Court Judge Jonathan Brown vacated the Board of Zoning Appeals' decision because it was rendered without a public meeting. Paul and his partners proposed plans to rezone The GOAT's property to the Carmel Planning Commission. The plan moved through multiple City Council committees, ultimately receiving approval to reopen at a March 7, 2022, meeting on a 7-to-1 vote.

The GOAT's owners and the city agreed to several stipulations for the bar to reopen, including:

  • Establishing and maintaining a neighborhood hotline.

  • Having no outdoor speakers

  • Ending outdoor food and bar service daily at 7 p.m. with removal of all outside patrons from the bar’s patio by 7:45 p.m.

  • Ending alcohol service at 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday

Despite the burden of City Council proceedings and regulations, McFeely said Paul didn't strongly consider moving The GOAT elsewhere. He said Paul saw the influx of young professionals working and living in Carmel as motivation to reopen.

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"(Paul) held strong to the fact that he has a great place and he provides something that this area needed," McFeely said. "(Carmel's) corporate employers, they need young people, and young people are going to go where they can enjoy their life. We want them to stay here, and part of that strategy is to give them places like this."

Since the soft opening, McFeely said the GOAT hasn't heard any protest from neighboring residents or businesses.

"We want to work with the city, that's the biggest thing," McFeely said. "We got that done, and we're ready to go now. We're here for the long haul."

What's new at The GOAT?

The GOAT reopened March 21 with virtually no fanfare announcing its return. McFeely said Paul hoped patrons would trickle back in while the tavern hired staff and ensured the kitchen runs properly.

In accordance with the city's limitations on late-night outdoor guests, the tavern has enclosed a section of its patio. McFeely said the indoor extension, set to open in June, will feature a separate menu with more upscale dining and drinking options, though the menu is still in the works. Meanwhile, the main bar menu has expanded beyond pub staples to include higher-end items like steak medallions for around $20.

The GOAT's grand reopening will be May 4. There will be live music and food and drink specials, McFeely said, with the possible appearance of some live goats.

Reporters Brittany Carloni, John Tuohy, Kaitlin Lange and Natalia Contreras contributed to this story.

Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @bradleyhohulin.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: The GOAT is (mostly) back in Carmel. Here's why.