Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
The owners of The GOAT tavern in Carmel have reopened the restaurant and bar nearly three years after it closed following complaints from neighboring residents.
Dan McFeely, a spokesperson for The GOAT, or Greatest of All Taverns, said the Midtown business quietly reopened March 21 and will hold a grand reopening event May 4.
“Just from an entertainment perspective, there’s a brand-new menu, brand-new drink menu, better quality of food than before,” McFeely said.
The GOAT, owned by Kevin and Megan Paul at 220 2nd St. SW, will also feature a 2,940-square-foot addition to the existing 2,300-square-foot building. McFeely said the Pauls expect to open the addition in June.
The additions will include a new restaurant area with 87 seats—reduced from an original plan for 124 additional seats—and six more restroom stalls. The expansion does not include an outdoor seating area. The current building has 70 seats combined between the interior and patio areas.
New entrances and exits will also be situated away from the nearby residential area.
The GOAT opened in August 2020 at the former site of Bub’s Cafe, which had long catered to breakfast and lunch crowds. Within months, the city began receiving complaints about noise, public urination and intoxication, littering, vomiting, trespassing and other nuisance activities outside the bar.
Former Mayor Jim Brainard said at a December 2020 City Council meeting that Bub’s Cafe was granted a variance in March 2007 to operate in an area adjacent to neighborhoods. When The GOAT moved in, the variance assigned to that property was transferred to the new business.
Brainard told the council the city’s staff failed to notice that the variance only granted restaurant operations until 2 p.m. The GOAT’s official hours were 3 p.m. to 1 a.m., but it sometimes stayed open until as late as 3 a.m.
The city instituted a set of temporary restrictions meant to address the issues, physical improvements to the building and plans for additional restrooms to be built.
However, the Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals effectively forced The GOAT to close in April 2021 when it denied Kevin Paul an updated use ordinance that would have allowed for the continued operation of the bar.
The Carmel City Council in March 2023 approved a request to rezone the property from residential to business to allow The GOAT to reopen.
The bar’s owners will now be required to end outdoor service by 7 p.m. and move all patrons indoors by 7:45 p.m. Alcohol service will end at 11:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by 12:45 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The GOAT will also be prohibited from having outdoor speakers and be required to establish and maintain a neighborhood hotline.
“During our temporary closure, we took the opportunity to enhance our services, revamp our menu, and collaborate with the city resolving any issues that arose during the COVID pandemic a few years ago,” Kevin and Megan Paul said in written remarks. “We are grateful for the support we have received during our expansion and would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all those who have stood by us.”
The Pauls also own Brockway Pub and Danny Boy Beer Works in Carmel. The grand reopening event on May 4 is expected to include live music, food and drink specials and a meet-and-greet with a live goat.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Awesome news. I personally can’t wait to cause a scene and get rowdy at 3am here, then spill out onto the Monon and into the quiet neighborhood nearby.
maybe you should read the article before commenting.