NKY dining rewind: restaurants that opened in 2024

Lots of changes happened in the Northern Kentucky dining scene this year, and LINK has been working to keep up with all of them. This year, we reported on 25 new openings that ranged from restaurants and bars to coffee shops to a butcher, a bakery and more. Find out what’s new in NKY dining: Rickhouse at the Derby A Newport bourbon bar, Rickhouse at the Derby, opened in late winter.

The bar, located in the former home of The Boardroom, is the brainchild of Dallas Seagraves, the owner of Blaze Cigar Lounge and Bar in Newport. The bar offers an extensive bourbon collection, private barrel picks, beer and cocktails, and will serve food and desserts from The Purple Poulet next door. Rickhouse at the Derby is located at 844 York Street in Newport.



Jersey Mike’s Subs Alexandria Jersey Mike’s Subs has opened a new storefront inside the Village Green Shopping Center at 6925 Alexandria Pike. The new location was previously occupied by RadioShack, a now defunct electronic retail chain. Jersey Mike’s Subs location in Alexandria is at 6925 Alexandria Pike.

Tienda Tipicos This spring, Esperanza Domingo and her husband Rafael opened Tienda Tipicos Esperanza in Covington to sell hand-stitched clothes and Hispanic food items. The store is divided into two sections, one for clothing retail and the other for a convenience store. The store is designed to support Covington’s growing Hispanic population, and the community has responded positively to the new business.

Tienda Tipicos is located at 1930 Madison Ave. KungBrew Café KungBrew Café, an Asian-inspired café in Covington, opened its doors in April. The café offers coffee, bubble tea, and traditional gongfu-style tea in a historic home.

Regular hours are Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.

m. and 7:30 a.m.

to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with the shop closed on Mondays.

The café is located at 640 Main St. in Covington. Fort Wright Dunkin’ Donuts The Fort Wright Dunkin’ officially opened in May.

The location was previously a SubStation II, which closed in April of 2023. The Fort Wright Dunkin’ location is at 1826 Dixie Highway. Spare-Time Grill The iconic Spare-Time Grill in Alexandria, which opened in 1958, reopened this summer under new ownership.

The Copley family, who have roots in the restaurant, are planning to keep the look of the building while making minor renovations. They’re serving American diner food, including the popular “Spare Burger” and soft-serve ice cream. The Copleys reopened the spot with the intention of giving the community back the beloved Spare-Time.

Spare-Time Grill is located at 7807 Alexandria Pike in Alexandria. Crumbl Cookies Newport Crumbl Cookies, a popular bakery chain, opened its first Northern Kentucky location in Newport this May. Delivery is available through the Crumbl App, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.

Curbside pickup is available via the Crumbl App or online at crumblcookies.com. Crumbl Cookies Newport location is at 1313 A Monmouth Street.

Walton Cattleman’s Roadhouse Catch up on the week's top headlines every Saturday morning Sign up Cattleman’s Roadhouse, a steakhouse franchise, has opened its new location in Walton. The restaurant is the franchise’s 10th location, with nine in Kentucky and one in Indiana. The franchise’s first location was opened in Shelbyville in 2006 by Bill Hisle and Stuart Meredith.

The Walton location is at 12910 Frogtown Connector Road. Covington Bridges Nepali Bridges Nepali Cuisine has opened a new location in Covington, offering a taste of Nepali cuisine. The restaurant has four locations, with three and Cincinnati and the Covington one being the first to open in Northern Kentucky.

Bridges Nepali’s Covington location is at 11 W. 7th St. Elliott Coffee Elliott Coffee, a new coffee shop located in an old gas station in Dayton, officially opened in July.

The shop offers a range of drinks, including espresso, matcha, tea, and locally-sourced honey. The co-owners, Elijah and Isabelle Knapp, originally from central Ohio, moved to Cincinnati in 2020 and fell in love with Northern Kentucky. They launched a crowdfunding campaign in May and were fully funded with 210 people raising $18,833.

The shop aims to create a friendly neighborhood hospitality spot where people can get a high-end coffee experience in a chill environment. Elliot Coffee is located at 825 6th Ave., Dayton.

The GOAT Bar The GOAT Bar, co-founded by Matt Johnson, opened in Latonia this July. The bar is named after the acronym for ‘Greatest Of All Time’ and Johnson’s affinity for the animal, and features all the classics, including live music, dart boards, televisions, charity machines, a Golden Tee machine and KENO. The GOAT is located at 3702 Huntington Ave, Latonia.

By Golly’s Covington By Golly’s, a Cincinnati-based chain, opened its Covington location in September in the former Keystone Bar and Grill location. The restaurant is owned by Sizemore Holdings. It offers a laid-back atmosphere and classic American fare.

By Golly’s Covington is located at 313 Greenup St. Revival Vintage Bottle Shop Revival Vintage Bottle Shop opened its new location in North by Hotel Covington in September after two years of planning and a lawsuit. The store, which sells vintage bourbon bottles, is a significant addition to Covington’s bourbon culture and has been featured in well-known publications such as Conde Naste and the New York Times.

The new location comprises three floors, with the first and second floors open to the public and the third floor still under construction. The store offers patrons the opportunity to try vintage spirits that can be over 100 years old. Revival Vintage Bottle Shop is located at 614 Madison Ave.

, Covington. Mama Pompilio’s Kitchen Pompilio’s, a well-known Italian restaurant from Newport, opened a new location at The Party Source in Bellevue in September. The new location, called Mama Pompilio’s Kitchen, offers flatbread pizzas, Italian sandwiches, risotto balls, Italian sausage, meatballs and more.

Mama Pompilio’s Kitchen is located inside Party Source at 95 Riviera Dr., Bellevue. French Toast Heaven French Toast Heaven, a restaurant specializing in comfort food, expanded into Northern Kentucky with a second location at 921 Monmouth St.

in Newport in September. The restaurant, which is the brainchild of Executive Chef and Owner Kevin “Chef Maurice” Jordan, is known for its breakfast, brunch, and lunch offerings. French Toast Heaven’s Newport location is at 921 Monmouth.

Just Love Coffee Cafe Just Love Coffee Cafe has opened its doors in Independence this October, marking the second location in Greater Cincinnati. The coffee franchise offers a variety of drinks, artisanal waffles, wraps, omelets and waffled sandwiches. Love Coffee Cafe’s Independence location is at 6455 Taylor Mill Road.

Carmelo’s Restauranteur Billy Grise and his business partner Mitch Arens opened Carmelo’s, an American Italian restaurant in Covington, on Nov. 5. The restaurant is named after Grise’s great-grandfather, Carmelo Caserta, who owned an Italian eatery in Piqua, Ohio.

The menu includes family-style Italian dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, and an extensive wine selection imported from Italy. The restaurant is located in a former office building and required extensive renovations to transform it into a restaurant. Carmelo’s is located at Madison Avenue and E.

5th Street in Covington. Rekas Butchery and Delicatessen Rekas Butchery and Delicatessen, a new butcher and deli owned by Shelbi Nation and her wife Ashley, opened its doors in Covington on Nov. 13.

The shop, named after Shelbi’s great-grandmother, is a tribute to her as it has been her lifelong dream since she was a little girl. The deli offers a small menu of sandwiches, housemade salads, and more, while the butcher side offers prime ribeyes, filets, Wagyu brisket, local pork, and tons of marinated meat options. Rekas is located at 401 Scott St.

in Covington. Better Blend Highland Heights Better Blend new quick-service, high-protein smoothie bar took over the former St. Elizabeth Express Care.

The local chain officially opened its Highland Heights location in November. The proposed location will join other Better Blend Franchises that have popped up across Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. The Better Blend Highland Heights location is at 2891 Alexandria Way.

Tulum Kitchen and Bar Tulum Kitchen and Bar opened on Nov. 22 in Bellevue, taking over the previous Nomad location on Fairfield Avenue. The restaurant describes its cuisine as authentic regional Mexican food.

Tulum is located at 225 Fairfield Ave. in Bellevue. Union Commons Braxton Brewing Company is returning to its roots with a new development in Union Commons, less than a quarter mile from where the brewery began.

Opened in late November, the development features a two-story brick-and-mortar brewery and a 20,000-square-foot communal green space called The Lawn, adjacent to Dewey’s Pizza and Graeter’s Ice Cream. Union Commons is located at 8905 US-42 in Union. Breadsmith Breadsmith, an artisan bread and sweets shop, officially opened its doors in Bellevue on Dec.

3. The store offers a variety of breads, pastries, and other baked goods and is open from Monday to Sunday. The store also offers a variety of drinks and pastries.

Breadsmith is located at 315 Fairfield Ave. Demetrios at River Center Demetrios, a new location of a Greek-American restaurant, opened in Covington’s RiverCenter this fall. The restaurant, which closed its Cincinnati location in September, offers a variety of Greek-inspired comfort food, such as gyros and Cincinnati chili, as well as American-style comfort food, like double-decker sandwiches, burgers, fries, and hot wings.

The restaurant is expected to capitalize on the demographic of customers who work in proximity or directly out of the dual office towers. Demetrios is located in the RiverCenter in Covington. Tulum Kitchen and Bar Tulum Kitchen and Bar opened in Bellevue on Nov.

22, taking over the previous Nomad location on Fairfield Avenue. The restaurant serves up authentic regional Mexican food. Tulum is located at 225 Fairfield Ave.

in Bellevue. McCollum’s on York A new American bistro, McCollum’s on York, opened in Newport on the former site of York Street Cafe, which closed in July after 30 years of operation. The restaurant is the brainchild of Richard McCollum, who served as the head chef of the York Street Cafe in its latter years.

The restaurant has dubbed itself a “new American bistro.” McCollum’s is located at 738 York St, Newport. Before you go.

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