LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- After nearly four decades in business as a Louisville institution, The Back Door is closing.
The iconic bar and grill near the Highlands neighborhood announced the news on social media Monday.
"Dear friends, After 39 amazing years, the Back Door is closing its doors, effective immediately," the post said. "The community we have fostered in that time is diverse and close-knit, and we are appreciative to all of you for what you've done for us."
The bar on Bardstown Road in the Mid City Mall has been a neighborhood hangout for years, known for late night drinks, food and a diverse crowd.
Despite the closed doors, plenty of visitors stopped by Monday to see the lock on the door themselves.
"It's always been good to me," said longtime customer Daniel Powers. "Everyone knows your name, like 'Cheers!'"
"One of my friends has been crying the blues," said another person passing by.
Caricatures adorn the walls of The Back Door bar and grill on Bardstown Road in the Highlands neighborhood in Louisville, Ky. (WDRB image) 2019
Longtime owner John Dant passed away last fall, and the family said he was the "glue that held The Back Door together."
"He was the perfect go-between, an incredible listener, and an experienced (and self-taught) business owner," Monday's social media post continued. "After his untimely passing last October, we tried to pick up the pieces and keep the business running as best we can, but not all dreams can be reality."
The post went on to thank all of the bar's loyal customers.
"It's thanks to you amazing folks that we were able to stay open as long as we were, and we are forever thankful to you for that. I hope that you will keep your fond memories and share them with those that you love moving forward. "
Taylor Dant, John Dant's son, has been running the business since his passing.
"I hope my dad's up there thinking, 'You did a pretty good job,'" he said.
He told WDRB News that despite their best attempt, the reason to close came down to money.
"As we worked through it, expenses crop up, things break and you lose that cushion you have to sit on for money," Taylor Dant said. "You fight an uphill battle that eventually becomes too much, too hard to justify and it's kinda where we ended up."
As for the thousands of portraits that adorn the walls at The Back Door, Taylor Dant said they're figuring out what to do with them.
"They're actually on paint boards, so it's possible we could get someone who knows what they're doing and take them down and people could come get their photos," said Taylor Dant.
As for longtime patrons not being able to get in an official goodbye, Taylor Dant asks them to look at the last few months since his dad's passing as the farewell tour.
"It was a labor of love that we just couldn't keep going," he said.
Aaron Givhan is president of the Highlands Commerce Guild, and recognized the Dant's family contribution not only to the Guild for many years, but being stable to the community.
"This location has been outstanding for the community of workers. When they get off their shifts where do they come? The Back Door," Givhan said. "This is a go-to, almost everyone I work with, you say The Back Door, they know where that is."
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
