New tequila-forward bar, Rhinestone, planned for busy Germantown corridor, open date TBD

A new bar with an eye-catching name is slated to join a growing commercial stretch in Germantown.

Rhinestone, a tequila-forward bar, is planned for the space at 1004 Barret Ave.

Local mortgage broker Todd Mercier, along with business partner and longtime friend Bobby Blair, are re-developing the building, built in 1936, into a mixed-use concept to include both the bar and office space.

The partially vacant building currently houses Underground Sounds, 1006 Barret Ave., and is formerly home to several businesses including Flora Kitchenette and The Deal furniture store. In the redevelopment, it will receive an internal overhaul and rear addition, according to planning documents recently filed with the city.

“It was a perfect spot to implement Bobby and I’s dream of doing this business together,” Mercier told the Courier Journal. “I’m so excited about investing in our community here.”

Mercier is no stranger to the neighborhood. Not only does he live in Germantown but he also runs a business there, Evo Mortgage.

Many specifics, such as construction and opening timeline, are still in flux as Mercier meets with contractors, though he said he anticipates work getting underway next year.

He and Blair first bought the building in April 2022 for $506,500, according to Jefferson County Property Valuation Administration records.

Mercier and Blair were initially interested in the property in 2021 but it quickly went under contract with another party. A search of spaces in Crescent Hill, Paristown Pointe and Germantown didn’t yield anything that matched the Barret Avenue property, and the pair put the search “on the back burner.”

Half a year later, the Barret Avenue location unexpectedly popped back the marker. They jumped on it, and their offer was quickly accepted.

“It was full circle,” Mercier said. “It just worked out.”

The majority of the building’s approximate 5,000 square feet will be dedicated to the bar, while about 1,000-1,500 square feet will house Mercier’s business, currently at 911 Barret Ave.

That side of the building will also be used for short-term office rental space.

The exact feel of the “higher-end bar and lounge” has yet to be fleshed out, but Mercier said the space will include a large atrium in the rear of the building to be used for performances, artists, or as event space.

He’d also like to keep some of the interior structures “to hold true to what that building was.”

“We really want it to be something that fits into the current community, and it’s a place where all people are welcome,” he said.

Mercier said he’s very customer-focused in his mortgage business and wants to bring the same mentality to the new venture.

“Bobby and I both align with it being a client-forward environment,” he said.

The new addition would be the latest in a string of bar, restaurant and retail openings that have reinvigorated the commercial strip along Barret Avenue in recent years.

Big Bad Breakfast opened in 2022, taking over the longtime home of Lynn’s Paradise Café and, more recently, Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint. ShopBar opened in 2019, Unorthodox moved to the strip in 2021, Derby City Market opened last year and Awry Brewing Co. welcomed guests for the first time this summer, to name just a few.

These newer businesses have opened in recent years alongside longer-standing businesses including The Nitty Gritty, Artist and Craftsman Supply and Ultra Pop!, not to mention Barret Bar and Grill, which is directly beside the future Rhinestone location at 1012 Barret Ave.

“I’ve had a lot of time to be in that neighborhood,” Mercier said. “I walk to work. I know many of the business owners on Barret Avenue, and we’re just excited to be part of that.”

Growth & development reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at [email protected], 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: New bar, Rhinestone, planned for busy Germantown corridor