MOTR
MOTR Pub is a privately held live music venue and bar in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, hosting original music performances, open mic, comedy, and poetry alongside food and beverage service, and operating as a sister venue to the historic Woodward Theater.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MOTR does
MOTR Pub is a privately held live music venue and bar operating at 1345 Main Street in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood since Fall 2010. The venue's core offering is a weekly schedule of live original music performances featuring local, regional, national, and international artists, supplemented by a full bar, dinner and brunch menus, carryout ordering, and a free basement private event space called the Sword Room. Regular programming includes a weekly open mic night (voted best in Cincinnati by City Beat readers for 8 consecutive years), weekly karaoke, stand-up comedy showcases (MOTRmouth), monthly poetry readings, and Final Friday art exhibits — with the venue having hosted approximately 5,000 live events and 160+ art exhibits since opening. The venue operates as a sister property to the historic Woodward Theater (built 1913), located across the street, which provides additional capacity for larger events and weddings under the same ownership.
The business runs a multi-stream transaction-based revenue model with no disclosed external funding, institutional investment, or M&A activity. Revenue derives from ticket sales (ranging from free admission to $10-$25 standard, with some tiered reserved seating at $20-$35), food and beverage sales (including happy hour at $1 off drinks until 7PM and Industry Night specials for hospitality workers), free private event rentals in the Sword Room, and branded merchandise (MOTRHEAD and Kool-Aid Man t-shirts, Woodward Theater apparel). Distribution occurs through the physical storefront, online ticketing via Cincyticket, online carryout via 2TouchOnline, and marketing channels spanning Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, an email newsletter (Constant Contact), a blog, and SEO through motrpub.com.
The venue is operated as a single-location independent business with no disclosed headcount, ownership structure, or financial metrics. Technology integrations are limited to standard SMB SaaS tools (Google Analytics, Constant Contact, 2TouchOnline, Cincyticket) rather than proprietary platforms. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, patents, trademarks, or research output. The core technology stack consists of a professionally maintained P.A. system and experienced sound engineers supporting live performance production.
MOTR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MOTR
- Legal name
- MOTR Pub
- Website
- https://motrpub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MOTR Pub is a privately held live music venue and bar in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, hosting original music performances, open mic, comedy, and poetry alongside food and beverage service, and operating as a sister venue to the historic Woodward Theater.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MOTR industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages) (MPAGALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Live Music Bars & Venues (CRANACAH)
Keywords
Where MOTR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cincinnati
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MOTR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed shows and events. Prices range from free admission for some shows to $10-$25 for ticketed performances.
- Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from food and drink sales including dinner menu, brunch menu, carryout orders, and bar beverages. Happy hour discounts available until 7PM.
- Private Event Rentals: The Sword Room basement space is available to rent at no cost for private parties including birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, showers, and office meetings.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts (MOTRHEAD, KOOL-AID MAN) and Woodward Theater raglan shirts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free Shows |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ticketed Shows |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Reserved Seating |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Happy Hour |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Industry Night Specials |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
MOTR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MOTR (MOTR Pub) is a live music venue and bar in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, open since Fall 2010, that presents original music performances, open mic, poetry, comedy, and karaoke programming alongside a full bar and food menu. The venue also offers the Sword Room for private events, a seasonal outdoor MOTR Patio, and carryout food ordering.
Product overview
MOTR is a live music bar and venue in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The core offering centers on live original music performances featuring local, regional, national, and international artists, complemented by food and drink service. Venue areas include the main bar, MOTR Patio outdoor space, and the Sword Room (a free private event space). Regular programming includes weekly shows, open mic nights, karaoke, comedy showcases, and poetry readings. Additional services include carryout food ordering, merchandise sales, and happy hour drink specials. MOTR's sister venue is the Woodward Theater (a historic 1913 theater across the street). The venue has been operating since Fall 2010 and has hosted approximately 5,000 live events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Woodward Theater: Sister venue of MOTR Pub, a historic theater venue (1913) located across the street from MOTR, available for private event bookings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Voted best open mic in Cincinnati for 8 consecutive years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MOTR
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
MOTR technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
MOTR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Woodward TheatercoreSister venue operated by the same ownership/management. Located across the street from MOTR Pub. The Woodward Theater (established 1913) offers a larger event space that can be transformed for various events. MOTR and Woodward share branding and cross-promote events. The venue is used for larger shows and weddings.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
MOTR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Southgate House Revival: Independent live music venue in Newport, KY (just across the river from Cincinnati) hosting original touring and local bands across multiple rooms, with full bar service. Comparable mid-sized independent venue serving the same metro market with a similar original-music focus.
- Woodward Theater: Sister venue operated by MOTR's same ownership and located across the street; a 1913 historic theater offering live music, weddings, and private events. Most directly comparable venue in size and operating model, though under common ownership.
- The Redmoor: Mt. Healthy/Cincinnati-area music venue hosting original touring and local acts with full bar service. Similar capacity tier and programming mix to MOTR's main room.
- Northside Tavern: Long-running neighborhood bar in Cincinnati's Northside with regular live original music, open mics, and full bar service. Directly comparable grassroots live-music bar serving a similar indie/artist crowd.
- The Comet: Long-running Cincinnati Northside bar offering live original music, BBQ, and bar service. Comparable in community-embedded, indie-original positioning and operating scale.
- Stanley's Pub: Cincinnati bar hosting live original music, local bands, and pub programming with a dive-bar identity. Comparable in scale, original-music focus, and neighborhood anchoring to MOTR.
- The Mad Frog: Cincinnati live music venue and bar in the Corryville neighborhood hosting touring and local original acts nightly. Comparable in scale, target audience, and bar-driven economics to MOTR.
- Top Cats: Cincinnati bar with regular live music programming. Comparable independent neighborhood bar/venue serving live original and local acts in the same metro.
Emerging players
- The Basement East: Independent ~600-capacity live music venue in Nashville hosting original touring and local artists with full bar service. Comparable mid-sized independent venue with a similar original-music curation model in a different mid-tier market.
Regional players
- Memory Lane: Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine bar with live music and a similar neighborhood-nightlife positioning. Comparable as a nearby OTR venue competing for similar foot traffic and live-music patrons.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MOTR social profiles
Digital presenceMOTR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
MOTR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MOTR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
MOTR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MOTR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MOTR
What does MOTR do?
MOTR (MOTR Pub) is a live music venue and bar in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, open since Fall 2010, that presents original music performances, open mic, poetry, comedy, and karaoke programming alongside a full bar and food menu. The venue also offers the Sword Room for private events, a seasonal outdoor MOTR Patio, and carryout food ordering.
Is MOTR a public or private company?
MOTR is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was MOTR founded?
MOTR was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MOTR based?
MOTR is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.
How does MOTR make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are food and Beverage Sales, private Event Rentals and merchandise Sales.
Who are MOTR's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Southgate House Revival, Woodward Theater, The Redmoor, Northside Tavern, The Comet, Stanley's Pub, The Mad Frog and Top Cats. The Basement East is listed as an emerging player. Memory Lane is listed as a regional player.
Does MOTR have an API?
No public API is recorded for MOTR.
What industry is MOTR in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGALAF, Nightclub & Small Live Venue Operations (Clubs, Bars with Stages), with a secondary code of CRANACAH, Live Music Bars & Venues. Its NAICS code is 722410 and its SIC code is 7990.