The Silver Dollar

What The Silver Dollar does

The Silver Dollar is a privately held honky tonk-inspired restaurant and whiskey bar located at 1761 Frankfort Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky, operating inside a re-imagined 1950s firehouse building. It serves modern interpretations of working-class American South cuisine across dinner (Tuesday–Saturday) and weekend brunch dayparts, alongside one of the most extensive on-premise whiskey and bourbon programs in the region. The beverage program spans craft cocktails, a deep agave selection (25+ mezcals and a broad tequila list), wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options, with vintage and allocated whiskeys sold by the 1 oz pour at prices ranging up to $260.

The core commercial asset is a curated whiskey library organized across more than 30 distillery pages (Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Wild Turkey, Michter's, Willett, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, Barton 1792, Rabbit Hole, Wilderness Trail, Copper & Kings, and others), supplemented by exclusive house-selected single barrel collaborations with Willett, Maker's Mark, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey, Copper & Kings, and Bardstown Bourbon Co. These private cask selections are produced specifically for the venue and are not available at other bars, functioning as the primary differentiator versus other Louisville bourbon bars. The 2020 Spirited Awards Best American Restaurant Bar (Tales of the Cocktail), along with prior GQ Top 10 Whiskey Bars (2013) and Thrillist Top 21 Whiskey Bars recognition, validated the positioning.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer, on-premise only model with pay-as-you-go unit pricing across all pours. There is no online ordering, delivery, or takeaway; no membership or subscription layer; and no proprietary software platform — only a standard POS/inventory system. The company is independently held with no disclosed investors, funding rounds, parent entity, or management team information in the source material, and employs approximately 16 staff. As of the input data, the venue has announced its final operating day (Saturday, November 15) and is ceasing operations.

Name

The Silver Dollar

Legal name

The Silver Dollar

Website

https://whiskeybythedrink.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Silver Dollar is a privately held honky tonk restaurant and whiskey bar in Louisville, Kentucky, serving Southern-inspired cuisine alongside a 30+ distillery bourbon program and exclusive house-selected single barrels; it operates a single on-premise location with pay-as-you-go pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Whiskey Bar & Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pubs & Gastropubs (THAFAEAB)

Keywords

• Whiskey bar
• Bourbon tastings
• Craft cocktails
• Rare whiskey pours
• Southern comfort cuisine

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue is generated through on-premise food and beverage sales. The menu includes cocktails, flights, wine, beer, N/A beverages, and an extensive whiskey/bourbon selection priced per pour (1 oz for vintage whiskeys). Brunch and dinner service with a limited menu on special occasions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Silver Dollar operates a honky tonk-inspired restaurant and bar in a restored 1950s firehouse in Louisville, Kentucky, serving modern Southern cuisine alongside an unusually deep whiskey and bourbon program (covers 25+ distilleries, house-selected single barrels, and 1 oz vintage pours up to $260). Offerings also include a curated craft cocktail list of nine signature drinks, an extensive mezcal and tequila selection, craft beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages; brunch is served Saturday and Sunday and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

Product overview

The Silver Dollar is a whiskey bar and restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, offering an extensive selection of whiskeys, bourbons, tequilas, mezcals, wines, beers, and craft cocktails alongside a modern Southern-inspired food menu. The establishment features Dinner and Brunch services, a curated spirits collection organized by distillery (including Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, and many others), plus signature cocktails, wine, beer, and N/A beverages. The venue specializes in house single barrel selections and vintage whiskey pours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dinner Menu Modern take on traditional working-class Southern cuisine served Tuesday-Thursday 5pm-11pm and Friday 5pm-midnight, plus Saturday 5pm-11pm. Includes dishes such as Hickory-Smoked Beef Brisket, Breaded Catfish, and Fried Chicken Livers for dine-in service.
• Brunch Menu American-South-in-Southern-California themed brunch served Saturday and Sunday 10am to last seating 3pm. Menu features Chilaquiles, Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, and Chili Cheese Hashbrown.
• Craft Cocktails Set list of nine craft cocktails each priced at $15, including Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Boulevardier, Kentucky Mule, Gold Rush, Sazerac, Margarita, Escondido, and Old Rough & Ready. Made with quality spirits for cocktail enthusiasts.
• Whiskey Flights Tasting flight experiences that let customers sample multiple whiskey varieties side-by-side from the venue's curated whiskey collection.
• Whiskey and Bourbon Collection Extensive whiskey and bourbon collection organized by distillery (Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Barton 1792, Old & New Bernheim, Town Branch, Willett, Kentucky Artisan, Bulleit, Michter's, Limestone Branch, Rabbit Hole, Wilderness Trail, Luxco, J.W. Rutledge, Angel's Envy, Copper & Kings, Peerless, New Riff, Log Still, Uncle Nearest, Smooth Ambler, Cascade Hollow, Barrell Craft Spirits, Three Boys Farm Distillery).
• House Single Barrels Exclusive barrel-selected whiskeys and bourbons curated through collaborative single-barrel programs with Maker's Mark Private Select, Knob Creek, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, Willett, Copper & Kings, and others. Sold exclusively at The Silver Dollar by the pour.
• Vintage Whiskey Pours Rare vintage whiskeys sold by the 1 oz pour at $34 to $260, including Old Taylor 6yr (1985) at $34, Chapin & Gore Reserve 6yr (1955) at $100, Old Fitzgerald BIB (1991) at $100, and Old Weller Antique 7yr (1974) at $260.
• Tequila Selection Premium tequila collection including El Tesoro, Don Julio, Lunazul, Casa Noble, Tequila Ocho, Herradura, Herencia Mexicana, Milagro, Maestro Dobel, Siete Leguas, Dulce Vida, Espolón, Cantera Negra, and Fortaleza. Pours range from $5 (Lunazul Blanco) to $37 (Don Julio 1942).
• Mezcal Selection Extensive mezcal program featuring Del Maguey varieties (Vida, Crema de Mezcal, Chichicapa, Minero, Santo Domingo Albarradas, San Luis del Rio, Espadín Especial, San Pablo Ameyaltepec, Tobala, Pechuga, Iberico), Fidencio, Ilegal, Los Nahuales, Sombra, Mezcal Vago, and Mala Idea. Prices range $9 to $48 per pour.
• Other Spirits (House Spirits) House well spirits including Whealtey Vodka, Beefeater Gin, and Don Q Cristal Rum, each priced at $5 per pour.
• Beer Selection Beer selection including Working Class Lagers ($2-$6), Wheat/Fruit Ales ($7), Pale Ale and IPA ($5-$7), and Darker Ales including Dragon's Milk Stout at $8 and Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout at $10.
• Wine Selection Wine offerings across Sparkling (Pierre Brut, Gruet Brut Rose, Mionetto Prosecco), White (Sea Pearl Sauvignon Blanc, Scarpetta Pinot Grigio, Cline Seven Ranchlands Chardonnay, Meomi Rose), and Red (Cashmere GSM, Enrique Foster Malbec, Castillo Monseran Grenache, Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon). Prices range from $7 per glass to $46 per bottle.
• N/A Beverages Non-alcoholic beverage offerings including sodas ($2-$4), N/A beers such as Brooklyn Special Effects and Athletic ($5) and Southern Grist Parallel Fruited Sour Ale ($7), and virgin cocktails such as Virgin Hearts on Fire ($7).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Copper & Kings (Louisville, Kentucky)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative barrel program with Copper & Kings producing a seasoned bourbon finished in Muscat Mistelle barrels (Collaboration Copper & Kings and Bardstown Bourbon Co. 10yr Bourbon) and a Flood Dollar brandy finished in oloroso sherry wood fired oak cask. The Silver Dollar served as house picker for these private cask selections.
• Willett Distillery (Louisville, Kentucky)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple house-selected single barrel programs. The Silver Dollar collaborated on Willett Storm Dollar (Houston Bourbon Consortium and The Silver Dollar House Selected Single Barrel 6yr bourbon and rye) and Willett Stayin' Alive House Selected Single Barrel 7yr. These exclusive barrels are sold only at The Silver Dollar.
• Old Town Liquors (Louisville, Kentucky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-way house-selected single barrel collaboration with Jim Beam / Knob Creek. The Silver Dollar and Old Town Liquors jointly selected Knob Creek Single Barrel #3 (11yr 4mo) as a house-selected barrel.
• Old Town Liquors (Louisville, Kentucky)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint house-selected barrel program with Maker's Mark. The Silver Dollar and Old Town Liquors collaborated on three Maker's Mark Private Select single barrels (Silver Dollar House Selected Single Barrels #1, #2, and #4, each with distinct stave recipes, aged 6yr 2mo).
• Lucky's (Louisville, Kentucky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouse-selected single barrel collaboration on Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Lucky Silver Dollar (The Silver Dollar & Lucky's House Selected Single Barrel 9yr, $25) — a premium priced expression selected jointly by The Silver Dollar and Lucky's.
• Houston Bourbon Consortium (Houston, Texas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-way collaboration with Willett Distillery on the Storm Dollar program. Houston Bourbon Consortium and The Silver Dollar jointly selected Willett Storm Dollar bourbon (6yr, $50) and Willett Rye Storm Dollar (6yr, $50) as house-picked private casks.
• Bardstown Bourbon Co. (Bardstown, Kentucky)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative seasoned bourbon with Copper & Kings — a 10yr bourbon finished in Muscat Mistelle barrels, produced collaboratively by Copper & Kings and Bardstown Bourbon Co., with The Silver Dollar serving as a house picker.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bourbons Bistro: Long-running Louisville bourbon bar and restaurant in the Clifton neighborhood with one of the city's deepest whiskey collections. Comparable on product (whiskey-centric, Southern food) and on customer persona (bourbon enthusiasts and locals).
• Robert's Western World: Lower Broadway honky tonk in Nashville with cheap beer, live country music, and a deliberately working-class aesthetic. Comparable on the honky-tonk atmosphere and working-class Southern positioning The Silver Dollar explicitly invokes.
• Jack Rose Dining Saloon: Washington, D.C. whiskey bar widely regarded as one of America's top whiskey destinations, with a 2,500+ bottle collection. Directly comparable as a nationally recognized, whiskey-curation-first concept serving enthusiasts and travelers.
• Proof on Main: Louisville bourbon-forward restaurant inside 21c Museum Hotel offering an extensive whiskey list and Southern-inspired cuisine. Most directly comparable local peer: same city, same whiskey-curation thesis, same bourbon-tourist customer base.
• Haymarket Whiskey Bar: Louisville speakeasy-style whiskey bar with a curated, award-recognized bourbon list. Closely comparable on whiskey-list depth and on the local bourbon-enthusiast target segment.
• Repeal Whiskey Bar: Louisville whiskey-focused craft cocktail bar in the Theater District emphasizing rare and allocated pours. Comparable product mix (allocated whiskey, craft cocktails) and downtown/Frankfort Ave area audience overlap.
• Whiskey Cake (Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar): Texas-originated, multi-location whiskey-focused restaurant concept pairing a deep bourbon list with a scratch Southern-leaning menu. Comparable on the whiskey list + elevated comfort food model, though at greater scale and outside Louisville.

Regional players

• Rabbit Hole Distillery & Cafe: Louisville urban distillery with a cafe/tasting room in the Nulu neighborhood offering its own bourbon line alongside cocktails. Comparable on Louisville bourbon-tourism positioning and on the spirit-brand-plus-on-premise-experience model.

Emerging players

• Copper & Kings American Brandy Distillery: Louisville-based distillery with an on-site tasting room/bar and a barrel-collaboration program (The Silver Dollar was a documented house-picker partner). Comparable on Louisville spirits-tourism footprint and distillery co-branded releases.

Broad incumbents

• Old Seelbach Bar at The Seelbach Hilton: Historic Louisville hotel bar with a nationally known bourbon program inside a Hilton property. Comparable on the whiskey-curation angle but as part of a broader hotel/hospitality portfolio rather than a standalone concept.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-silver-dollar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Silver Dollar