The GOAT restaurant will host a grand-reopening celebration from 1 to 9 p.m. May 4, 220 2nd St. SW, Carmel. Festivities include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, food and drink specials, live music and a meet-and-greet with a live goat. The restaurant already held a soft opening and is open for dining and drinks.
“We look forward to serving our customers and meeting new customers who are looking for a new dining experience in the heart of the Midtown entertainment district. Look for more exciting announcements as we continue to finalize our new expansion,” said Dan McFeely, a spokesperson for The GOAT.
The GOAT, which stands for the “greatest of all taverns,” opened in summer 2020 but had been closed since April 2021, when the Carmel Board of Zoning Appeals denied a variance (originally overlooked by the city) that would have allowed it to continue operating in a residentially zoned area.
The Carmel City Council rezoned the site for business use in March 2022, but the decision was contingent on restaurant owner Kevin Paul agreeing to a lengthy list of commitments to address concerns previously raised by neighbors, such as patrons trespassing on adjacent private property and noise late into the night. Even before closing, Paul made several changes to The GOAT that mitigated many of the problems.
“We have worked closely with the City of Carmel to address the issues that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic,” McFeely said. “We now have more enclosed space – including our new addition, which is not yet open – and we have taken steps to reduce late night crowd noise out of respect for the residential units nearby.”
In addition to more indoor space, McFeely said patio seating will end at 8 p.m. daily to prevent outdoor noise in the evening.
In addition to facility upgrades, McFeely said The GOAT owner Kevin Paul and his staff have worked to improve the dining experience.
“While we were away, we took the opportunity to enhance our menu to include a variety of new and unique menu items such as new apps, smashburgers, pork shanks and a variety of side dishes,” McFeely said. “We also have a new drink menu that includes more options for beer, spirits and some cool new cocktails.”
Operating hours are 3 to 11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday; 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
“We want to personally express our heartfelt appreciation for all of those who have stood by us,” McFeely said. “We are absolutely thrilled to be back and look forward to serving you.”
