Red Herring, a popular Clifton cocktail bar and restaurant, is closing

Allison Ross | Courier Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Courier Journal's review of Red Herring on Frankfort Avenue A Clifton staple, Red Herring earns high praise from our restaurant critic. Jan. 31, 2018

Less than a year and a half after opening, cocktail bar and restaurant Red Herring said it is closing its doors at its space in Clifton's former Hilltop Theater.

In a Facebook post Monday evening, the restaurant said its last day in its location will be Sept. 16. But it left open the possibility that the owners could open another concept elsewhere.

"It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the closing of our space, here in the Clifton neighborhood," the Facebook post read. "We are grateful for the good times spent in our bar and will never forget them. Be on the lookout for us, as we may be seeking out space more suitable for the concept and changes we have been pushing throughout this past year and a half."

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The Red Herring opened in April 2017 after owner Brett Davis and business partner Mo Deljoo spent years renovating the building at 1757 Frankfort Ave. Davis later moved to Michigan. Chef Jacob Coronado and bar manager Clay Livingston became co-owners with Deljoo.

Coronado on Monday evening confirmed the pending closure, saying he does hope to keep the concept of what he and his partners were trying to do at Red Herring. He said that the restaurant's current space "is a little different than most. We had an idea of our mission and unfortunately the space was difficult to execute that."

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Red Herring had hoped to improve employees' earnings and equity by having a 20 percent service charge that was shared among staff, Coronado said. But he said that "Louisville was a little bit reluctant to understand what we were doing. It didn't catch on."

Coronado said he's going to "make sure our team is taken care of" despite the closing.

The Courier Journal's restaurant critic reviewed Red Herring in January, saying "the appeal of Red Herring is established first and foremost by its location. Giving life to the long vacant Hilltop Theater, the interior has been colorfully re-imagined with a modern aesthetic."

With an expansive list of cocktails and an evolving food menu, the critic said the Red Herring was "only getting better with age."

Coronado said Monday that he's going to miss the regulars at the restaurant and the neighborhood and "everyone who came in and enjoyed themselves. There were so many familiar faces, so many good times to be had."

After Red Herring's departure, the Hilltop Theater will get a new resident: Kentucky Select Properties, a local real estate business. Kentucky Select plans to move its headquarters there early next year, according to a company news release.

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Reporter Bailey Loosemore contributed to this report.

Allison Ross: 502-582-4241; aross@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @AllisonSRoss. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: .courier-journal.com/allisonr.