Toasty's Tavern is growing. Signs point to the Shelby Park bar and restaurant opening a new location in the Highlands, expanding beyond the flagship spot that has anchored the Louisville neighborhood for years.
According to Louisville Business First, Toasty's Tavern plans to open the new Highlands location while continuing to operate its original spot in Shelby Park. The report, published Tuesday, identifies the planned Highlands location as being on Dundee Road.
The Shelby Park flagship has been a fixture of that corner of Louisville for years. The bar first opened to the public at 1258 S. Shelby St. on June 22, 2020, according to the Courier Journal, which also reported that the bar is owned by Nate Sturdevant, Matt Filip, and Aaron Chadwell. Sturdevant and Filip also own New Wave Burritos, per that same report.
A Cult Following Built in Shelby Park
By 2023, the Shelby Park restaurant had already garnered what bizjournals.com described as a cult following since its 2020 opening. That year, Toasty's Tavern launched Lil Toasty's, a food truck operation at Gravely Brewing Co., described in the same report as a second operation launched in partnership with one of Louisville's largest brewers.
Louisville's Closures Keep Mounting
The expansion comes as Louisville's dining and bar scene is absorbing a wave of closures. As of 2026, 42 restaurants and bars had closed so far in the Louisville area, according to kentucky.com, which said the pace appeared to be running around the same as in 2025. That outlet reported tracking more than 60 bars or restaurants that closed or moved in 2025 alone.
Against that backdrop, a local operator choosing to expand rather than retreat stands out. Toasty's Tavern's move into the Highlands suggests at least one Shelby Park success story is betting on growth even as other corners of the city's food and drink scene contract.
