Agave & Rye is expanding its Greater Cincinnati footprint with a new Pleasant Ridge location that will introduce the brand’s first bourbon speakeasy, according to the Cincinnati Business Journal.
The restaurant is expected to open during the week of September 14, pending final permitting approvals, at 6112 Montgomery Road, where crews are transforming the former Catch Me If You Can restaurant into a three-level dining destination. The opening will mark Agave & Rye’s 18th location overall and its fourth in the Greater Cincinnati market.
“We’re active,” Chris Britt, Chief Operating Officer of Epic Brands, told What Now. “We have our painter, our general contractor and our amazing internal operations team on-site working to push this timeline and get open as soon as possible. We like to say we’ll be aggressive, but not reckless.”
According to Britt, Pleasant Ridge stood out because it reminded the company of its original Covington restaurant, which opened in 2018. The neighborhood’s strong sense of community, local businesses and residential base aligned with the company’s strategy of opening restaurants in community-focused areas rather than high-density commercial districts.
The historic building, originally constructed in 1910, offers something Agave & Rye actively looks for when selecting new locations, and he expressed that “character” played a huge part.
“Our brand never does cookie-cutter,” Britt, said. “We try to find those properties that allow us to do what we do best.”
One of the building’s most distinctive features is its basement level, which inspired the company’s newest concept a bourbon speakeasy.
The lower level will feature a separate entrance, its own bar, an expanded selection of allocated bourbons, bourbon flights and the restaurant’s full food and cocktail menu. Britt said the space is also expected to host private events, tastings and bourbon-focused experiences for guests.
“As of now, it’s just going to be at the Pleasant Ridge location because of the building’s layout,” Britt said, adding that the company would consider expanding the concept if it finds similar spaces in the future.
Throughout the restaurant, guests can expect Agave & Rye’s signature urban-grunge aesthetic, blending colorful murals, artwork and custom décor with the building’s historic architecture. Britt said founder and CEO Yavonne Sarber, who has a background in interior design, developed the creative vision for the space.
Among the design elements will be a Frida Kahlo mural, artwork inspired by the Pleasant Ridge community and custom furnishings intended to create what the company describes as an “epic environment.”
On the menu, guests will find the brand’s lineup of more than 70 food and beverage offerings, including its signature tacos, cocktails and tequila selection. Pleasant Ridge is also expected to be among the first Agave & Rye locations to introduce the company’s upcoming “Big Papi Deals,” a new value-focused promotion.
Although the Pleasant Ridge restaurant is expected to be the company’s final Agave & Rye opening of 2026, Britt said Epic Brands remains committed to measured growth.
“We’re still husband-and-wife owned and founder-driven,” he said. “We’re going to continue growing the right way and make sure we’re delivering on the experience our guests expect.”
When the doors open this September, Britt hopes guests will be impressed before they even step inside.
“We want people to drive by and say, ‘Wow,'” he said. “From the artwork and the atmosphere to the food, drinks and hospitality, we want every guest to leave feeling like they’ve had an experience, not just a meal.”
