LUDLOW, Ky. — After six years, Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club — a Northern Kentucky staple — has reopened on the Ohio River.
The floating bar and restaurant, which is known for its live music, teased its reopening for months. Ludlow Bromley then officially announced on social media that it was coming back at some point, saying, "Yes, we've heard the whispers, the guesses, and the 'I heard from a friend who heard from a friend...'."
The yacht club held its grand reopening Friday and has live music scheduled all Memorial Day weekend.
"Let's make up for lost time," Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club wrote on Facebook.
The bar and restaurant has been closed since a barge slammed into it in the early morning of Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Ludlow Bromley was described as a "total loss" after it sank into the Ohio River, and the barge impact nearly split the bar and restaurant in half and sent six boats adrift in the river. One person was on the barge during the crash, but no one was injured in the crash.
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"It was devastating to come down and see it, you know, stand at the top of the hill and then see that there's nothing there," said Nicole Gott, the daughter of the restaurant's owner. "Knowing my dad, there (was) no way he would have not put it back (together)."
While the restaurant has reopened, it's currently only accepting cash until further notice.
"Yes, we are still a work in progress, but if we can sell you a beer then we don't care," the bar and restaurant wrote on Facebook.
Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club also has a temporary grill menu right now, featuring tacos, sandwiches, burgers, salads and more. Gott said the menu has been revamped but will continue to feature restaurant staples like the grouper sandwich and Poseidon salad.
"We have a temporary menu right now. And, then (in) about two weeks, we're going to have a full menu. It's gonna have so many amazing items on it," she said. "The new things are great, really, really good."
We spoke with dozens of patrons on Memorial Day who had dozens of stories to share about the restaurant.
Hear from those celebrating the reopening in the video below:
"It's been amazing. We weren't really sure at all what to expect," Gott said. "It was amazing to see so many old faces, familiar faces, new faces, so many people wishing us well and congratulations."
Cheryl Eresman's meal on Monday was more than half a decade in the making. She said part of the reason she moved to Ludlow back in 2019 was to be closer to Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club.
"I love this place. This is my vacation. If I don't go anywhere else, I just come and look at the river, and I'm on vacation," she said. "This is a resurrection."
