INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana's oldest continually operating bar is under new ownership.
Jason Amonett and Sean Lothridge bought the Slippery Noodle Inn, located at 372 S. Meridian St. in downtown Indianapolis.
The co-owners said they plan to maintain the bar's history while paying tribute to its previous owners, Hal and Carol Yeagy.
Hal's parents bought the bar in 1963, and he took over in 1985 before he died from cancer in 2020.
"We have both admired and been patrons of the Noodle for decades. It is an icon in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Midwest," Amonett said in a news release.
Amonett and Lothridge said they'll work with employees to evaluate all aspects of the business, with a plan that includes bringing more live music, adding healthier menu options and expanding the selection of spirits.
"We think it's important to listen to the staff and see what ideas they have," Lothridge said in the news release.
The bar, originally called the Tremont House, opened as a roadhouse in 1850. During the Civil War, the bar was a station for the Underground Railroad, and during Prohibition, the Al Brady and John Dillinger gangs used the back building for target practice — where bullet holes are still in the wall today.
After his father's death, Hal transformed the Slippery Noodle Inn from a one-room lunch counter into a premiere blues club, which featured acclaimed performers such as Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman and Gene Deer.
The Slippery Noodle Inn is now on the National Register of Historic Places.