Agave and Rye in Hamilton to open next month

“Agave and Rye’s newest location promises an EPIC dining experience like no other,” according to a statement from its media relations company.

The restaurant is at 339 Main St. in the former Ritzi Auto Body shop and will be the franchise’s 18th location. Agave and Rye, which was founded in Northern Kentucky in 2018 has become a culinary destination featuring gourmet tacos with unique ingredients and more than 70 varieties of tequila and more than 70 varieties of bourbon.

The restaurant, known for its “EPIC” tacos, initially announced plans in 2021 for the new location, but the project had been delayed due to issues beyond their control, Chief Operating Officer of EPIC Brands, Agave & Rye Chris Britt told the Journal-News in 2023.

When the restaurant opens, Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Dan Bates said it will “elevate the expectations” of Main Street.

“It’s a whole different level,” he said of the restaurant chain. “It is a destination point, and I think the excitement is that it’s something Hamiltonians would certainly enjoy and patronize.”

Britt told the Journal-News in November 2023 that they want to be involved in the community and “want to help drive that success” Hamilton has seen over the past dozen-plus years.

Agave and Rye has aggressively expanded in southwest Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Alabama. The restaurant was featured in Restaurant Hospitality Magazine and named one of 20 full-service restaurants worth watching by FSR Magazine. It was voted No. 8 in the 2023 Restaurant Business Future 50.

Being a destination, the restaurant is expected to draw people from outside the city and county who may not visit Hamilton as regularly as may in the future. The hope, Bates said, is these new visitors ”will come to Hamilton and, as they will walk up and down the streets and explore, do other things while they’re here.”

Hamilton’s small businesses have been steadily rising over the years, and the 300 block of Main Street has seen a lot of development. It could become one of the go-to sections of the city. True West Coffee has already drawn thousands of coffee drinkers to this block over the years, and Rossville Flats, which opened in 2023, has dozens of tenants staying in the apartment building. Eventually, Rossville Flats will have two retail tenants on the first floor. Aglamesis Bros planned opening, which owner Randy Young said could be as early as the first week of October, is expected to draw even more to the area.

Bates said Agave and Rye, as well as the other things happening in this block, will give people a new and different experience, “and Hamiltonians love an experience.”