LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Baxter’s 942 continues to fight to reopen after the city denied its renewal to sell alcohol.
The popular Highlands nightclub and bar has been temporality closed since 2024. While the owner, Kevin Strnatka, said it’s been a struggle to stay afloat, some neighbors believe there have been fewer issues since the nightclub shut its doors.
“I’m not too excited about them reopening,” Jacob Boeschel said. “I’d prefer they stayed closed, honestly.”
He’s one of several Highlands residents who told WDRB they associate shootings and brawls with Baxter’s 942. Boeschel said he saw several fights while working across the street from the bar.
“There was a shooting right across from us,” he said. “It can get pretty scary sometimes. I don’t like the idea of having the people in the area who would start brawls or start fights. This is a family neighborhood.”
The city shut down the nightclub after a string of violence right outside its doors, including a triple shooting near the venue in August 2024. Strnatka maintains that his business was not involved in the violence.
Though Louisville Metro ABC has not yet renewed Baxter’s 942 liquor license, Strnatka continues his fight to reopen.
He said he’s three weeks into the appeal period, and that it could take 30 to 60 days for the state to make a decision.
When WDRB spoke with Strnatka over the phone on Thursday, he said there’s a silver lining to temporarily closing.
He said he’s been able to make improvements inside the building that couldn’t happen while the business was open. That includes painting, stripping floors, updating bar tops and fixing up the bathrooms.
“I think that’s just a surface-level thing,” Boeschel said. “It’s about who, what artists, they bring in. What crowds they bring. If they’re trying to reopen and do better, we’ll see.”
If the appeal is successful, Strnatka said he plans to reopen the nightclub. WDRB asked what happens if the appeal is denied, and he said the business will cross that bridge if it gets there.
