Indy's oldest continually operating bar, the Slippery Noodle Inn is under new ownership

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis’ oldest continually operating bar, the Slippery Noodle Inn, changed ownership this week.

New owners Jason Amonett and Sean Lothridge say they plan to maintain the history of the iconic bar located at 372 Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

Amonett and Lothridge take ownership from previous owners Hal and Carol Yeagy. The pair had owned the bar since 1985.

Hal Yeagy passed away in 2020 from cancer.

Before their ownership, Hal Yeagy’s parents owned the Slippery Noodle beginning in 1963.

“It is a great honor and pleasure to be able to take over the iconic Slippery Noodle Inn and we are committed to respecting the legacy built by the Yeagy family,” said Jason Amonett, new co-owner of Slippery Noodle Inn. “We have both admired and been patrons of the Noodle for decades. It is an icon in Indianapolis, Indiana and the Midwest.”

“We think it's important to listen to the staff and see what ideas they have,” said Sean Lothridge, new co-owner of Slippery Noodle Inn. “As friends of Hal’s, we take on this responsibility with great pride.”

The Slippery Noodle Inn exists on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building’s history dates back to the 1850s when it was known as the Tremont House – a name that still exists on the north side of the building.

During the 1860s and the Civil War, the building was a station for the Underground Railroad.

Years later the building was a bordello, or brothel. It remained one until 1953 when a patron of the business was killed.

The long history of the building has led many to consider it one of the most noted haunted locations in Indianapolis. As recently as 2020, management were providing haunted tours of the building.

In recent years under the ownership of Hal and Carol Yeagy, the Slippery Noodle has become of one the country’s premiere blues clubs. Artists such as Buddy Guy, Gregg Allman and Gene Deer have all graced the business.