Aaron Kohlhepp of rhinehaus
Meet Aaron Kohlhepp, founder of
rhinehaus, a craft beer focused sports bar in Over-the-Rhine.
How did you start your business?
We each made small personal investments and then secured a bank loan. We are now working with local resources and consultants to go through the details of running a bar.
How did you come up the idea for your business?
It started as a conversation over drinks. We were in Over-the-Rhine looking to watch March Madness, but there wasn’t a great place to watch sports. We jokingly said, “Let’s open a sports bar up here.” A few weeks later, we revisited the idea. Many months later, here we are, after much due diligence.
What resources here did you take advantage of and how did they help?
We have many local resources we are taking advantage of, whether that be family friends or local consultants. Between the two of us, we have friends and family who are lawyers, bar owners, CPAs, graphic designers, brand managers, bartenders, architects, etc. All of our friends and family have been more than willing to help.
In the neighborhood, we had our first meeting with the Over-the-Rhine Community Council last week, and we both plan to be regulars at their monthly meetings. We’re excited to see how we can give back to the community.
What does a typical day in your business look like?
We’ll be a bar looking to accommodate the sports-watching needs of the people in the neighborhood, whether they are residents or in the workforce.
What’s next for you and your company?
We still have a lot of clean-up work to do, but we are targeting mid-December for a soft opening.
Interview by Robin Donovan