Christen Malone
- Feb 9, 2022
- 2 min read

Reinventing Downtown With Many Hats

And by *many* hats I actually do mean both. Olivia Griffin owns three different business all under one roof on the corner of W. Chestnut and S. 4th Street of Downtown Louisville. The Mysterious Rack is an actual hat shop that she opened first in 2014. She and her small team hand-craft exquisite works of art (I am a hat person) and IMO its the only place to get a Derby hat. Next up is The Limbo Tiki Bar which opened in 2018 and feels like stepping into another world. Quirky decor, dreamy tropical cocktails, and live entertainment almost every night, you have to see it for yourself! Her latest business Riot Cafe opened in 2021 and celebrates Black/Womxn owned businesses. Any product you purchase there — from the art on the walls down to the beans they brew in-house — came from the hands of a Black owned and/or Womxn owned business.

The rebirth and reinvigoration of downtown is what brought her artistic pursuits into the neighborhood and Olivia sets her sights on leaving an even bigger mark on the area. Much like we have the NULU neighborhood and Whiskey Row, she wants to brand the 4th Street neighborhood as a Cultural & Arts District. The Palace, Mercury Ballroom, Ballet and Opera are all in the neighborhood and there is constantly live events happening almost every single night. Olivia is determined to revive the once booming area by continuing to put out interesting and entertaining events and supporting underserved communities.

Next time you find yourself in Downtown Louisville, lookup Riot Cafe. While you sip on Black Owned coffee beans and look at Womxn made art you might mosey over to the Mysterious Rack and check out the one-of-a-kind hat and fascinator collection she has for the coming season. If you are in need of a little night life and a quick getaway, hop over to the Limbo for a fancy bevy and some groovy entertainment. The best way to describe the Limbo… Let me put it this way, if Bikini Bottom had a bar, this place would be it!