New bar with golf simulators opens in historic Midway location. See inside
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- Three childhood friends opened Bruen Bunker (nicknamed The Bunker) on April 9.
- The 2,460 sq.-foot venue has two Trackman simulators, each with 500+ courses.
- The bar offers 10 beers on tap, Kentucky bourbons, a small menu and food trucks.
Three childhood friends have teamed up to open a new bar in a historic Midway location.
Bruen Bunker opened April 9 after a yearlong renovation to Midway’s original fire station.
The new bar is at 109 E Bruen St., one street away from the town’s popular, historic Main Street, with its shops and restaurants.
The Bunker, as it’s sometimes called, features 10 beers on tap, a curated cocktail, a selection of many Kentucky bourbons and two state-of-the-art golf simulators.
Tanner Walker said he and co-owners and Kentucky natives Alden Gatewood and Joseph Bunker wanted to create something more than a neighborhood bar.
“We want to curate a very family friendly atmosphere, not just, like, a bar atmosphere,” said Walker, who has worked in the bar industry for a decade. “Our goal is to be a venue, event space, a community gathering spot.”
The trio renovated the 2,460-square-foot historic location after the building was put up for sale by the city in Feb. 2025. The decor includes items from the from the Midway Fire Department on display.
“We always want to pay homage to what it was before us, and we’re going to continue to do so by putting up other items from historic Midway,” said Walker.
The bar offers a variety of draft beers, including Country Boy and West 6th, and domestic, imported and non-alcoholic options not on tap. Walker said the new bar will be expanding its bourbon collection soon.
“I do know what tastes good,” said Walker. “It’s the quality of the product. It’s a quality of the ingredients that’s being put into those drinks that hope to set us apart.”
The Bunker offers a small menu from the nearby The Goose and Gander. Items like loaded potato skins, wings, pizza and a selection of sandwiches can be called in and delivered to the bar from the Goose.
They also frequently hosts food trucks such as The Wandering Dog with its menu of all-beef hotdogs and creative toppings and Big Daddy’s Fried Chicken serving up Southern-style fried chicken, wings and barbecue. The popular Red State BBQ will have a food truck soon at the location.
Walker says in about a year they will look consider expanding with their own kitchen offerings.
The bar has two Trackman golf simulators, each with more then 500 premier courses, includng St. Andrews, Pebble Beach and Valhalla. Walker says they are continuing to add courses to the simulators.
The simulators can be reserved online at bruenbunker.com/reserve-a-simulator for $45 per hour. Golfers can bring their own clubs or use ones provided by the bar for free.
Bruen Bunker
Where: 109 E Bruen St., Midway
Hours: 1-10 p.m. Mon-Thu.; noon-midnight Fri.-Sat.; noon-10p.m. Sun.
Parking: Street parking available
Online: bruenbunker.com
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New bar with golf simulators opens in historic Midway location. See inside."
