ASHLAND — What was once an empty attic above one of Ashland’s staple downtown restaurants is now a ritzy cocktail lounge that doubles as the perfect event space.
Luna opened over five months ago above South Street Grille, located at 121 South St., as the antonym of its downstairs counterpart.
South Street Grille is a loud, busy restaurant serving up barbecue and American comfort foods, offering summertime live music on the spacious back patio.
But once guests walk upstairs and step into Luna, they are met with intimate seating options under dim lighting and candle glow. Time passes a little slower there, which is exactly what owners Carly and Sean Little hoped for the new space.
“We wanted this to be different than anything we did downstairs,” Sean Little said
“We want you to come up and sit for three hours: that’s what we want a Friday night to be up here. We want you to have two or three or six drinks, whatever the case may be, and relax and not have to worry about a waitlist or going somewhere,” Sean Little said.
That meant a brand new cocktail menu, a bigger wine selection and different appetizer offerings to pair with the moody atmosphere.
He said the idea of a new space “was always on our mind,” but he didn’t start planning out construction until two years ago.
His role was logistics: new plumbing, new HVAC systems and a unique food menu that was still affordable for the restaurant and for guests.
Carly’s job was crafting Luna’s Look: dark red and black walls, rounded booth seating with velvet fabric, leather couches and candles at every table.
“I can’t say enough about how her vision made this room what it is today,” Sean Little said.
The drink menu was a joint project of theirs: they wanted to get away from the quick-ticket drinks offered downstairs and offer cocktails that are more “crafted” and “elevated.”
Some of those drinks are classics, such as the Negroni, and others are more unique to Luna, such as the seasonal s’mores martini. Prices range from $7-20, depending on the type of liquor used.
Sean Little tries to steer clear of the word upscale to describe the space, but he recognizes it’s unlike any other bars in Ashland. Guests have come to appreciate Luna’s escape from the ordinary.
Five months in: How has Ashland responded to Luna?
“Almost every day in December, we have an event up here at night or during the day,” he said, noting that Luna is already being booked for early 2026 events too.
Guests have used the space for evening holiday parties, daytime business meetings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties and everything else in between.
“I think [the amount of] private events, which we don’t have the capability to do downstairs because of the business level, that was what has surprised me the most,” Sean Little said.
“We know how much events cost, and we didn’t want it to be such a huge cost to do that, it shouldn’t kill your yearly budget to throw an event. So we have to make it somewhat affordable,” he said.
Luna has also hosted private events, including a bourbon pairing, cocktail making classes and caroling with a candlelight dinner.
In addition to the private events, Luna has also hosted live music throughout the fall, which Sean hopes to do more of in 2026. Right now, his focus is reviewing Luna’s successes so far and understanding what the next moves will be in the coming months.
“Ashland’s been phenomenal to us and our family,” Sean Little said.