The ZZU Bar and Grill, which closed October of last year, will reopen in 2018 with a new team, new look and new food.

“There’s lots of bars in town and lots of students,” co-owner Cathy Cooper said, “so there’s plenty of business to go around and we hope we get our share of it.”

Cathy, along with husband and co-owner Douglas, could not afford to keep the bar open back in October.

“It was being managed so badly that it was bleeding cash,” Cathy said.

The new year may pave a new path for the ZZU.

After finding a new business partner, the Coopers regrouped and formulated a plan to reopen the ZZU.  The new manager is more experienced, and Cathy said the new and returning employees will be trained differently to improve customer service.

Customers can expect to see burgers, wings and tacos on the menu — some of the old menu’s popular items — but also salads, sandwiches and macaroni and cheese with various toppings. Cathy also plans on serving nachos and a beer-infused chocolate brownie with caramel dipping sauce.

The ZZU’s pool room will stay, Cathy said, but she aims to replace the main floor with concrete and elevate the decor. She said they are changing the name from “bar and grill” to “club and grub.”

“The ZZU has struggled in the last year or so and we finally realized that we just couldn’t keep it going,” she said, “Our hope is that when we reopen, it will be something that people enjoy coming to and that we can build up our customer base.”

The date of the grand reopening has yet to be announced.

“Merry Christmas!” a post on the ZZU’s Facebook read. “See you in 2018!”