WINOOSKI, Vt. (WCAX) – A popular spot in Winooski is back open this holiday season.
“I have been coming here for 39 years. It is a family-owned bar. It has been a lot of fun over the years,” said Rich McGregor of Fairfax.
McGregor was a regular at McKee’s in Winooski. He was devastated to hear of the bar’s closing in August.
The new owners made the difficult decision to shut down due to a lack of foot traffic.
But now that McKee’s is back in business, McGregor is grateful for a Christmas miracle.
“It just felt like the city of Winooski lost something,” he said. “Very happy that the bar reopened. A lot of sentimental memories.”
McKee’s Bar and Grill opened on the Winooski circle in the 1990s. Now, they’re turning over a new leaf as McKee’s Original Bar and Game Room with the original owners back in the driver’s seat.
They no longer serve food and reduced their staff from 30 to six. Owner Lance McKee says the goal is to reduce unnecessary costs while maintaining a community institution.
“I let it go for a little bit, I thought I was going to sell it. Then I just told myself I could not just let it sit there anymore and I could not let the people wait anymore. I decided to reopen, you know. I was here for 35 years, I retired for a year and a half. Now, I am back,” McKee said.
“Great, it’s ahh. You know, a little low before the storm but it came out very well. Lance has done a great job, he’s a part of the family,” said Carney Daniels of Essex.