After being closed for about 18 months, The Union Bar and Grill is just “trying to find the new normal,” Eric Gunn, the owner of The Union, said.
Gunn said there is no real plan for The Union in its first year and that the employees of the bar and grill are just trying to get a good feel for how business is going to be.
“I’m approaching it as if the fire never happened,” Gunn said. “We’re trying to bring some great music to town and host the best party we can.”
John Stathopoulos, a 2015 OU graduate, played at the old Union a few times with the bands Method Air and Megawave before the fire occurred.
“It’s been a really special place to me,” Stathopoulos said.
He said The Union was “friendly and non-discriminatory” and described the bar as “a refuge for artists.”
Taylor Britain, a junior studying business entrepreneurship, said he only went to The Union once before the fire occurred but has been to the newly opened bar four or five times since the grand re-opening.
“I always thought the view from the patio at The Skull was the best, but (The Union’s) trumps it,” Britain said.
The new upstairs bar is “beautiful,” and the checkered tile The Union was known for before the fire is still there, Britain said. He added that the bar salvaged old wood from the original Union and made tables out of it.
“You can see the char marks,” he said.
Britain said the bar is “rustic” and “really inviting” with a “vast” amount of beer selections. Despite not having a “set-in-stone” marketing strategy, Gunn said he believes a lot of music lovers will frequent The Union and that they’re going to “let the place speak for itself.”
“We’re making it so that when people do come, they have a good time and want to come back,” Gunn said.
Although The Union’s grand reopening occurred May 25 after school let out, Gunn said he believes this was a “blessing in disguise” because the summer gave the workers a chance to get rid of their “sea legs” when getting back into business.
Even though Britain didn’t attend the opening night of The Union, he saw “the line was around the block” when walking by it opening night. He added that everyone who frequents the bar “loves it.”
“It’s one of the best bars in town — it’s up there with Lucky’s,” Britain said.
Even though The Union has been closed for more than a year and a half, Gunn said he hopes that everyone can look toward the future of the bar and grill.
“A few years from now, (the fire) will just be another story that old-timers will talk about,” Gunn said. “We’re stoked to be open and have everyone back in town and have a great fall semester.”
Alex Darus contributed to this report
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