After more than a year of standing empty, new management of the White Horse Inn is prepared to re-open the doors of the once popular campus bar and restaurant in the upcoming weeks.

Aidas Mattis and Blair Schober, both from California, joined Champaign real estate agent Tim Hoss Jr. in the purchase and renovation of the building, updating the equipment and hiring new staff.

“We purchased a ton of new equipment to make sure the beer is cold and the food is warm,” Mattis said.

The team installed new coolers, freezers and beer line systems with 12 beers on tap at three locations. Although they have made updates, Schober said they are not changing everything.

“The general architecture is the same,” Schober said. “We’re keeping it the White Horse and keeping the same feeling, just with better service and better quality.”

Mattis said they are going to add their own new traditions, but want to keep many of the old ones as well. He said they will try to keep the same specials: hamburger Mondays, taco Tuesdays, karaoke on Wednesdays and Wing Night on Thursdays.

Mattis, a graduate student, first got into the bar and restaurant business in Los Angeles before making the move to Champaign. He had been looking at White Horse several years before it closed down.

“I saw that it really was a very unique establishment,” he said. “I like the feel, the atmosphere of coming in here, the almost rustic feeling. It seemed like the kind of place where you could go and relax and have a good time with people.”

Mattis and Hoss agreed to go into business in March and asked Schober, who Mattis has known since grade school, to join them in June.

The White Horse Inn, located at Second and Green streets, closed in November 2007 to the disappointment of many students.

Both Mattis and Schober said the previous owner closed it down due to financial difficulties.

Beth Finch, senior in Media, said she was upset when the bar originally closed down.

“It was actually the first bar I ever came to,” she said. “I was a little depressed.”

Rachael Jacobs, junior in LAS and server at the White Horse, said many students are looking forward to the re-opening.

“The atmosphere in here is really nice and relaxing, it’s a great place to go and just hang out,” she said. “My friends that are juniors and seniors all seem very excited, especially for karaoke night.”

Jacobs also noted the improvement of the building and its cleanliness.

“It’s definitely a lot cleaner now,” she said. “I think it looks a lot nicer in here.”

Schober said he has noticed the excitement and warm reception on campus.

“A lot of people have been missing it, and a lot of people have been filling out applications,” he said. “I think people are going to come and check it out and be pleasantly surprised.”

Delayed by the state due to back-owed taxes from the previous owner, the opening night has yet to be determined. Schober said they are aiming for this Friday, but are unsure if it will happen.

“We want to make sure not to drop the ball,” Schober said. “We want to open the doors and hit a home run.”