50-year-old U-District pub reopens under UW grad’s ownership

The more than 50-year-old College Inn Pub has reopened its doors under new ownership following its closure on June 15.

The previous owners, Jen Gonyer and Al Donohue, attempted to sell the longstanding pub at 4006 University Way N.E. but struggled to find a buyer, leading to its closure, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal.

Former UW grad takes ownership of U-District’s College Inn Pub

Jae Chang, a graduate from the University of Washington and owner of neighboring Cafe Happy, assumed the lease and launched a soft opening over the summer.

“There were some issues before, but now we’re able to bring it back to the original state and legacy,” Chang told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “Everyone who went to UW is really familiar, or has some sort of memory, with the pub.”

As the pub changes hands once more, Chang will be the sixth owner of the pub since it was founded in 1973. The College Inn Pub will be led by Dan Carlisle and Mark Kurtz, two former employees who will manage the joint.

“It came into my world like a storm, I really wasn’t prepared,” Chang told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “But there was a good crew, everything was operational, plus the good reputation since the beginning made it nice.”

The pub is currently running with limited capacity as various renovations are underway. A downsized food menu will be provided for the foreseeable future until Chang’s vision of a full-scale kitchen can offer a fully developed menu.

Notable renovations have been made to the pub’s interior, adding updated artwork and table arrangements. Chang aimed to target a younger audience with his modernized renovations, but longtime specialty offerings like Trivia Tuesdays and pool tournaments will remain.

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