Smugs, a DU student and neighborhood gathering place on South Downing Street and Evans Avenue, has closed for major renovations.
New Year’s Eve was the bar and grill’s last evening, pending resolution of plumbing and sewer line issues that led to the decision to shut down, says proprietor Matt Landy.
“We closed up to fix it up and possibly reopen under a different name,” Landy says. There’s no timetable set.
Smugs opened in November 2007 in a rustic structure on the northwest corner of Downing and Evan that was the home of Fagan’s restaurant since 1973.
Smugs aimed to capture the sports, neighborhood and student clientele and business was good, Landy says, but it was inconsistent.
“Some nights we were so packed we didn’t’ know what to do,” he says. “Other nights, employees were standing around looking at each other.”