SALEM — B.B. Rooners Food & Spirits at 256 E. State St. reopened on Thursday under the new owners Roy and Soph Paparodis after they purchased the popular sports-themed restaurant on April 16.

Margie and Dan Engle opened the downtown restaurant 28 years ago, buying into Salem sports lore by furnishing it with rescued high school bleachers and scoreboards that were headed to the scrap yard.

The Engles were looking to retire.

Soph will manage the day-to-day operations while his father, Roy, who serves on city council, will also work at the business.

“We took over last Monday,” Soph said, “and opened on Thursday.”

He said it was important to have a quick turnover because of the employees.

“Our kitchen and service staff are phenomenal. We put a lot on them. That’s how we did it so quickly. We wanted to keep the staff we had. We really do. The employees really make the restaurant.”

B.B. Rooners is open with temporary supper hours and will return with lunch soon.

Kitchen hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, with the bar hours until 11 p.m. or midnight based on business;

and from 4-11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday with the bar open from noon-1 a.m. based on business.

Sunday hours are from noon-7:30 p.m. with the bar open an hour later.

Soph Paparodis said, “We liked B.B. Rooners, loved (that) its in Salem and we’ll add to it.”

An analysis of the menu showed that of the top 50 percent of the items B.B. Rooners sold accounted for 90 percent of the sales, Paparodis said.

Those popular dishes are on the menu and there will be “more items in house,” he said.

“With premium food we want to deliver high a quality product.”

Many menu offerings from sauces to soups, to hot chips and pulled pork are being made in house.

There are a number of new items on the sandwich menu including the State Street Burger, Over The Top Burger, a California Chicken Sandwich, and a Super Dog, that features a quarter pound jumbo Nathan’s all-beef hotdog.

New entree menu items include grilled gulf shrimp, USDA Choice Angus 8 ounce sirloin and a 12 ounce NY USDA Choice Angus strip steak.

There is a kid’s menu, sides, pizza and desserts, a starter menu with 20 items, a soup and salad menu with eight items, including five that are new, and there will be weekly specials.

For information, call 330-337-0001, or visit www.bbroonersfoodandspirits.com, or see B.B. Rooners on Facebook.

Paparodis said the website is being tweaked to reflect the new items and the popular Ohio Lottery Keno game will also return soon.

lshields@salemnews.net