On a white wall in the dim interior of a building on Lincoln Way and Welch is scrawled “Keep People’s Here.” The wall, which has the written instructions “Make your mark” on it, is filled with notes about people who love People’s Bar and Grill and the great time they’ve had there.

After 18 years in the same spot, People’s Bar and Grill is closing their current location on 2430 Lincoln Way after their lease expires. The current landlords have decided to put their own restaurant in.

“[We plan to] remodel, redecorate and rejuvenate – upgrade the whole thing,” said Lynn Champlin Lloyd, co-owner of Ridiculous Rags and one of the owners of the People’s building. “[We want to] take what People’s did well and do it better.”

Lloyd and her brother, Steven Champlin, the owners of the new restaurant are going to make it better and cleaner. Lloyd said it would be like People’s, just changed and upgraded. They plan on putting in a horseshoe bar, upgrading the stage and sound and would like to do something with the old ballroom.

“This is not for old folks, this is a kids’ venue,” Lloyd said.

The new bar and restaurant is going to be named Papa Lou’s, after Lloyd’s father and grandfather’s shared name, Louis.

Lloyd said her grandfather built the building in 1906 and opened it as a drugstore in 1907. The upper level used to be an ISU ballroom.

It was declared a historical building, so it cannot be torn down, only renovated and upgraded. The building has about 5,000 square feet of space.

Their family owns the entire block and is trying to get all the fronts looking better, Lloyd said.

“I think it is going to be an improvement,” Lloyd said. “We hope to open it right when the kids get back.”

Tom Zmolek, the owner of People’s, plans on finding a new place for People’s Bar and Grill in Ames, but says he will miss the old place.

“After having been there for 18 years, [it is] kind of bittersweet. We’ve been looking at some much nicer, newer spaces, and have even considered building a new building, but it is just the history – no matter what building we move into, we will not be at the corner of Lincoln Way and Welch anymore, which will be kind of sad,” Zmolek said.

Zmolek said they were still planning on keeping People’s in Campustown, even if they have to downsize a little.

On Facebook, there is a group called “Save People’s,” created by ISU alumnus Kyle Flander. The group has over 1,200 members.

“I just think that a bar like People’s, that has been there as long as it has, shouldn’t have to relocate. I have been out of college for four years now, and it is just sad to hear,” Flander said. “I know that everyone that I have talked to about this are really upset and sad that it is happening.”