A beloved underground bar is reopening its doors soon.

Ace Gillett's, a cocktail and jazz lounge located underneath Old Town's Armstrong Hotel, will be back in business Friday after an almost two-month renovation.

The bar, 239 S. College. Ave., closed at the beginning of the year to make way for its transformation.

It now boasts a new food and cocktail menu and updated interior design aimed at giving the space "a sophisticated twist on a classic neighborhood lounge," Armstrong Hotel and Ace Gillett's manager George Prine said in a Wednesday news release.

The new food menu at Ace Gillett's is based on farm-to-table and seasonal cooking, featuring shareable plates, small bites and daily specials, the release said.

Ace Gillett's opened in 2010 as part of The Armstrong Hotel. Drawing on local history, the hotel's then-owners named it after longtime Fort Collins hotelier Ace Gillett.

Gillett, who worked at and later owned both the Northern Hotel and The Armstrong Hotel, was known to sell mixed drinks “under the table” to customers of the Northern Hotel dining room during Fort Collins' 73-year prohibition on liquor, according to Coloradoan history columnist Barbara Fleming.

Fort Collins prohibition:Despite hard-fought battle for liquor, beer crafted Fort Collins' image

Ace Gillett's will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The bar will offer live music nightly as well as special weekend programming.

Erin Udell reports on news, culture, history and more for the Coloradoan. Contact her at ErinUdell@coloradoan.com. The only way she can keep doing what she does is with your support. If you subscribe, thank you. If not, sign up for a subscription to the Coloradoan today.