OAKLAND — In early September, things seemed bleak for the historic downtown restaurant Tolly's.

Owners Myra Plant and Jeffrey Parker owed nearly $14,000 in back property taxes and were operating without grills, ovens or deep fryers after a state fire marshal condemned the kitchen.

The doors were soon locked on the 119-year-old building at 115 N.E. Locust St.

“It's horrendous that it closed,” said Oakland resident Deirdre Wilson, a self-described patron and fan of Tolly's.

The city is now buzzing with the news that the restaurant was purchased by Oakland residents Don and Pat Knight, who plan to reopen it around mid-February.

“We just hated to see it go down like that,” said Pat Knight, who knew Tolly's founders, Terry and Carol Tollefson.

The Knights, who have lived just outside Oakland city limits since 1962, purchased Tolly's on Nov. 10 for $150,000.

The couple have a partnership with former Tolly's employees Tim Mitchell and Doug Longfellow, who will manage the restaurant.

“I think we have a great opportunity here. There's a lot of untapped potential in this restaurant,” Longfellow said.

Both worked at Tolly's for two years. Mitchell was general manager and Longfellow was a bartender. They were forced to leave in 2009 when a 12-person staff was whittled down to two.

“I wanted to own it initially when I was a general manager, but there wasn't really a possible way to do it,” Mitchell said.

After moving to Eugene reluctantly, Mitchell and Longfellow said they were pleasantly surprised when the Knights offered to be their business partners.

“We tried every way to get back to Oakland and this fell into our lap,” Longfellow said.

Now with the restaurant under their direction, preparation for the reopening has begun. Sounds of renovation can be heard as walls are being replaced and new equipment installed.

The kitchen will receive a $120,000 makeover to bring it up to code. A flattop grill, two gas ovens, deep fryer, a 12-foot hood and two ovens with six burners will be part of the new kitchen.

Although new hardware has been added, Mitchell said the business model and food will try to follow the attitude of the original Tolly's.

The original restaurant was opened in 1967 by the Tollefsons and was operated off and on by the couple until it was sold in 2007. Mitchell said that the restaurant was known for quality food, good service and classic looks.

“It reminded me of when I was 6 years old. That aroma you get from a building that is well aged set me back,” he said. “We're putting everything that is innately ‘Tolly's' back in.”

The soda fountain is being restored to its original condition and the ambiance will remain relatively unchanged.

The restaurant will be open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. It will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday for dinner. The business also will have a bakery and an antique shop in the upstairs.

The menu will include historic items like Tolly's Talk of the Town, Creighton B and the Herbie Hogan, along with rib-eye steak, pasta, salmon and French onion soup.

Oakland residents are anticipating the positive effect the reopening will bring. After an uneasy few years, where at one point owners tried unsuccessfully to raise money and sell the restaurant through an essay contest, many see the new ownership as being a stable one.

Mayor Bette Keehley said she expects a reopened Tolly's to boost the town's economy by attracting visitors.

“I think it's going to save our town,” she said. “It's well known all over the country and world.”

• You can reach reporter Ryan Imondi at 541-957-4211 or by email at rimondi@nrtoday.com.