BELFAST – There may be a new boss behind the bar at Rollie’s Cafe, but the owners are making sure the old traditions continue.

Rollie’s has been a popular downtown gathering spot for more than a generation, and its new owners, Randall and Bridget Cook, have no intention of changing the look and feel of the legendary Main Street watering hole.

Hollywood picked Rollie’s as a location for scenes in the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s “Thinner.” The Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Club’s tour book lists Rollie’s as a place to visit while in Maine. The bar also has the dubious distinction as being the spot where convicted murderer Joel Fuller allegedly plotted two killings in the 1980s. Fuller was arrested while sitting in one of Rollie’s booths having a beer.

The bar has always had a unique feel and is home to an eclectic crowd of patrons, which is what the Cooks wanted to retain when they bought the place.

“We could have come in and completely wiped it away, but we wanted to preserve what was here,” Randall Cook said. “We could have scrapped all the tables and all the booths, but that would just erase history. We didn’t want to do that.”

What the Cooks did do was shut the place down a few days for cleaning, new carpeting, a fresh coat of paint and a big-screen television. They also installed a new beer tap system, new bar stools and expanded the assortment of liquors and bottled beer. Most of Rollie’s menu items were retained, as was the staff. The beer signs, the photos of regular patrons and employees and the autographed picture of singer Patsy Cline were still on the walls when the bar reopened for business last week.

“All we had to do was open the doors,” said Cook. “We didn’t have to do any advertising. People know Rollie’s, and they have been real supportive. They all say it’s like the old Rollie’s.”

That comes as heartwarming news to former owner Ronnie Jenness. The Jenness family operated Rollie’s for 30 years, beginning when Ronnie’s late father Reggie purchased the bar and grill from Roland Violette.

Rollie’s was known as a family saloon in those days. On any given day, patrons would find Reggie, wife Elsie and brothers Ronnie, Randy, Ricky and Bobby cooking pizza, waiting tables or tending bar. Randy and Ricky moved on to other professions, but Ronnie and Bobby remained until the day Rollie’s was sold.

“It’s sad knowing I won’t be seeing the people every day,” said Ron Jenness. “We always had a great mix of customers. From lawyers and doctors to bikers, plant workers, teachers and truckers. We had a lot of fun.”

Rollie’s was the city’s first sports bar and its patrons were as supportive of their local teams as they were the pros. The bar donated a lot of money to local sports over the years. Whenever Belfast won the state football championship, the coaches would bring the gold ball in. When the field hockey team won, they would stop the bus out front and give Rollie’s a cheer.

Jenness said he decided to sell the business because his health has declined in recent years and he wanted to spend more time with his 11-year old son, Tyler.

“I had a hard time walking away but I really had to,” he said. “Besides, I want to go fishing with Tyler and spend more time with him. He’s always been involved with the barroom scene so it was time to get him away from that. I want to give him time to have a life with his dad without me being involved with a bar every day.”

For the Cooks, the opportunity to get involved in the bar scene was first proposed by Bridget’s father, “Bad, Bad” Leroy Brown, a Harley-Davidson enthusiast and Rollie’s regular. Bridget grew up in Lincolnville, and Randall was raised in Florida. The couple was living in Kuwait when Brown told them Rollie’s was for sale.

Randall Cook will head back to Kuwait next month, where he works as a private consultant to the military, training soldiers about to enter Iraq.

“We try to give them an edge on the survival skills that they lack, especially the reserves and National Guard,” he said.

Bridget Cook will stay in Belfast to run Rollie’s. The Cooks plan to make their home in an apartment above the bar.

“This just sort of fell into place,” Randall Cook said. “Bridget and I have been running all over the world in the military so this was our first adventure. Everyone told us that you need years of experience in this business but it seems to be going good. The same leadership skills you learn in the military can be brought here.”

“It’s really been more than we could have asked for,” Bridget Cook added. “It’s a little overwhelming the way the community has responded. It’s been good meeting everybody in the community. There hasn’t been anybody that hasn’t been friendly and offered help.”