The bar formerly known as The Border will reopen this quarter under new ownership and with a new name, Merchants Mile High Saloon.

Called “Merchants” for short, the new bar is owned by a three-person company called Javar Entertainment Corporation, which was founded on extensive bar ownership and managerial experience.

The official grand opening of Merchants Mile High Saloon is scheduled for Nov. 17, but the owners hope to open the doors within the next two weeks.

The three partners buying the bar are JJ Jenkins,  Zhiva Kirchanski and Rich Hartman.

Jenkins owns two bars in the San Francisco Bay area,while Kirchanksi owns shares of three bars in California and one in Mexico.

Jenkins grew up in Colorado, and his personal connection to the state, along with the location of the bar near DU’s campus, are some of the reasons that the company decided to buy the property over others they were considering.

“Merchants” will be modeled after the bar scene in the San Francisco Bay area, which Jenkins says usually feature fewer advertisements and neon signs than the typical Colorado bar. The new bar will have a nautical theme with an ambiance Jenkins describes as “dark” and “sexy.”

Jenkins and one of his partners toured as professional musicians in the past, so they plan to use their connections to bring in several well-known acts from around the country to play at the bar.

“We’re very aware of what the student body likes and that they maybe want to see a DJ, but we also want to open it up more to the community,” said Jenkins.

While the owners of the Border chose to close the bar for most of the summer months, Jenkins says the new owners plan to keep the bar open year-round, and will cater to different groups in the area.

“We understand that there’s sort of a built-in customer base with the school right there, so we’ll be doing a lot of DJs during the year, and then a lot of other music during the summertime,” said Jenkins.

The new bar will also act as a restaurant, and the trio has been working with the original owner of the property to bring back the Mexican food menu first featured at the location before it became The Border.

Jenkins said Merchants will  will cater exclusively to people 21 years of age and older.

“The Border had a reputation and got in a lot of trouble over the years for serving minors, and that unfortunately has ended,” said Jenkins.  “We are by the book, and we don’t plan to flirt with disaster.”

One of the new owners is the head of security at several other bars, and the trio has worked hard to staff a very experienced and professional door crew.

“I understand that people have pretty good fake IDs, and we’re even better at spotting the fakes,” said Jenkins.

“We’re coming in with a lot of experience, and we’re going to use everything we have to make sure that it’s successful, and make sure that it’s legal.”

Although the new owners hoped to unofficially open the doors sometime this week, remaining interior work has delayed the opening until next week.