"Now there are less liquor places in Harvard Square and that's bad for all of us, because people won't come here to drink as much," he added. "They're already started going up to Inman, Davis and even Central Square."
But several Grendel's patrons said they were staying put.
Brian Lingham, a regular before the renovations, said he even took off work to see the bar reopen.
"Welcome home!" he said. "The atmosphere hasn't changed at all and that's what people like. Everyone's been saying that things are exactly the same," Kuelzer said.
What has changed was more than cosmetic, however.
Renovations brought the bar into compliance with Cambridge codes, ensuring, for example, that patron tables were available to the disabled.
Workers also installed a new kitchen and built new bathrooms.
According to management, business so far has been better than expected.