The couple, who are from Fox Lake, Ill., and now reside in Republic, purchased the bar last year in August from Carol Coonrad, who owned it for 13 years.

“We drove by it nine times and saw the ‘For sale’ sign on it and just decided one day to buy it,” Theresa said.

Theresa said she was looking to purchase a bar up north because she wanted to be closer to her mother, who lives in Republic. She has been coming to the area for more than 30 years.

“There are four generations of owners and owners’ families that are still coming in. It’s nice to have the support of previous owners and their families coming in the door,” she said.

Cuculi’s Bar in Channing has been a fixture in the Channing area for generations. (Marguerite Lanthier/Daily News)

Bartender Dawn Larson has worked at the bar for four and a half years and is happy to see it gain some new life.

“She came with the bar,” Dave joked.

“It’s good to have new eyes, see something different,” Larson said. “A lot of people stop on their way through town.”

“If you come in here not knowing anybody, you’ll leave knowing everyone,” Theresa said.

Some of the changes they’ve made include some building renovations, an upgraded jukebox, a new dart board, new televisions and an ATM.

They are also offering more product variety. Another major change is that they open at 11 a.m.

They have free coffee, happy hour daily from 3 to 6 p.m. and on weekends they serve loaded bloody Marys for $5. On Sundays, there are snacks and appetizers for customers.

They are now selling pizzas, which are made at Summer Place, her mother’s restaurant in Republic.

“We go through a lot of pizzas,” Theresa said. They also have pre-order wing nights on Mondays.

In addition to the physical changes they’ve made at the bar, they have participated in and hosted a number of fundraisers in the area.

“We do a lot for our community,” she said.

They had a school supply drive and donated items to both Forest Park and North Dickinson County schools. They have guest bartenders who come in and donate their tips to various organizations.

On Sept. 11, they had a 9/11 breakfast and moment of silence. They were part of the Ride for a Cure and the Veterans Tribute Ride. They had a meat raffle for a young cancer patient.

They hosted a fishing pole event called Bait, Bobbers & Big Smiles for free fishing day. The event was in the field behind the bar and featured a number of venders. Fishing poles were donated to children younger than age 14 and they also received a bag of tackle.

“Anything we can do to support the neighbors, our community — we’re always looking to be involved,” Theresa said.

“We have our Facebook page. We advertise our events ahead of time,” she said.

“It’s been a really hectic year,” he said.

“We love when the kids come in to have pizza. We have a snack basket in the back for the kids. There’s little ones — two-years-old — who will come in and grab our hands and lead us back to the snack basket. They know where it’s at,” Theresa said.

She told a story about a mom who messaged to tell her she couldn’t get her child to bed. He was crying because he wanted to go to Cuculi’s.

“Those are the little things that make owning the bar worthwhile to us,” Theresa said.

“I believe this bar is very family-orientated,” he added.

They both still work full time for Atlas Van Lines. She is vice president of client services and he works as an over-the-road mover.

The bar is at 511 Railroad Ave. in Channing. They are open until at least 10 p.m. during the week and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The phone number is 906-542-5009.

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Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.