McKee's Pub & Grill closed in August,  but Winooski won't be without the watering hole at the top of the rotary for long. Lance McKee — who sold the business in 2023 as part of his "semiretirement" — is taking the reins once again and plans to reopen as McKee's Original by the end of October. McKee told Seven Days on Monday that the new concept would return the bar to what it was when his father opened it in 1987: "just a little local hangout for people to come and have a couple cocktails and relax with each other." The business had grown over the years to include a full food menu, which had "slim margins" when he sold it to Ryan Johnston and Jamie Lacourse, he said. The new owners cited increased costs, rising insurance rates and taxes, and issues related to ongoing construction in Winooski as primary reasons for shuttering the East Allen Street bar 18 months after they bought it. "We're still friends and hunting buddies, and everything's good," McKee said of Johnston and Lacourse. McKee initially tried to find a new buyer for the pub while spending the past month and a half deep cleaning and renovating the space. During that work, "I realized I can't just let it sit here," he said. "We've had regulars for 30-plus years, and they need a place to go. They finally broke me," he added with a laugh. The new concept will be a bar and game room, with minimal food — likely self-serve hot dogs, chili and soup, McKee said. He'll have local restaurant menus on hand and will encourage customers to bring in food from elsewhere. A new game room in the back will have video games, a pool table and dartboards, and football games will play on TV. "Generations of families have gathered here, and I'm excited to reopen so that the community can have that spot to do so again," McKee said. "I retired for a reason, but I ran it for 35 years for a reason — because I love the town so much."…