Lupo’s has been dark since winter break, with a sign taped to a cracked glass pane in the front door promising a January reopening following renovations.

But for the first time since reports surfaced in the fall that the popular bar and restaurant may soon change hands, a new owner has officially emerged. Only it’s not former Terps football star Shawne Merriman taking over, as was first reported in August. According to city documents obtained by The Diamondback, Alan Wanuck, owner of Alario’s Pizzeria in North College Park, has filed an application for a liquor license at the Lupo’s address.

Wanuck apparently has plans to change the name as well: Curley’s Grill is listed as the new name for the property in the Jan. 25 filing. Also in the application, Wanuck checked “yes” under plans for entertainment, naming live music and a comedy venue as two options he may pursue once Curley’s opens.

Wanuck and Merriman did not return repeated calls for comment for this story.

Since rumors began circulating six months ago regarding Merriman’s involvement, it has been difficult to unravel exactly what was going on behind the scenes at the Route 1 restaurant. Unreturned phone calls and “no comments” from Lupo’s staff were par for the course any time questions were raised, and it was never clear whether Merriman had taken any financial stake in the restaurant.

But in an interview with former owner Anthony Lupo last night, he said Merriman’s involvement in the restaurant began earlier than was previously thought. According to Lupo, he and his brother Peter sold their majority share in the restaurant in September to Merriman, leaving Merriman as majority owner along with minority shareholder John Opdahl.

Lupo said he and his brother had reached an agreement with Merriman and Opdahl that they would be permitted to continue the use of the family name for the establishment until the end of the fall semester. Merriman and Opdahl agreed to close Lupo’s during winter break and reopen it under a new name.

But Lupo said he has not yet received full payment under the agreement and plans to take the matter to court. Lupo said he had no knowledge of any deals made with Wanuck, and he said any financial negotiations had been made “directly with Shawn.”

“It’s all between lawyers now,” Lupo said, declining to comment on why negotiations or finances had gone sour between the brothers and Merriman.

It remains unclear how Wanuck came to apply for the new liquor license because both Opdahl and Merriman did not return calls. But neither Opdahl nor Merriman are named in the liquor board application filed by Wanuck. Additionally, Wanuck lists himself as “100%” shareholder, and as President, Secretary and Treasurer of Curley’s Grill, and no other investors are named in the document.

The apparent takeover by Wanuck, which will probably not formally take place until the liquor board reviews Wanuck’s application for approval on March 28, will end Lupo’s Italian Chophouse’s storied saga on the 7400 block.

Lupo’s bumpy three-year history began when brothers Anthony and Peter Lupo opened a first-floor eatery in November of 2002, in the former location of what was once a rough and rowdy beer hall called Terrapin Station. To appease the City Council, the Lupos agreed to serve 60-40 food to alcohol ration in order to avoid becoming anything like their trouble-making predecessor.

The Lupos, along with co-owner Opdahl, had big plans from the beginning for the 14,000 square foot property and hoped to open a second-floor dance hall shortly after the first-floor restaurant and pub opened. The brothers also announced plans to open a pool hall in the property next to what is now Jimmy John’s.

Permits and construction delays forced the brothers to wait seven months to open the second-floor dance hall, and a rent dispute ended the brothers’ pool hall dreams. The delays and disputes didn’t seem to affect the food, however. The Washington Post’s Tom Sietsema wrote Lupo’s was “that rare bird in Prince George’s County: a serious restaurant,” in his October 2003 review of the eatery.

More recently, however, District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said the establishment’s decision to begin admitting 18, 19- and 20-year-olds to the busier bar nights had “caused some consternation” among residents and business owners. It is legal in Prince George’s County to allow minors to enter bars, provided they are not served alcohol.

“They had big plans and it didn’t work out,” Catlin said of the brother’s previous expectations to expand the business. “I know we had some concern on the council because the cost of renovation was well in excess of what they thought it’d be.”

At least one local business owner, who asked not to be named because he did not want to risk retaliation against his store, said he was relieved Lupo’s had been closed as long as it had because there was less rowdiness and vandalism.

Junior business major Zach Dawson, who used to frequent Lupo’s on Friday nights for happy hour with 30 or more friends, feels differently.

“We’re basically in disarray and we really don’t know where to go on Friday nights anymore,” Dawson said. “It was kind of like a Cheers – everyone knew your name and it was just a laid back setting … I’ll really miss the place.”

Contact reporter Kevin Litten at littendbk@gmail.com.