A Watertown bar with a long history will undergo a metamorphosis.

Watertown couple Frank G. and Audrey J. Danielson have bought the former Kicker’s Lounge at 496 Factory St. and are renaming it First Round with the goal of bringing a vibrant bar back to life for after-work crowds. Its history as Coach’s sports bar and Pete’s Restaurant made the pair of entrepreneurs latch onto the project right away when they found out owner Todd B. DeVito put the building up for sale in the spring.

“There are people who’ve told us they remember when it was Pete’s, and we love that stuff,” Mr. Danielson said of the 2,300-square-foot restaurant that will seat 70 people. “We even found an old picture of Pete’s from 1937 upstairs.”

Eager to start the project without delays, the couple closed on the sale Wednesday and have already begun gutting the bar.

Though they’ll keep some of its old singular qualities such as the wooden bar and paneled siding lining the walls, the interior will be spruced up with a contemporary look. They’ll have a new roof, floors, paint and lighting.

A revolving neon light is planned as a backdrop behind the bar, and the restaurant area will have eight to 10 high-top tables. A nook that formerly housed a wood-burning stove will have an artificial fireplace complemented by two large flat-screen television sets above.

Sports fans will have plenty of eye candy offered by 10 television screens showcasing sports channels. Also featured will be a modern jukebox, possibly along with a dartboard and pool table in a room in the back. Food likely will include chicken wings, nachos and flatbread pizza.

Mrs. Danielson, who worked as a waitress for 25 years at Coach’s, said they plan to bring back live entertainment to lure crowds during the weekend.

They’d eventually like to open the second floor as a game room with several pool tables and a small bar. That area could host a dart league and live concerts with local bands.

“This place was where everyone came when it was Coach’s, and that’s what we want to bring back,” she said. “There are a lot of people in the community that remember those times. Watertown has a lot of bars, but we’re going to offer something different.”

Sporting its contemporary theme, the bar will have a classy atmosphere that will be geared toward after-work business, said Mr. Danielson, who has managed several P&C Foods grocery stores during his career, including the one at Seaway Plaza that closed in 2010.

“We want this to be a nice, friendly atmosphere for people to come to after they get out of work,” Mr. Danielson said. “We expect to keep some local customers and draw new people in.”

The couple chose the moniker First Round by design.

“We want this to be the first stop for a round of drinks,” Mrs. Danielson said.

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