The popular Amherst eateries, Amherst Brewing Company and The Hangar Pub and Grill have plans to merge under one owner later this year.

John Korpita, the current owner of Amherst Brewing Company, is selling the restaurant to Harold Tramazzo, who owns The Hangar across the street, as well as the successful restaurant chain Wings Over, which has 37 locations across the United States.

Right now, the business is waiting on permits and changes in licenses and zoning before anything can move forward.

“The process is tedious,” Korpita said. “It’s going to take months.”

Tramazzo has plans to make the restaurant “a bit more friendly for the people who actually live here.”

He said that although there is a huge student population just down the road, ABC mainly caters to an older crowd. “My goal is to be more welcoming,” he said.

The menu will change to pub-style and the more unpopular and expensive dishes will be removed. Other changes will include a revamped beer list that will offer classic brews like the White Dog IPA and the Honey Pilsner, while also exploring newer styles.

“Our goal on the beer side is fresher beer,” he said, “We’re changing up the style.”

Korpita, who has been home brewing craft beer since 1972 and opened up ABC in 1997, will remain in the company, but will take a step back from the business aspect and rededicate himself to experimenting with new brews, a passion that he hasn’t indulged in too much in the past decade.

“It’s all good,” Korpita said, “We’re pretty much going to be doing the same thing, just a little bit different.”

Tramazzo also said that there would be no changes to The Hangar, which is running smoother then ever.

ABC opened its doors at the present-day space located on the corner of University Drive and Amity Street in 2011, and has been providing a more mature dining atmosphere to the community ever since.

Andy Castillo can be reached at [email protected].