A.J.’s Restaurant & Bar opened yesterday in the building formerly occupied by Michael Domani’s.

Michael Boksa, who co-owned Domani’s with Michael Corray, now owns the new restaurant with his wife Traci.

Domani’s closed on Nov. 1, and in that month, Boksa said, they created a new menu and cleaned up the place, among other things.

Boksa said as opposed to Domani’s, which was more upscale, fancy, and as a result was more expensive, A.J.’s will be much more casual with more affordable prices aimed at Eastern students.

Boksa described the dining experience as “good old fashioned, fast, and much more casual,” comparable to mainstream restaurant chains.

Server Nathan Giannelli, Eastern financial investment major, agreed. Giannelli, who worked at Domani’s as well, said Eastern students can now grab “a quick lunch and go to class.” Giannelli said he returned because he loved the atmosphere.

All servers were offered their jobs back and Boksa said about 90 percent returned.

The casual approach will also affect the menu. Domani’s focused on attention on upscale Italian cuisine while A.J.’s will focus on variety. Boksa said he conducted “unscientific research” by asking Eastern students and locals what they like about Domani’s. He said that some of Domani’s favorites, like the variety of pastas and some of the sandwiches, will return whiles burgers and steaks will be offered as well.

Chelsey Brewer, a hospitality major, said they took off a lot of seafood dishes, which fit well in Domani’s menu but doesn’t correspond well with the casual approach A.J’s is taking.

Nikola Simic, Eastern economics major, said there are 77 items on the menu with more sandwiches, appetizer choices, combos and homemade desserts than Domani’s.

Servers were able to taste a variety of items on the menu before the general public and Simic said his favorites included the Tuscan Pesto Chicken Ciabatta and the Monte Cristo.

Giannelli added that the Canadian Club and Club House Grill were among his favorites.

He said the new menu will please more people and Simic added it “is perfect for college students.”

For instance, “you can’t go wrong with the shrimp scampi,” Giannelli noted.

“We have some great, quality items and there’s something on the menu for everyone,” Boksa said.

For those disappointed that Domani’s closed, Brewer encouraged them to come in with an open mind.

Boksa said he hopes to incorporate more theme nights such as fish fries on Fridays and barbeque on Saturdays. Boksa would also like to have a mini-Monday or Tuesday in which the restaurant sells mini-martinis and mini-Corona’s.

Boksa has additional plans to open a banquet room, which would hold up to 75 people, sometime in January. Boksa would also like to reopen a bar in the space formerly occupied by Stu’s Surf Side sometime in July.

A.J.’s is open for lunch between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and reopens at 4 for dinner. The bar is open to 1 a.m. daily and dinner hours end at 9 Monday through Thursday nights and 10 on Friday and Saturday nights. Appetizers will be available after dinner hours. The restaurant is not open on Sundays.