A new chapter in the storied history of The Cats — the circa 1896 roadhouse above Los Gatos — will begin Friday when the Restaurant reopens under new ownership.

Barbecue, a staple at The Cats, will be back. And the live music will return next week to this building that’s been a stage stop, a speakeasy, a bordello, a realty shop, a sporting goods store and, since 1967, a restaurant and tavern.

What’s different is the mission behind the Menu. The Cats’ new owner is ChefCentury, a culinary venture launched during the pandemic by South Bay entrepreneur Richard Tam, who wanted to provide a lifeline to struggling Chefs by supplying them with a fully equipped commissary kitchen. They cooked meals for delivery, made Ukrainian specialties for fundraisers and every month selected a different charity to support.

The only thing missing was customer engagement, and chefs thrive on that, Tam said. He seized the opportunity to buy The Cats brand when the iconic restaurant came up for sale.

“The energy always comes from the chefs. Now we’re going from a ghost kitchen to our own place. The chefs can see and connect with the customers.”

After relaunching the barbecue menu, Tam will build upon the ChefCentury model by introducing other chefs and adding their culinary specialties. The restaurant, open Friday-Saturday-Sunday for starters, will also offer private events and catering.

Tam’s background may not be in restaurants — he was the founder/CEO of the iUniverse self-publishing business — but he’s deep into this field now. “The first thing we wanted to do is make sure we improve the quality of the food,” Tam said, noting that the previous owners had been understaffed.

He’s already got five cooks in the kitchen.

Adrian Pham, the executive chef, combines in-depth barbecue knowledge from his home state, North Carolina, with a passion for Japanese cuisine. Chef Rafael Lim cut his culinary teeth in the Philippines and is also a fan of live-fire cooking. He has founded a company called Angry Cow Master Cuts that specializes in premium Wagyu beef.

The inaugural menu of smoked meats features brisket, both pork and beef ribs, chicken and pulled pork and an elevated dish, smoked Wagyu with chimichurri sauce. From the grill will come ribeye steaks and seared lemon-pepper salmon. Burgers, wings, chili, jalapeno hush puppies and salads round out the offerings.

The Cats’ bar menu will see a little elevation too, with signature cocktails and mocktails joining the lineup of craft brews and hard liquor.

Details: Open from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday and 4 to 10 p.m. Sunday at 17533 Santa Cruz Highway, Los Gatos. Find the full menu at www.thecatslosgatos.com.