Patrons had been asking for the return of the sports bar at the Maple Street Mansion and two weekends ago they got it.

The sports bar was replaced with a piano bar last summer. But Peggy Robinson, who co-owns the restaurant with Wayne Hill, said the piano bar appealed to a narrow group of customers and people had been requesting a more casual atmosphere. So the sports bar returned, complete with televisions and deer heads on the wall. The piano was replaced with a small stage for live entertainment.

The bar was designed with families in mind and includes a game arcade for younger patrons, Robinson said.

“We’ve had a wonderful response from the community,” she said. “We’ve got above-average bar food. We wanted to add quality to the food.”

Robinson, who also co-owns S & R Catering, wants to offer better than the standard bar fare on a menu that lists meals and appetizers -- chicken wings and french fries along with the prime rib, salads and calamari.

The catering company bought Maple Street Mansion in November 2006. The company moved from its location on Old Newnan Road to offer a facility for events as well as food service, Robinson said.

The building, which has been a restaurant for around 30 years, was built in 1889 by the Mandeville family. Over the years it has undergone numerous renovations, including the addition of a Pullman dining car and the sports bar about 15 years ago, and a banquet facility.

The building comes with a lot of history and Robinson has tried to continue the traditions. For instance, the kindergarten students from Carrollton Elementary visit the dining car in December for hot chocolate and cookies and a reading of “The Polar Express.”

“Everybody’s got their Mansion stories,” she said. “I just love to hear everybody’s stories. They’ll come and tell me about playing in the house when they were kids.”

One story that won’t die is the ghost who is said to haunt the house.

“The ghost is Eugenia; she was the daughter of the Mandevilles,” Robinson said. “But I do, I’ve heard sounds and noises but I’m not willing to believe in that. I just kind of laugh about it when I hear it.

The owners have put effort into updating the decor and outfitting it for the business’ needs. They gutted the kitchen and created a dual kitchen, one for the restaurant and one for the catering. They outfitted the patio with wrought iron furniture and added some landscaping. The company renovated the lobby, adding new wood, refinishing the fireplaces and changing the decor to more neutral colors, which lends itself better to people decorating for a variety of events.

The ballroom and the bar renovations are still in progress as the owners add seating and repair other problems as they are encountered, but the walls and ceilings have already been painted a creamy beige and white, a big change from the turquoise that graced them before.

“We’ve definitely changed the look of the building,” Robinson said. “It’s taken us over a year to complete everything and we’re still adding things and still working on some things.”

She’s had to put a lot more into the building than she thought she would when she and her partner bought it 16 months ago, she said.

But the results have been worth it. The ballroom of the mansion is booked every weekend through June, she explained. The mansion hosts club meetings each week such as the Kiwanis and Optimists. And next week the mansion will host an auction for the local high school.

The sports bar will open at 5 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“We’re just easing into it,” Robinson said. “We’re busy with catering and events, too.”