Let the wooden nickel collecting begin: the Newes from America Pub has officially reopened after being closed since June because of a plumbing incident.

The popular Edgartown eatery and bar owned by the Kelley House reopened on Friday, Sept. 2 with a limited menu after getting the all clear from the building inspector.

About 250 people visited the pub on its first night back in business, manager Robyn Joubert said Tuesday. Most of the patrons were regulars who came in for a favorite dish like the onion soup or fish and chips. Some even brought in flowers and cards with well-wishes.

“It was like a birthday or something,” Ms. Joubert said.

The Newes originally hoped to reopen shortly after an aging pipe failed in early June, but other repairs and updates kept cropping up for the 274-year-old building. While workers were digging under the floor to locate and repair the source of the plumbing problem, other plumbing and wiring were also updated to meet all current fire and safety codes. Inside, it received a fresh coat of dark navy blue paint, a kitchen renovation and an interior window between the front bar and the back restaurant.

“We’re still trying to work out the quirks now that were back open,” Ms. Joubert said. There’s a small learning curve for the staff, who are learning a new flow with the kitchen remodel and spent the summer working other jobs. Many of the year-round staff have worked at the Newes pub for over 20 years.

The pub also lost their seasonal staff due to the closure during three busy months. In the summer, the Newes serves anywhere from 500 to 600 diners a day, while off-season their numbers drop to around 200.

“It took a toll, but it is what it is,” Ms. Joubert said. The off-season gives the staff a chance to get their feet back under them, and it’s also Ms. Joubert’s favorite time in the pub.

“It’s comfortable and cozy,” she said. “I like the winter crowd.”

The pub is a haven for laborers and it’s not uncommon for a Derby fisherman to go directly from the weigh station to the Newes, she added.

“Men can come in smelling like sawdust or smelling like fish and can just sit down and enjoy the meal,” Ms. Joubert said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the lunch crowd ate sandwiches and salads and sipped 25-ounce beers in the pub, while a few people opted for the outdoor tables to soak up the emerging sun after a stormy weekend.

In celebration of their reopening, the Newes is giving out double wooden nickels until Sept. 16. Patrons usually receive one wooden nickel for a 16-ounce beer and two for a 25-ounce beer. If patrons collect 500 nickels, the prize includes drinking from a special pewter mug. One thousand nickels will earn a stool with their name at the bar for two years.

During the closure, a package arrived addressed to the Newes. Inside, carefully bubble wrapped, were 1,000 wooden nickels and a note lamenting the closing from a seasonal resident and Newes regular.

Ms. Joubert is in the process of finding him a stool.