People’s Bar & Grill and Lumpy’s, located in the heart of Iowa State University’s Campustown, will close on May 31 after 18 years of being in business, announced owner Tom Zmolek today in an e-mail to the university. He is opening People’s Court in the former Nacho Mamma’s building at Third Street and Court Avenue in Des Moines this month.

People’s Court, which will be on the building’s third story, will have a capacity of 900 people, a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, piano bar and 100 types of beer. According to Zmolek, this new venture has been in the works for two years. Some of his Ames staff will relocate to the new bar.

Zmolek has been forced to close his Ames location after the lease expires because the building’s owners plan to open their own restaurant. He is in the process of negotiating a lease with several property owners in Campustown and hopes to reopen this fall.