It is Christmas every day at Lala’s Little Nugget, open since the 1970s on Justin Lane, but for a brief moment last year patrons of the bar wondered whether the string lights would be turned out for good.

Crestview residents and service industry veterans banded together to save Lala’s, said Max Moreland, who is among the roughly 15 owners of the bar and one of two who run its operations.

“We’re not here to ruin Lala’s,” said Moreland, whose ownership group began operating the bar in September 2015. “We’re here to keep its great legacy alive.”

Rather than totally revamping the interior, much of which had remained in its original state, the new ownership group chose to make modest upgrades, such as adding a patio, shared with new next-door neighbor Stubb’s BBQ; replacing the bar countertop; and boosting the liquor and beer selection.

And the kitschy holiday decor? Moreland and his partners took it up a notch, he said, adding a Santa Claus sculpture with his sleigh as well as additional adornments throughout the bar.

“There’s a tackiness to [the Christmas decorations] that just works,” he said.

The new owners added seven beer taps, which rotate seasonally among Texas craft brewers, such as Austin Beerworks, Karbach, and Friends and Allies Brewing. The spirit selection has increased from about 25 to 80, about 40 of which are whiskey, Moreland said.

Its seasonal cocktail menu features holiday classics such as egg nog from November to January. Lala’s hosts a Half Christmas event on June 25, when customers are invited to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters.

Moreland said he and his fellow owners were keen to maintain the bar’s ambience and character.

“Being open 40 years means you’re doing something right,” he said. “There are only a handful of bars that have been doing this [in Austin] since the 1970s.”