New owners are stepping in today at Brunswick’s Chinese buffet, China Rose, 15 years after the restaurant got its start.

Cuong Ly, the now former co-owner of the restaurant, said Thursday night that the sale of the trademark and transfer of the lease for the property was completed earlier in the day after around a month and a half of negotiations.

On Wednesday, Ly said that a state inspection was the last step before finalizing the sale to Xue Hua Zhang and Xu Hang Zhang, who will begin taking over operations at the restaurant today.

Andy Zhang, Hua Zhang’s son who will manage the restaurant, said Thursday that the menu and prices will stay the same, and buffet hours will be extended. Andy Zhang also said they may look to add a hibachi grill and sushi station to the buffet offerings in the future.

For now, Andy Zhang said his family saw China Rose “as a good opportunity” to start their own business with a name he said “ everybody knows.”

“We don’t want to change very much,” Andy Zhang said. “The Chinese buffet is doing very good.”

Ly, speaking for the Zhangs during an interview at the restaurant Thursday, said that the new co-owners bring previous experience from the Lewiston Mandarin restaurant, where he said Xue Hua was a chef.

At the new China Rose, Ly said Xue Hua will serve as the chef and co-owner.

With the changing of the guard, Ly said that around eight to 10 new staff members will start work at the restaurant as some of his 20-person staff leaves.

“ Some ( staff) members won’t be here tomorrow,” Ly said Thursday, after he said employees were asked if they would like to stay on with the new owners.

In the coming weeks, Ly said he will be on hand to help transition the restaurant to the Zhangs.

As for the timing of the sale, Ly said the lease on the property is soon to expire and that he is looking to spend a little less time working, as he also co-owns Little Tokyo on Maine Street with Anna Chan and owns the China Rose restaurant in Freeport, which he said he opened 20 years ago.

Ly said he will continue to operate those two restaurants.

Full drink menu

As part of the changeover, China Rose will also add a full drink menu after receiving approval for a liquor license at a Town Council meeting on Monday.

Ly said that the buffet hours will expand from the current 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. by one hour, to 4 to 9 p.m.

Ly declined to disclose the price for the sale of the business, but Andy Zhang and Ly said Thursday that “both parties are happy.”