A new restaurant is getting close to opening in a former Redmond brewery.

David Fenech is opening Vine-N-Tap at 546 NW 7th St., just north of downtown. He took a sabbatical from his 35 years in the food and beverage business and found the site while looking for a place to open a restaurant in Redmond.

“I was originally looking for a wine bar location,” Fenech said. “But then this location came up, so we’re going to do more of a full restaurant.”

A graduate in viticulture from the University of California, Davis, Fenech went on to work in the restaurant business, as well as for wineries in California. He consulted for wineries in Texas, Washington and Illinois. He worked most recently in Walla Walla, Washington, before deciding to move to Redmond, where he has family.

“Bend does a fantastic job; there are a lot of great opportunities in Bend,” he said. “But I also see a big future in Redmond.”

The 1,800-square-foot building was formerly Smith Rock Brewing Co. According to Spokesman archives, the building sat vacant for several years before the brewery opened in 2012. Before that, it was Puleo’s Italian restaurant.

The site fit Fenech’s vision of offering wines, craft beer and spirits made in the area, as well as food dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients. He hopes to open in mid-March.

“It’s a beautiful piece of property, so I’ve got a lot of possibilities in the future,” he said.

While the exact food to be served hadn’t been finalized, Fenech said it will be made from scratch. They will also offer “grab and go” versions of the food for people on the run. He has an off-premise license, so people can buy wine and beer bottles to take home.

The wine list will consist of rotating Oregon and Washington selections, he said.

“It’s always going to be in flux,” he said.

The building is being remodeled, with new paint inside and redone landscaping outside. The patio will also offer outdoor games.

Fenech expects to have 10 full-time employees and another 10-to-15 part-time workers.

“Just kind of trying to update the place a little bit,” he said.

The restaurant will be open to all ages.

The name Vine-N-Tap is partly a take on Fenech’s years in the wine business, but the “tap” part is meant to convey they serve different types of drinks, he said.

“It kind of covers the bases,” he said.