If permitting and remodeling stay on track, a new bar and grill called The Office will open in August in the location that formerly housed Merende, the Italian eatery that closed in January 2010 at 813 Pacific Ave.

The Office is the project of business partners Matthew Henderson and Travis Scheff.

This is the first restaurant for Scheff, who grew up in a restaurant family in North Dakota, and the second for Henderson, who owns a sub shop in West Seattle. They plan a full service bar and grill with mid-level pricing. They’ll be open for lunch and dinner, and plan to stay open on weekends until 2 a.m.

Why Pacific? “We like that area of town. We both had been down there before for dinner and drinks, we liked the space,” said Scheff of the former Merende location. Both Scheff and Henderson live in the Kent area, but own apartment buildings in Tacoma.

The menu is still in the works, but gourmet burgers are planned, including a signature burger called The Office. The menu also will offer pizza, salads, soups and appetizers. Expect happy hour deals in the $3-$5 range. They plan for 11 beer taps and a full bar.

Scheff described the scene as casual, but, in Scheff’s words, a sports bar with a “swanky vibe.” “We’re not going to classify it as a sports bar, but it will be somewhere along the same theme,” he said. Already, they’ve installed flat panel televisions ranging from 42 to 58 inches. Scheff described a décor overhaul with a warm palette. The exposed brick will remain.

They aren’t planning for live entertainment, but they will offer gaming.

The Office

Address: 813 Pacific Ave., Tacoma

Opening: August 2010

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays