Spokane developer Rob Brewster Jr. has started Scout Tavern LLC and plans later this month to open a new restaurant by that name in a downtown building he owns.

The new pub-style restaurant is slated for a 3,000-square-foot space on the main floor of the three-story Montvale Hotel building, which is at the southwest corner of First Avenue and Monroe Street.

The new restaurant's space formerly was occupied for 12 years by Far West Billiards, a bar and pool hall that closed last summer.

Jeff Johns, manager and head chef of Scout Tavern, says Brewster originally planned to lease out that space to another tenant but opted instead to start a venture of his own. Brewster owns another restaurant in the basement of the Montvale building, called the Catacombs Pub.

The planned new eatery's main dining area can seat up to 95 people and its lounge seats an additional 90 people.

Starting out, the business is expected to employ about 15 people, but he says that could increase.

Scout Tavern's hours of operation are planned to be 6:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Johns says that Scout Tavern's menu will include breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, as well as traditional pub fare served during the late-night hours.