Julie Katzer and her husband, Shalako “Shak” Katzer, have targeted Dec. 1 as the day they will unveil their Brews Bros Coffee Bar & Bistro in the newly rebuilt lobby of the Wells Fargo Building, at 601 W. First.

The couple, already owners of a pair of Brews Bros coffee shops, will open the bar and bistro in a 1,000-square-foot space that will have indoor seating and a patio, she says.

“The entire lobby was completely redone, so the entire space looks just great,” Julie Katzer says. “We’re really looking forward to opening that location.”

Katzer says Brews Bros Bar & Bistro will serve beer, wine, coffee, and a selection of sandwiches, soups, and wraps.

“We’ll be doing our own food menu and put out fresh items daily,” she says.

Washington Trust Bank bought the Wells Fargo Building in March and not long afterward approached the couple about establishing a café-style bistro on the building’s street level, Katzer says.

“It was all previous to COVID-19 that we signed the lease,” she says. “I have to say it’s a little concerning right now.”

The bar and bistro will be their third store doing business under the formal name Brews Bros Espresso Lounge Inc. The Katzers also own a Brews Bros. drive-thru north of Spokane, at 10413 N. Newport Highway, and a downtown lounge at 734 W. Sprague.

They acquired the West Sprague downtown store in December 2009 and opened the Newport Highway location in June 2015.

Despite the fact the new eatery will be just a three-minute walk from the west Sprague Avenue location, Katzer says the bistro’s beer and wine selection and expanded menu will draw more than just coffee drinkers.

The company employs a total of 14 workers, and Katzer estimates hiring at least four new employees to open the bar and bistro.

Brews Bros located at 28 E. Sinto, north of downtown Spokane, is operated by another owner, Katzer says.

The chain originally had one owner who sold the stores off as individual entities. Hot Toddy’s Coffee, located at 101 W. Francis, once also operated as a Brews Bros shop, Katzer says.

The Brews Bros lounge on west Sprague struggled in the early days of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s, Stay Home, Stay Safe order during the initial wave of the pandemic, she says.

“We’re seeing an uptick downtown with a little foot traffic, but there are still a lot of people working remotely,” she says.