A long-empty restaurant at the heart of Richland will reopen as Flight Tap and Table in January.

The husband-and-wife team of Amanda Thavone and Joey Casados leased the building that briefly housed Dupus Boomer’s Downtown at 530 Swift Blvd., at George Washington Way.

Thavone is a nurse at Kadlec Regional Medical Center, and Casados is a serial entrepreneur who is already well-acquainted with the high-profile corner: Casados opened Teahaus, a bubble tea business in the former Taco Time just across the parking lot.

Dupus Boomer’s closed in 2017 after less than a year in business. Casados is thrilled to lease such a high profile location. His other candidate was equally prominent: The former P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, near Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

The operators of Hooked Seafood Boil and Bar bought the building, and Casados pursued the location on Swift.

Flight Tap and Table will occupy the entire two-story building. The main floor will be a family-friendly sit-down restaurant and sports bar with 40 televisions tuned to sports and 44 beers on tap plus wine and cider. The second floor will serve those 21 and over.

Casados said the duo won’t make significant changes to the building, which was constructed to house Dupus Boomer’s Downtown.

The location is part of the Swift Corridor update that will eventually connect downtown Richland, including city and federal offices, to the Columbia River on the other side of George Washington.

The fire station at Swift will be rebuilt at a different site.

Dupus Boomer’s didn’t last long enough to see the neighborhood transformed by a new city hall and demolition of the old one. It closed over costs and parking issues.

Casados said the building needs a good cleaning and is subject to various inspections before he can secure licenses. A liquor license application is pending.

The Flight theme extends to the menu, offering flights of sliders, wings, tacos and more.

Casados said he’s undaunted by the main challenge that beset Dupus Boomer’s, tight parking. Teahaus shares the lot.

“I know what it’s like to be in that parking area,” he said. The intersection of George Washington and Swift has changed since Dupus Boomer’s was in business. The city of Richland built a new city hall and demolished the old one that was across the street.

Both areas have parking within a short walk.

Casados is convinced offering a quality experience will overcome a parking problem.

“People will come,” he said. “I don’t think parking will be an issue.”

Flight is a dream come true for Thavone and Casados, who met at Pasco High School.

While she pursued nursing, he studied business at Columbia Basin College and opened a series of businesses. He always wanted to focus on craft beers. His wife, he said, told him to do it.

They spent a year developing a business plan and saving money for startup costs. They are self-funding the project.

They presented their business plan to Tri-Cities developer Greg Markel, who owns the property and built Dupus Boomer’s to house a family-owned restaurant.