When the Chacons saw that their favorite Richland restaurant was for sale, they knew they wanted to buy it.

Joey Chacon, a health care administrator at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, and his wife Christina Chacon, a local psychiatric nurse practitioner, expect to take ownership of McKay’s Taphouse in December.

“It’s just a fun atmosphere with a down-to-earth vibe. It has good beer and good food. It’s even a place we take our kids to,” said Joey Chacon. “My wife and I would joke that if it ever came up for sale we would buy it, so when it did, I threw my hat in the ring.”

They plan to rename it Tommy’s Taphouse after Christina Chacon’s father. But Joey Chacon said regulars shouldn’t fret — their favorite food and craft beers will stay the same. They’ll also be adding beer flights — two- to six-inch glasses of beer that allow patrons to taste four different beers at once.

The restaurant will continue to offer more than 50 national, regional and Mid-Columbia beers on tap. It also offers a wide selection of microbrews from all over the Pacific Northwest.

Customers also can enjoy the same menu of appetizers, entrées, soups and salads, including five different kinds of mac and cheese. There also is a special kids’ menu.

Joey Chacon hired Gilkey Restaurant Consulting Group of Seattle to perform market research for the restaurant. “We’re looking at the menu and want to look at what the Tri-Cities currently has to offer and looking to bring in fun unique menu options you can’t get anywhere else in the Tri-Cities,” he said.

Tommy’s Taphouse will kick off a new Mug Club. Club members will pay an annual fee, which gets them a personalized mug, exclusive promotions and discounts.

“They’ll also get priority on specialty seasonal beers that often are only done in small batches,” Joey Chacon said.

Joey Chacon says the taphouse also will begin offering promotions to nearby businesses as incentives to come in for lunch and may offer catered lunch services.

Joey Chacon has been working in health care as a nurse and administrator for 13 years, but last year he graduated with his master’s in business administration from Western Governors University.

“During my MBA, I started getting interested in business ventures outside of health care. The food and restaurant industry was always interesting to me,” he said.

The restaurant’s sale hasn’t been finalized yet. Although the loan to buy it has been approved, Joey Chacon said he is waiting for final appraisal.

Tommy’s Taphouse should be open for business in December.

The restaurant is at 1312 Lee Blvd. in Richland. For more information call 509-943-1300. Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.  Friday and Saturday.