William Pannoni has always wanted to run his own restaurant in Bristol. He soon will be.

He and partner Lisa Paulino are busy remodeling and getting ready for a Jan. 17 opening in the spot most folks remember as the longtime home of Bristol Family Restaurant.

“We heard that this place was up for rent,” Mr. Pannoni said. “We were taking a drive through Colt State Park one Monday afternoon and Lisa said, ‘why don’t we go drive by that Bristol Family Restaurant?’ … We pulled over, called the landlord, and he came by in 10 minutes. We jumped on it.”

Ms. Paulino said, “We like that it’s small and right downtown, across from the schools.”

They signed the lease on Dec. 1 and have not stopped since. They removed booths, refurbished counter stools and refinished the floor.

And, right before opening, they will be bringing a little of the neighborhood inside, painting a red, white, and blue stripe from the front door through to the back wall. “We really wanted to pull in that Bristol patriotic theme,” Ms. Paulino said.

Mr. Pannoni grew up in Warren and Bristol, graduating from Mt. Hope High School the year of regionalization, then attended Johnson & Wales University before gaining professional experience with the Marriott Corporation in Arizona. After five years, he returned to Rhode Island, working at the Wharf Tavern in Warren and 15 Point Road in Portsmouth. He also served as a chef with Blount Small Ship Adventures for several years. That’s where he met Ms. Paulino, a New Jersey native who had taken her degrees in food and beverage management and travel to serve as a cruise director with the Warren-based cruise company.

The menu, described by Mr. Pannoni as “classic comfort food,” will have a strong sense of place. It includes a lot of traditional Rhode Island favorites like wieners, coffee cabinets, and a littleneck boil. Fresh local seafood will be prominently featured, and dinner specials will skew a little more upscale.

The menu is full of nods to people and places, including the Bridgewater Breakfast, a “pork roll” that will be familiar to anyone who has ties to the Garden State. Sandwiches and a wide selection of creative burgers and salads round out the offerings.

They don’t have a liquor license, so guests are welcome to bring their own wine or beer (subject to the standard corkage fee), but non-alcoholic drinks will be unique. Drawing on Lisa’s experience as a bar manager at a high-end country club, they plan to create craft syrups for house made lemonades, ice teas, and milkshakes. “We want to offer something more special than just a can of Coke,” she said.

“Pulling together the menu has been a lot of fun. There will be a little bit of everything.”