But while they enjoyed bartending, Lawrence says, having their own restaurant has been a life-long dream.

"It has always been our goal to get a restaurant together," Hopkins says, speaking in a soft Irish accent. "We started saving about a decade ago and this year, we were just able to pull it together financially."

Finding space in the Square--in the location previously occupied by Siam Garden--was a stroke of good luck, Hopkins says.

"We were looking in Boston, all over the area," Hopkins remembers. "Then, out of the blue, our restaurant broker told us about this space. We looked around and really got a sense of what we could do with the place."

As he describes the layout of the restaurant, Lawrence gestures excitedly.

The first floor will be separated into a restaurant and bar. A narrow staircase leads to the second floor, which boasts a domed glass ceiling.

On the second floor, the Hopkins brothers sit together at one of the few booths, smoking cigarettes and surveying the space. In the corner of the room next to a second bar, Lawrence says, he hopes to have a lounge with armchairs and couches.

For the second floor, he envisions a more casual, comfortable feel. Hopkins says he has applied for a permit for a fireplace.