Brian and Mike McMenamin are the principal partners in McMenamin Pubs and Breweries, a privately held corporation that bought its first restaurant in 1974 and now own more than 40 properties in Oregon and Washington, including pubs, restaurants, hotels and theaters. The brothers say they looked at Bend's now-vacated Downtown city fire station on Minnesota Avenue, but found St. Francis School more suitable.

The duo has built a reputation for transforming larger, marginal properties, such as McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, Hotel Oregon in McMinnville and the former Kennedy Elementary School in Northeast Portland, into vibrant, mixed-use entertainment meccas.

In Bend, they intend to use the front of the St. Francis School building as a pub, and convert the classroom wing along Louisiana Avenue into 15 to 20 rooms of lodging. The gymnasium and parish center next door to the school will be transformed into a theater or a venue for live music or special events.