A gastropub called Kupros Bistro is expected to open next month in a 100-year-old Midtown house that underwent a costly renovation.

Owners Stephen and Sharon Tokuhama are opening a restaurant and bar after nearly rebuilding the formerly purple house that held a costume shop, Cheap Thrills, for 40 years at 1217 21st St. The remodel cost more than $750,000 because the building went through a structural retrofit, restoration and a restaurant buildout.

The business got its liquor license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Tuesday. Building inspections are complete. The couple hopes to open Saturday, Aug. 14, once final health and fire inspections are held, which may be as soon as this week, Stephen Tokuhama said.

According to some, Kupros is the ancient Greek name for the isle of Cyprus, where copper was discovered. The idea behind Kupros Bistro is sort of an old-world tavern meets American television's "Cheers."

"I always wanted to make it a real welcoming place. As soon as you walk in the door, everyone knows your name," said Tokuhama, a former San Diego real estate acquisitions specialist who also owns G Street Pub in Davis. "That's always been in the back of my mind."

The renovation has turned a two-story 1910 Craftsman house into a space with an upscale pub and kitchen on the first floor and an upstairs dining room — the same physical layout used for the TV bar known as "Cheers." Kupros also has plenty of outdoor seating on a balcony and front porch.

A 25-foot by 19-foot African mahogany bar with an Arts and Crafts-style stained glass dome ceiling dominates the center of the tavern's first floor. Six wooden booths flank the U-shaped, wood-paneled bar.

"We call it a social bar, because you can see the person who's right across the bar from you," said Kupros General Manager Hugo Herreros. "It's going to be happening."

The intent was to create a place that’s casual and easy to socialize in, with better food than most pubs. The establishment will be similar to popular McMenamins pubs operated in former houses in Eugene, Salem and other Pacific Northwest cities, Tokuhama said.

The house had originally been located on K Street but was moved decades ago. The Tokuhamas bought the house, once divided up into a fourplex apartment building, in 2002. They continued to lease space to Cheap Thrills into 2006.

The building's renovation began with the second floor in 2004 and was completed in 2006. Tokuhama applied for a building permit in 2005 and finally got it in 2008. Part of the delay came from opposition from two residents who live on 22nd Street. They were concerned about the renovation of the old house and using the building as a restaurant and bar.

The house is flanked by a hair salon and a locksmith's shop. However, the building was zoned residential until Tokuhama got it repermitted to commercial, he said.

Tokuhama went through the city's design review and planning processes and assured neighbors and city officials that the renovation would respect the house's integrity, especially for the exterior and second floor.

"I wanted the structure to match the Midtown area," he said. "There are a lot of beautiful Craftsmans in the area. Really, what I wanted to do was build a place that epitomized all the Midtown charm and character."

Structural engineer Matt Parisek designed a structural retrofit for the house, which was sagging in the middle. New plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems were installed.

The entire house, down to its 2-x-4 studs, was made of redwood, Tokuhama said. Fiberglass siding was removed from the exterior, which was completely restored. Layers of paint were removed from interior woodwork. The front porch was rebuilt and expanded to twice its original size. A second-floor balcony that overlooks 21st Street also was rebuilt and enlarged.

The upstairs retains the character of the original house. Dining areas are split into several rooms painted sunny yellow or pale blue. Features recognizable from other Midtown houses include decorative room entryways set off by wood columns, white coved ceilings, leaded glass windows and doors, and picture-frame molding. An original bathroom and a kitchen to be used for food service also remain on the second floor.

The first floor includes two new bathrooms and a small kitchen, which helped determine the menu's simplicity, Herreros said.

The menu is Mediterranean-influenced California cuisine, focusing heavily on bistro-style small plates alongside artisan cocktails, eclectic wines and craft beer, according to Tokuhama and chef John Gurnee, who cooked at Mason's for five years.

The menu also pulls from French, Italian, American and Asian cooking — a fusion of styles Gurnee is using to create comforting yet exciting "locavore" dishes using fresh, local ingredients.

Describing the fare as an "updated version of pub food," Gurnee plans to offer such fare as crispy hominy with chile and lime, greens with shaved vegetables and goat cheese, green bean and potato salad with deviled egg dressing, a Sonoma duck confit Reuben, and spaghetti with prosciutto, figs and hazelnuts.

Another old-world tavern feature: The bar won't have a single TV. Gurnee believes the absence of television sets will make the place more social — like ancient times, when taverns were places where travelers would gather for nourishment and to socialize, he said.

"I think that's what's been lost in dining in America. It's not really an experience anymore; people are on their PDAs or watching TV," he said. "It's about sitting around in person and enjoying your company."

Hours will be 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday. A grand opening is expected to be held in September.

Cheap Thrills photo provided by the Tokuhamas. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.