The 31-year-old previously ran the Whirrakee Restaurant for nearly seven years.

But a shift from fine dining to a more casual, sharing atmosphere prompted Mr Slade to renovate and rebrand the Whirrakee as Mr Beebe’s.

“I’ve seen that people are moving away from the fine dining trend and to more casual dining,” Mr Slade said.

“I think everyone’s a bit more casual and relaxed. People aren’t looking for the sit down and fuss-over-me service and that’s why we’ve done it this way.

“If you’re hungry you can definitely eat as much as you want, but if you just want to pop in for a small plate and a beer and be gone in 20 minutes, you can.”

The convenience of Mr Beebe’s is what prompts Mr Slade to call his new place an eating house rather than a restaurant, bar or cafe.

Mr Beebe’s has been more than a year in the planning and Mr Slade continues to showcase local produce.

“The chef’s plates have always been popular and it is a good way to get an idea of the menu at a good price,” he said.

“Obviously a lot of planning goes into it and there’s still a few things to fine tune but the food is all modern European, with an empshasis on making absolutely everything in house.

“The menu is everything I’m passionate about and enjoy eating.”

Mr Beebe’s has a modern, industrial feel to it while also paying respect to the man the eating house is named after.

Mr Beebe was the architect who designed the building and he was one of the most prominent Bendigo-born architects in the Goldfields.

“He did the town hall, a section on the art gallery, the old riflery and a number of big houses in Quarry Hill. He was quite influential,” Mr Slade said.

The traditional name is also aimed at encouraging Bendigo foodies to try something different.

“There’s nothing scary (on the menu), we just want to show people the good produce we have,”Mr Slade said.

For more information and for a peek at the menu log on to www.mrbeebes.com.au