Think of it as when one door closes, the Copper Door opens.

At least, that’s the idea behind the latest restaurant endeavor headed to Bedford, with well-known restaurateur Tom Boucher at the helm.

Boucher is adding the Copper Door to his growing list of successful restaurants in the area, including Great New Hampshire Restaurants T-Bones and Cactus Jack’s.

“It’s no secret that this really came about because when C.R. Sparks closed, there was huge void in that level of dining,” said Boucher, owner and CEO of the Copper Door.

That level – which Boucher coined as “elevated casual” – is exactly what he hopes to bring back to the area for adults, a place where people can come eat, without wearing a suit and tie, and still enjoy high-end dining.

“Even the name, ‘the Copper Door,’ is meant to evoke a level of class but doesn’t sound pretentious,” Boucher said.

And yes, the restaurant will be identifiable by an arched, old-fashioned-style copper door at its entrance.

The foundation is barely poured on what will be an 8,000-square-foot restaurant in the Bedford Hills development parcel off Route 101.

Boucher plans to open the Copper Door around Thanksgiving, but the restaurant will start taking shape with the completion of construction scheduled for sometime in September.

Boucher has been ruminating on the menu and design schemes – from hardwood floors to huge vaulted ceilings – and they’re ready to be put into place.

“Our tag line is fine food, delicious drink, classic character,” Boucher said. “The design is very classic looking.”

Although many of the restaurant’s renderings are still under discussion, the shingle-style building will accommodate 225 guests inside, with an outdoor pergola and seating area with 50 more spots.

“We tried to create a lot of large party spaces,” Boucher said. “We tried to make it really comfortable, like you’re at someone’s house for a family gathering.”

Inside, a large bar area covered with a zinc top offers one of many whimsical details Boucher’s wife and Copper Door designer Dana Boucher has planned.

The bar is slated to be surrounded by cocktail tables, a high-top communal table for 10 and a lounge. A double-sided stone fireplace will separate the bar from the dining room.

“That should add some warmth, physically and aesthetically,” Boucher said. “It’ll feel very homey.”

There also are two private dining rooms in the plans, one for 40 people and another for 20, to allow larger parties a chance to sit down and dine as a group.

An executive chef has been hired, and plans for the menu include local dishes that change with the season for a type of cuisine Boucher called “new American.”

“We’re trying to make it so that our menu feels very approachable, the wine menu is very approachable,” Boucher said.

And forget that overwhelming tome of unpronounceable wines, stereotypical of fine dining establishments.

“You’re not going to open a book that has 50 pages of wines in it,” Boucher said, “But we’re going to have an extensive wine list that people will feel comfortable ordering with.

“Let’s face it, if you go into a really fine dining restaurant, it can be uncomfortable when they say, ‘What kind of wine would you like?’ and there’s 50 different kinds of cabernet – and that’s just cabernet.”

Despite its location near the Bedford Village Inn, the Copper Door isn’t trying to rival the Bedford staple’s fancy celebration associations, Boucher said.

“I think the Bedford Village Inn has its own niche for that special-occasion dinner, that people definitely go there for that wedding anniversary; they do a lot of weddings, they do baby showers and stuff like that,” Boucher said.

“You’re going to be able to come to the Copper Door on a Monday night and then come again on a Thursday night because it’s going to be more affordable than a fine dining restaurant, but you can also get really high-end food if you want.”

Even the dinner music should make guests feel right at home, Boucher said.

“The music we’re going to play is going to be more upbeat ’70s, ’80s, pop,” Boucher said. “Listening to Fleetwood Mac would be a lot more interesting and enjoyable, I think, than listening to classic piano. That has its place, but it’s not a typical place you would go on a Monday night.

Maryalice Gill can be reached at 594-6490 or mgill@nashuatelegraph.com.

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