Veteran Midcoast restaurateurs plan to open a casual Sicilian restaurant in Brunswick in the space of the former Scarlet Begonias.

Tony and Chelsea Bickford aim to launch Pomelia at 16 Station Ave. in early or mid-January. Because the 30-year-old Scarlet Begonias recently closed, Tony Bickford said he and his wife want to keep the transition from feeling jarring to customers. To that end, they said Pomelia will have a similar “casual and welcoming” vibe. Sticking with the floral theme of its predecessor, Pomelia is named for a Sicilian flower, and the menu will feature pasta, pizza and sandwiches, just as Scarlet Begonias’ did.

“But we wanted to differentiate ourselves because Brunswick already has a few pizza spots and some pasta, so we really wanted to focus on the Sicilian portion of Italy,” said Bickford, who will also be Pomelia’s chef.

Pomelia’s draft menu features four variations of Sicilian focaccia-style pizza and a selection of salads and southern Italian pastas. Sandwiches include the cucina povera classic, pane cunzato and scaccia ragusana, made with a thin fermented bread dough that’s folded over an eggplant, fennel and ricotta filling before baking. Appetizers include some Sicilian street food favorites such as arancini and chickpea fritters panelle.

Pomelia will serve beer, wine and cocktails, but Bickford said they want to have a “solid” nonalcoholic menu as well. “We want to have a very welcoming menu of different drinks so people won’t feel left out if they don’t want to enjoy some wine,” he said.

The space can seat about 68 inside. Bickford said the couple is repainting, moving some dividing walls and refinishing tables to prepare for the opening.

The Bickfords owned Little Village Bistro in Wiscasset for seven years, before it closed in 2021.

“We know there are some people who loved Scarlet Begonias that will be upset that we’ve made changes,” Bickford said. “But I’m optimistic that they’ll be happy if they do come in and give us a try.”