WESTBROOK – The French Press Eatery on Main Street is no more. Again.

The Westbrook restaurant has been closed this week with plastic over the windows obscuring the transformation going on inside. On Tuesday, a sign hung outside the restaurant proclaiming its new name is “Tranchemontagne’s,” named for its owners, brothers James and Andre Tranchemontagne. The sign describes it as “BBQ, Cajun and comfort mixed with a fun time,” with food, a bar and delivery serving lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays.

It’s a major change for the former French Press, but not the first time something like this has happened. The coffee, breakfast and lunch spot attempted in July to expand its menu with dinner service, but just a month later shut down because, according to James Tranchemontagne, it was costing more than it was bringing in.

Just a week later, however, the restaurant was back open, offering its original breakfast and lunch menu.

The latest change marks an end of sorts for coffee shops at 855 Main St. It was the Freaky Bean Coffee Co. and another coffee shop before French Press opened in November 2009.

On Tuesday, James Tranchemontagne admitted they have struggled to keep the French Press profitable, saying, “It never really clicked that it was breakfast and lunch.” He and his brother sat down to discuss its prospects recently and determined the best course was to transition to a lunch and dinner menu. He said the plan is different from last year’s attempted expansion.

“We probably should have done this in July. We are a young company and we learn a lot as we go,” he said.

James is also the chef at their other restaurant, The Frog and Turtle, around the corner on Bridge Street.

Instead of competing with their other, pricier, restaurant, the brothers have decided to transform French Press into a place where groups might go after work for a few drinks and some food. It would be more casual than Frog and Turtle, which offers fine dining, he said.

With its vintage pinball machine, darts alley, foosball table, board games and free wireless Internet, Tranchemontagne described his vision of the reboot as “another place to hang out in Westbrook.”

The renovations are happening quickly; they started over the weekend and he hopes they will reopen by Tuesday, Jan. 25.

The brothers also still have dreams of having outdoor seating at the restaurant, but James said it has been a difficult process.

“It has been very frustrating dealing with the city at times. However, I do feel we are closer to the courtyard at Tranchemontagne’s than the rooftop deck at the Frog,” he said.

For the Tranchemontagnes, 2011 is marking a new beginning, and James is glad to have 2010 behind him.

“I’m glad 2010 is over, like a lot of people,” he said. “Hopefully there will be some certainty in the world, (but) we’re not out of it by any means.”

While he does not think 2011 is going to be worse economically than 2010, Tranchemontagne said times are still difficult in the food service industry. He is hearing from suppliers that costs will be up 5 percent by February, he said.

Still, entrepreneurs are out there willing to give it a shot. Recent restaurant closures in Westbrook, such as Thanksgiving’s and Mill Side Tavern, have quickly paved the way for new businesses like Hoggy’s Market and Thatcher’s.

“I’m always amazed, whether it’s a good economy or a bad economy, restaurants open up,” Tranchemontagne said.

James Tranchemontagne, left, and Nate Hawks of Nate Hawks Carpentry work on renovations to the French Press Eatery, which is expected to reopen later this month as Tranchemontagne’s.Staff photos by Joey Cresta