Physician Matt Clayton retired at the end of last year, but the vegan doctor isn’t ready to rest on his laurels.

He’s starting a second career — as a restaurateur.

J. Selby’s, on the corner of Victoria Street and Selby Avenue, will be a “plant-based” eatery. Located in a former convenience store, it will share a building with the new Tori Ramen, which should be opening within a few weeks.

Clayton said being a vegan, he was tired of the lack of restaurant and menu options for him and his brethren.

“As a vegan diner, I usually feel like the afterthought on someone’s menu, like, let’s throw a bean burger on the menu for those vegetarians,” Clayton said. “We clearly need more options for vegan diners. Also, I think showing people who are not comfortable with the idea of vegan food that it can be approachable and actually quite tasty is really important.

Clayton hired Rick Berdahl, former owner of Aroma’s Pizza in downtown St. Paul, to helm the kitchen. It will be a true vegan restaurant — no eggs, butter, cheese or any animal products of any kind. The menu is still being formulated but they’re looking to serve things like Buddha bowls (grains and vegetables), vegan burgers and the like.

Though the format will be fast casual — order at the counter, take a number and someone delivers your food — Berdahl said the atmosphere will promote lingering over a glass of beer or wine.

Both Clayton and Berdahl are convinced that non-vegans will enjoy the experience.

“Most vegan restaurants in the industry nationwide find that 70 percent of their clientele are non-vegan, non-vegetarian,” Clayton said. “We’ll have items geared to that crowd that look and taste like they’re accustomed to.”

Berdahl said that is an important part of menu formulation.

“We’ve been testing it on our non-vegan friends, and people are usually pretty surprised,” Berdahl said.

The restaurant will be open for breakfast through dinner on the weekends and lunch and dinner on weekdays. Construction will begin any day now, and the duo hopes to open the restaurant by the end of the year. For more information, go to jselbys.com.