Tim Tehan, who has worked in restaurants in London and Melbourne, is returning to the area to establish Canvas Eatery at the rear of the art gallery building.

Mr Tehan grew up on a farm near Holbrook before landing his first job in the hospitality industry at the University Cafe in Lygon Street when attending university.

In his early 20s, he travelled to London and worked in the world-renowned Ivy restaurant in the West End with movie stars and stage actors among the clientele.

Mr Tehan has owned two restaurants in Fitzroy - Birdman Eating and Backstreet Eating - in more recent times.

But he is selling them to move to Albury with his wife Michelle and one-year-old son.

Albury Council will ratify a five-year lease with a five-year option for Mr Tehan to operate Canvas Eatery on Monday night.

He said the decision to relocate to Albury was for lifestyle reasons.

"I want to give my son what I had when I was a child," he said.

"That is the freedom to roam around in the country and do the fun things you can't do in a concrete jungle."

The restaurant and cafe fronting QEII Square was the subject of an expressions of interest process launched early last year.

It will provide indoor and outdoor seating for more than 100 people.

"It is part of the art gallery and the art gallery is a public institution," Mr Tehan said.

"A public institution has to appeal to the public and I want to do your classic bistro style of food."

Canvas Eatery will also cater for functions held at MAMA.

"We will be looking at catering for groups of 10 to 15 right up to 300 to 400 people," Mr Tehan said.

"I've got to be on the ready to capture that market.

“The staffing will be immense in that sense.

"There are also some great sporting events which happen in the area and we've just got to be on the ready."