Martha Stewart to Open First-Ever Restaurant This Spring in Las Vegas: 'You're Going to Love It'

Martha Stewart has a big 2022 ahead.

The global lifestyle icon, who built an empire for herself in the home-making and hospitality industry that has lasted over four decades now, will launch her first-ever restaurant this year: a 194-seat farm-to-table eatery at the Paris Las Vegas.

The Bedford by Martha Stewart is a fully-immersive concept designed to bring Stewart's famed country farmhouse in Bedford, New York to life, offering guests an authentic glimpse of how she lives and entertains in her own home.

It's something Stewart, 80, has been doing since she started her first company, a catering business, from her own kitchen in 1976. At each venture since (cookbooks, magazines, TV shows, homeware collections, frozen food lines, etc.), Stewart has turned the inspiration of her home into one of America's most prestigious and well-known brands.

But a restaurant, Stewart tells PEOPLE exclusively, is something she never felt ready to tackle.

"We have toyed with the idea for a long, long time," says Stewart. "I just personally was never really ready to do something so large as this. It really is a lot of stuff to do!"

That changed when Caesars Entertainment got involved. "They made us an offer we couldn't refuse," she explains. "The team at Caesar's is just amazing. They're so, so productive and so creative. I like working with people like that. And this is an opportunity to extend the brand in an area where I've always wanted to be but never really did enter."

As expected, Stewart took charge of designing the space's thoughtfully-appointed décor, which embraces a neutral color palette that acts as a perfect backdrop to four seasons of color.

"It's a charming restaurant," she says. "It's completely fashioned after the winter house at my farm in Bedford, where I basically live. There's a kitchen, a dining room, a brown room, a green room — it's very similar in the finishes of my home, and the furnishings are all kind of replicas of a very familiar space to many, many, many Americans. And it's intimate, yet large enough for people to really enjoy."

When it comes to the menu, Stewart is still honing that, but promises that the food will be "very delicious, and food you'll want to come back to."

"Our menu is based on freshness and availability," she says.

A press release for the restaurant notes that ingredients for her seasonal dinner, weekend brunch, and holiday menus will be sourced from various local purveyors like the Las Vegas Farmers Market, Dartagnan Inc., Urbani Truffles, Roe Caviar, Frog Hollow Farm, Jasper Hill Farm, and Vermont Creamery, among others.

"I'm picking my family and friend's favorites, things I have been known for — like wonderful breads and baked goods — and dishes you might not find in other restaurants, like pastas and soups that are unique to the Martha brand," Stewart adds. "I just want to make sure that everybody gets a taste of the delicious food that has long come out of my kitchen. You're going to love it."

Vegas holds special significance for Stewart, too.

"I've been going to Vegas for a very long time," she says. "My niece got married there, one of my best friends got married there, I decorated the Bellagio for Christmas when Steve Wynn first opened it, have done many events there for Michael Milken on his prostate cancer foundation. So I'm pretty familiar with the rise and popularity of Las Vegas. And I'm thrilled our restaurant will be a part of its growing food scene."

"Plus, Nobu's going to be right across the hall," she teases. "I love Nobu so if I get tired of eating at my restaurant, I'm going to eat right across the hall at Nobu. What good company is that? I mean, it's fantastic."

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Stewart's restaurant is expected to open in the spring, though no specific date has been released yet.

All in all, the businesswoman tells PEOPLE that she's looking forward to seeing the restaurant in action.

"It's been been a tough two years for an awful lot of people," Stewart says. "But we've pushed on. And I'm hoping for a healthier year where people do not have to be fearful of going out, gathering, and enjoying some good food and some good company."

And she promises she's not done challenging herself. "I love that I've had a long and good career with a lot of interesting work," she says, reflecting back on her legacy. "But what I'm doing now is the most interesting I've done."