Following on the success of the Pop-Up Resturant trend in the last couple of years, 2 new "pop-up" retail stores will open this weekend in Sandpoint.A pop-up store is where the store opens for only a short period of time at a location then closes and may or may not re-open again in the future.These 2 pop-up stores are The Genuine Shoppe which features handmade arts,crafts and collectables and the second store is Marche Downtown which will sell local and regional fine foods and drinks.The 2 will sell mostly locally made items and will be located in the Bellwood's Furniture Building at 301 Cedar St. in Sandpoint. The hours of operation for the 2 stores will be Thursday Mar. 1st- 5-8pm for an opening party which will have some food and live entertainment, Friday- noon-6pm Saturday- noon-6pm and the last day, Sunday March 4th noon-5pm. For more info on these 2 pop-up retailers contact 208-255-1875
Question:Would you like to see such a trend of pop-up retail stores continue in other places in the Inland Northwest? Answer on our facebook page at goo.gl/c4qeQ
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Update Feb 28th 2012
Another Coeur d Alene business is on the move to make way for LCDC's affordable apartment project on 4th St in Midtown Coeur d Alene.This time Paris Flea Market will move out of their building which is scheduled to be torn down to 5,800 sq feet of space at 1815 N 4th St still in Coeur d Alene.The new store will be in a strip mall inbetween The Hospice Thrift Store and Fasteners,Inc.
Edwards Jewlery and Loan in Post Falls has also moved into a bigger space.The jewelry store had been at 205 E. Seltice in the same strip mall American Family Insurance and is now at 504 E. Seltice which was last the Leftovers Thrift Store.
Spokane's famous Dider's Yogurt and More at 10410 N Divsion St is back open,Dider's was forced to close earlyer this winter due to a car crashing into the side of their building.
It is also now offical that Spokane's US Mail sorting facility will absorb 3 smaller sorting centers in Pasco,Yakima and Wenachee,WA .The Spokane Mail processing center is located at 2928 S Spotted Rd near the Spokane International Airport.The move was made to help the USPS avoid bankrupcy and is being similar closures are being made thruout the nation.
A Personal Fit is now open is Spokane Valley at 11415 E. Trent Ave. A Personal Fit does fitness traning as well as counciling and offers off site fitness classes at a couple of grange buildings in Spokane County.
Look for Downtown Spokane's new Lululemon Athletica store to open soon.The new store features technical clothing for yoga and running and will even have a running club.The new store opens March 30th at 117 N Howard St.
Also new to Downtown Spokane is Wojo Works. Wojo Works sells modern furniture and other home goods from their home at 824 W. Sprague Ave.
Exciting news in Post Falls as the former Arby's building at Seltice and Bay St. across from The Trading Company grocery store has been sold and will re-open as Fu-Ki Japanese Steak House .The building will undergo some work first however and i'll keep you up to date as to when the new resturant might open.
One of the newest stores in Spokane's Hillyard neighborhood is open,Hillyard Dollar Depot opened recently in 3000 sq feet of space at 3121 E. Francis Ave.
And in other resturant news,The Sushi Track Resturant which was Spokane's first conveyor belt style Sushi resturant has a new owner and new name.The resturant is now Beyond Belt Sushi and Roll.They are still open in the same location at 7458 N Division St.
Edwards Jewlery and Loan in Post Falls has also moved into a bigger space.The jewelry store had been at 205 E. Seltice in the same strip mall American Family Insurance and is now at 504 E. Seltice which was last the Leftovers Thrift Store.
Spokane's famous Dider's Yogurt and More at 10410 N Divsion St is back open,Dider's was forced to close earlyer this winter due to a car crashing into the side of their building.
It is also now offical that Spokane's US Mail sorting facility will absorb 3 smaller sorting centers in Pasco,Yakima and Wenachee,WA .The Spokane Mail processing center is located at 2928 S Spotted Rd near the Spokane International Airport.The move was made to help the USPS avoid bankrupcy and is being similar closures are being made thruout the nation.
A Personal Fit is now open is Spokane Valley at 11415 E. Trent Ave. A Personal Fit does fitness traning as well as counciling and offers off site fitness classes at a couple of grange buildings in Spokane County.
Look for Downtown Spokane's new Lululemon Athletica store to open soon.The new store features technical clothing for yoga and running and will even have a running club.The new store opens March 30th at 117 N Howard St.
Also new to Downtown Spokane is Wojo Works. Wojo Works sells modern furniture and other home goods from their home at 824 W. Sprague Ave.
Exciting news in Post Falls as the former Arby's building at Seltice and Bay St. across from The Trading Company grocery store has been sold and will re-open as Fu-Ki Japanese Steak House .The building will undergo some work first however and i'll keep you up to date as to when the new resturant might open.
One of the newest stores in Spokane's Hillyard neighborhood is open,Hillyard Dollar Depot opened recently in 3000 sq feet of space at 3121 E. Francis Ave.
And in other resturant news,The Sushi Track Resturant which was Spokane's first conveyor belt style Sushi resturant has a new owner and new name.The resturant is now Beyond Belt Sushi and Roll.They are still open in the same location at 7458 N Division St.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Times are changing for Downtown Coeur d' Alene
It's seems like Downtown Coeur d' Alene being a resort area always follows one rule of thumb,every winter a handful of shops and companies pack up and eather leave or move to spots with less expensive rent rates.But then once the weather starts to warm and signs of spring are out business start re-filling and moving to new,better storefronts.And it looks like 2012 will be no different as this Thursday March 1st we will see the opening of the newly remodeled Coeur d Alene Resort lobby area as well as the new look for Dockside Resturant,Whispers Lounge and the Resort's Lobby Starbucks location.The resort had also been working on a wedding space overlooking Lake Coeur d Alene but I cannot confirm if that part of the project is complete yet.I hope to get some pictures and updates on here and the INBW Facebook page once it's all open later this week.
But the Resort's remodel is definatly not all that's changing for Downtown Coeur d Alene as Range NW purchased the remainder of their building at 409 Coeur d Alene Ave. in January and started a new and needed venture called Space Share CDA which is Shared Office Space and has already attracted some interest as the following business are already new tenants: Element Architecture , Patano Hafermann Architects ,SavorWeb which does website design for small business and Andrea Stranger who is a graphic designer who has done some major design projects in her past. The Space Share CDA building is still looking to fill it's remaining spaces with rent starting at 250 per month.
The Wine Cellar which has been a Downtown Coeur d Alene fixture for years now is moving on up,quite litterly.The Wine Cellar's owners have aquired the full liquor licence once held by Las Palmitas Mexican Resturant on 3rd as well as the former Icon Bar's building on Sherman Ave between 3rd and 4th Street and plan to remodel the Icon and move the The Wine Cellar into the new larger space.
Another Downtown Coeur d' Alene fixture storefront for many years has been Figpickels Toy Store in the 300 block of Sherman Ave. almost directly across the street from The Wine Cellar.Rest assured that Figpickels is not closing but will be moving,The toy store will move to The Resort Plaza Shops mall just 1 block down at 201 Sherman Ave.The new Figpickels strore will be larger then their current store and will be nice for the owners as Figpickels is owned by the same owners as Mrs. Honeypeeps Sweet Shop and the neighbooring paper and gift store which are already tenants in the Resort Plaza Shops.
Also, construction has rather obviously began at 201 N 3rd St which is the former Las Palmitas Mexican Resturant.I've heard a couple of rumors on what will happen to the building but have not been able to confirm any so watch this blog for more on this when I figure it out.It appears however to be a major project.
But the Resort's remodel is definatly not all that's changing for Downtown Coeur d Alene as Range NW purchased the remainder of their building at 409 Coeur d Alene Ave. in January and started a new and needed venture called Space Share CDA which is Shared Office Space and has already attracted some interest as the following business are already new tenants: Element Architecture , Patano Hafermann Architects ,SavorWeb which does website design for small business and Andrea Stranger who is a graphic designer who has done some major design projects in her past. The Space Share CDA building is still looking to fill it's remaining spaces with rent starting at 250 per month.
The Wine Cellar which has been a Downtown Coeur d Alene fixture for years now is moving on up,quite litterly.The Wine Cellar's owners have aquired the full liquor licence once held by Las Palmitas Mexican Resturant on 3rd as well as the former Icon Bar's building on Sherman Ave between 3rd and 4th Street and plan to remodel the Icon and move the The Wine Cellar into the new larger space.
Another Downtown Coeur d' Alene fixture storefront for many years has been Figpickels Toy Store in the 300 block of Sherman Ave. almost directly across the street from The Wine Cellar.Rest assured that Figpickels is not closing but will be moving,The toy store will move to The Resort Plaza Shops mall just 1 block down at 201 Sherman Ave.The new Figpickels strore will be larger then their current store and will be nice for the owners as Figpickels is owned by the same owners as Mrs. Honeypeeps Sweet Shop and the neighbooring paper and gift store which are already tenants in the Resort Plaza Shops.
Also, construction has rather obviously began at 201 N 3rd St which is the former Las Palmitas Mexican Resturant.I've heard a couple of rumors on what will happen to the building but have not been able to confirm any so watch this blog for more on this when I figure it out.It appears however to be a major project.
Itron to aquire SmartSynch
Liberty Lake based energy utility meter manufacturer,Itron who's products are made at several factorys thruout the world for accounts from our own local Avista Utilites up to a large water meter contract Itron secured not long ago for the city of Delhi,India , Has announced they will aquire a company called SmartSynch for $100 million dollars,SmartSynch is a provider of point to point smart grid and cellular solutions and both plan to have the aquision deal closed by the 2nd quarter of this year.SmartSynch is based in Jackson,Ms. and the 2 companies have partnered together in the past.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Update Feb. 23th 2012
Liberty Lake's R&R RV Superstore located on Knox Ave and right along I-90 has expanded by taking over the Blue Crick RV dealership located at 13915 W. Sunset Hwy in Airway Heights.The Liberty Lake location will also stay open.
A company called Religion News based out of Washington,DC has expanded to Spokane by starting the website spokanefaus.com which is an online publication featuring religous news from the Spokane area.
The former Gonzaga University hangout,The Bulldog Tavern has been re-opened after closing during the fall last year.The bar however has a new owner a new name,The 1305 Club reflecting the bar's address which is 1305 N Hamilton in Spokane.The owner of The 1305 Club is looking for a new more popular name however and is holding an online contest to re-name the bar again.
Pacific Flyway Gallery and Framing opened their new Spokane Valley store recently.The new gallery is located at 409 S. Dishman Mica Rd.
The former Blanchard Tavern at 26204 Hwy 41 N in Blanchard,Id has a new owner,new look and a new name.The bar is now Magee's BT Grill and is back open after adding the improvements.
Absolute Drug Testing is a new firm that does both drug and alcohol testing from their new office across from the Kootenai County Jail at 5433 N Government Way Suite B in Coeur d Alene.
Summit Family Chiropractic opened not too long ago in Coeur d Alene also,The Chiropractic office also offers a small health store and is located at 2634 N Government Way next door to The Wing Stop Resturant.
Von Nash Interiors of Coeur d Alene is on the move to a new home.Von Nash now has more room and is now located at 215 W Kathleen right next door to Fisherman's Market and Grill.Von Nash had been on 4th Ave in Midtown Coeur d Alene.
The chain clothing store,Rue21 has now opened in Spokane's Northtown Mall. Their new store is located on the mall's 1st floor.
Happy Nails that had been in Post Falls at 740 Cecil Rd in the strip mall across from Wal-Mart is now closed.
Global Neighborhood Thrift is a new thrift store that both benefits and employ's the refugee community in the Spokane area is now open in Spokane at 902 W. Indiana at Monroe St.
Bank of America has announced that they plan to close their Downtown Spokane branch that was located at 804 N Monroe.The branch will not close however till May.
A company called Religion News based out of Washington,DC has expanded to Spokane by starting the website spokanefaus.com which is an online publication featuring religous news from the Spokane area.
The former Gonzaga University hangout,The Bulldog Tavern has been re-opened after closing during the fall last year.The bar however has a new owner a new name,The 1305 Club reflecting the bar's address which is 1305 N Hamilton in Spokane.The owner of The 1305 Club is looking for a new more popular name however and is holding an online contest to re-name the bar again.
Pacific Flyway Gallery and Framing opened their new Spokane Valley store recently.The new gallery is located at 409 S. Dishman Mica Rd.
The former Blanchard Tavern at 26204 Hwy 41 N in Blanchard,Id has a new owner,new look and a new name.The bar is now Magee's BT Grill and is back open after adding the improvements.
Absolute Drug Testing is a new firm that does both drug and alcohol testing from their new office across from the Kootenai County Jail at 5433 N Government Way Suite B in Coeur d Alene.
Summit Family Chiropractic opened not too long ago in Coeur d Alene also,The Chiropractic office also offers a small health store and is located at 2634 N Government Way next door to The Wing Stop Resturant.
Von Nash Interiors of Coeur d Alene is on the move to a new home.Von Nash now has more room and is now located at 215 W Kathleen right next door to Fisherman's Market and Grill.Von Nash had been on 4th Ave in Midtown Coeur d Alene.
The chain clothing store,Rue21 has now opened in Spokane's Northtown Mall. Their new store is located on the mall's 1st floor.
Happy Nails that had been in Post Falls at 740 Cecil Rd in the strip mall across from Wal-Mart is now closed.
Global Neighborhood Thrift is a new thrift store that both benefits and employ's the refugee community in the Spokane area is now open in Spokane at 902 W. Indiana at Monroe St.
Bank of America has announced that they plan to close their Downtown Spokane branch that was located at 804 N Monroe.The branch will not close however till May.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich coming to Coeur d Alene and Spokane
Republican Presidential Candidate,Newt Gingrich will follow the lead of fellow candidates Rick Santorium and Ron Paul by visiting the Inland Northwest on their own hopeful road to the White House.Newt Gingrich will first visit Spokane this Thursday with a 2pm campaign rally at The Bing Crosby Theater which is free and open to the public,That event is followed by a 4pm private fundraising event at a private home in Harrison which is to cost 1,000 dollars a ticket but Coeur d Alene residents who can't afford the private event can attend a Newt Gingrich sponsored Town Hall Meeting at 7:30pm at the Best Western Coeur d Alene Inn at Hwy 95 and Appleway near I-90. There had been rumors of a Mitt Romney rally soon as well but nothing on that as of yet,Idaho will vote in a caucus on March 6th while Washington State will hold a precinct caucus and straw poll on March 3rd.
Update Feb 21st 2012
The Perfect Fit is a new dress shop selling dresses for special events from a space at 7791 Aqua Circle in Dalton Gardens,north of Coeur d Alene.
Shabby Chic Collectibles and More is a former antique mall vendor that has now opened in a new permanent storefront at 3017 N Monroe St in Spokane.
Evans Insurance,an independent insurance agency representing multiple insurance brands has expanded into a new office in Coeur d Alene.The agency moved from an office on Goverment Way to space on Ironwood Dr. that was the home of the Idaho Dept of Labor before they moved their local office to Post Falls.
Target Media the publisher of the Wheel Deals magazine found in many grocery stores,etc. around Spokane and Coeur d Alene has relocated their offices from the Spokane Valley to 2103 N Division Suite B
Fieldhouse Pizza and Pub opened back in Sept. in the former Stadium Pizza space at 4423 W Wellesley Ave in Spokane.
One Stop Shoe Shop is opening a second location in 600 sq feet of space in the Heritage Shopping Center at 9433 N Division.One Stop Shoe Shop is a full service shoe repair store.
Furguson Bath,Kitchen and Lighting Gallery has opened with it's newly expanded store,the store has 4,000 sq feet of new space and is located at 2304 N Dollar Rd. in Spokane.
Pints Alehouse is a new bar featuring many microbrews from their site opening soon at 10111 N Newport Hwy in North Spokane.
The Fish Trap is a new fishing store now open in Sandpoint at 107 Main St.
Pyramid Printing has taken over the former Monogram Plus store on 4th across from Safeway in Coeur d Alene's Midtown area.
Shabby Chic Collectibles and More is a former antique mall vendor that has now opened in a new permanent storefront at 3017 N Monroe St in Spokane.
Evans Insurance,an independent insurance agency representing multiple insurance brands has expanded into a new office in Coeur d Alene.The agency moved from an office on Goverment Way to space on Ironwood Dr. that was the home of the Idaho Dept of Labor before they moved their local office to Post Falls.
Target Media the publisher of the Wheel Deals magazine found in many grocery stores,etc. around Spokane and Coeur d Alene has relocated their offices from the Spokane Valley to 2103 N Division Suite B
Fieldhouse Pizza and Pub opened back in Sept. in the former Stadium Pizza space at 4423 W Wellesley Ave in Spokane.
One Stop Shoe Shop is opening a second location in 600 sq feet of space in the Heritage Shopping Center at 9433 N Division.One Stop Shoe Shop is a full service shoe repair store.
Furguson Bath,Kitchen and Lighting Gallery has opened with it's newly expanded store,the store has 4,000 sq feet of new space and is located at 2304 N Dollar Rd. in Spokane.
Pints Alehouse is a new bar featuring many microbrews from their site opening soon at 10111 N Newport Hwy in North Spokane.
The Fish Trap is a new fishing store now open in Sandpoint at 107 Main St.
Pyramid Printing has taken over the former Monogram Plus store on 4th across from Safeway in Coeur d Alene's Midtown area.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Update Feb 20th 2012 -Happy Presidents Day!
Premier Productions is the name of the wedding center that recently opened up in 3000 sq feet of space at 11354 N Government Way in Hayden.The center is made up of 3 wedding businesses,they are...All About You Weddings and Events,Rayla Kay Photography and Bijouterie Designs.The Premier Productions center also has extra space that may soon become a prom and tux shop but nothing official on that yet.
The Sprint retail store in Post Falls on Hwy 41 by Sonic and near Mullan Ave. has closed.
The Urban Blends Coffee Shop in Spokane's Northtown Mall has expanded and moved to another space still in Northtown.Their new shop is on the first floor by Sears.
Spokane will get a 2nd Hobby Lobby hobby superstore later this year as Hobby Lobby has purchased the former Hastings location at 7706 N Division and has filed to remodel the store.The new store will employ about 40.
Greek Street Pizza and More in Coeur d Alene's Ironwood Square shopping center by hwy 95 and Ironwood has closed.The owner has merged the Greek Street restaurant in with it's sister restaurant, Cafe Italiano at 3331 W Indian Trail Rd in Spokane.
Saltwater Emporium which is a saltwater fish retailer on Hess St. in Hayden will move soon into space at the Silver Lake Mall in Coeur d Alene.
The Sprint retail store in Post Falls on Hwy 41 by Sonic and near Mullan Ave. has closed.
The Urban Blends Coffee Shop in Spokane's Northtown Mall has expanded and moved to another space still in Northtown.Their new shop is on the first floor by Sears.
Spokane will get a 2nd Hobby Lobby hobby superstore later this year as Hobby Lobby has purchased the former Hastings location at 7706 N Division and has filed to remodel the store.The new store will employ about 40.
Greek Street Pizza and More in Coeur d Alene's Ironwood Square shopping center by hwy 95 and Ironwood has closed.The owner has merged the Greek Street restaurant in with it's sister restaurant, Cafe Italiano at 3331 W Indian Trail Rd in Spokane.
Saltwater Emporium which is a saltwater fish retailer on Hess St. in Hayden will move soon into space at the Silver Lake Mall in Coeur d Alene.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Gordon Ramsey's new show to film at a Coeur d Alene hotel
Coeur d Alene's Roosevelt Inn located at 105 E Wallace Ave in a neighborhood just north of Downtown Coeur d Alene will be the focus of an upcoming episode for Gordon Ramsey's new show Hotel Hell which will air on the FOX network.The show, which is a spin-off of Ramsey's other FOX program,Kitchen Nightmares is where Ramsey and his team help transform struggling hotels to give them a new lease on life.The TV crew will be in Coeur d Alene filming with Gordon Ramsey this Feb 20th thru the 24th at the Roosevelt Inn and will have the hotel open by reservation only during the filming.I'll try to get pictures while the crew's are in town and post them on the Inland Northwest Business Watch Facebook page and hopefully find out more on the finished product.
Bing Crosby Theater gets new owner.
Downtown Spokane's landmark Bing Crosby Theater located at 901 W. Sprague Ave has been sold and the new theater owner plans major improvements and hopes to make the theater a tourist destination as well keeping up the status of an iconic performance house.The new owner is businessman Gerald V. Dicker of Spokane who owns GVD Commercial Properties,INC. as well as The Hotel Ruby and Sapphire Lounge nearby on 1st Ave and a majority interest in the former Burgan's Fine Furniture building and land along Division St. near the Gonzaga campus,which was proposed for a large hotel sometime back but has yet to begin construction on.The new owner plans to bring more events to The Bing and bring in more memorabilia of Bing Crosby who preformed in the theater many times before he and his family moved on to California. Mr Dicker is purchasing the Bing Crosby Theater for $920,000 dollars from Mitch Silver who also runs a collectible car auction company.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Update Feb 15th 2012
Washington State University is in the process now of building a new residence hall on their campus in Pullman,The new Northside Residence Hall will be across from the Bohler Gym,have 5 stories and include aprox. 100,000 sq. feet.The new hall is sceduled to be complete for the 2012-2013 school year.
Washington State University is also in the planning phases of a new lab building which is to cost 57.5 million dollars to build and will cover 85,000 sq feet along Grimes Way on campus in Pullman.A lot exciting things are happening on the Cougs campus.
Stan Craft Marine of Post Falls has purchased the 14,000 sq foot building located at 2321 W Dakota Ave in Hayden for expansion of their company,I will re-post when I know more or when they might open.
The Coeur d Alene office of the Idaho Assoiated General Contractors moved last month out of their home in the strip mall at the corner of Haycraft and Hwy 95.They have moved their office in with Abadan Reprographic at 3895 N Schreiber Way Suite 100.
Spokane based Whitestone Winery is moving to a new home in Downtown Spokane,They will be next door to Cougar Crest Winery at 8 N Post St.
Barton Auto is to start selling the Fiat line of cars under the name of Barton Fiat,The sales will start soon at their Downtown Spokane dealership which is located at 1002 W 2nd Ave.
MacKay Manufacturing in Spokane Valley is expanding,MacKay manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments.They plan to tear down a nearby smaller building allowing them to expand by 22,000 sq feet.The factory is located at 10011 E Montgomery Ave.
Flirt Salon and Spa opened recently in Post Falls,The new salon is in the former Turkey Hill Anitque store space at 306 N Spokane St. Suite J.
A Post Falls resident recently went into business with a new website called 5spotdepot.com , 5 Spot Depot is website where people can post what they would be willing to do for 5 dollar or what they would be willing to pay 5 dollars for someone to do for them.
Barbara's Kitchen opened not long ago with a new kiosk in the center court of Coeur d Alene's Silver Lake Mall.The kiosk sells homemade fudge.
Leslie's Picture Framing and Used Furniture in Post Falls appears to have closed,Leslie's was across from Trading Company in the strip mall at the corner of Bay and Seltice Way.This one doesn't totally shock me as I heard the landlord of this strip mall recently up rents.
Have any tips? e-mail me at mjbehri@gmail.com or post to me on Facebook --- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Inland-Northwest-Business-Watch/163064547117641
Washington State University is also in the planning phases of a new lab building which is to cost 57.5 million dollars to build and will cover 85,000 sq feet along Grimes Way on campus in Pullman.A lot exciting things are happening on the Cougs campus.
Stan Craft Marine of Post Falls has purchased the 14,000 sq foot building located at 2321 W Dakota Ave in Hayden for expansion of their company,I will re-post when I know more or when they might open.
The Coeur d Alene office of the Idaho Assoiated General Contractors moved last month out of their home in the strip mall at the corner of Haycraft and Hwy 95.They have moved their office in with Abadan Reprographic at 3895 N Schreiber Way Suite 100.
Spokane based Whitestone Winery is moving to a new home in Downtown Spokane,They will be next door to Cougar Crest Winery at 8 N Post St.
Barton Auto is to start selling the Fiat line of cars under the name of Barton Fiat,The sales will start soon at their Downtown Spokane dealership which is located at 1002 W 2nd Ave.
MacKay Manufacturing in Spokane Valley is expanding,MacKay manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments.They plan to tear down a nearby smaller building allowing them to expand by 22,000 sq feet.The factory is located at 10011 E Montgomery Ave.
Flirt Salon and Spa opened recently in Post Falls,The new salon is in the former Turkey Hill Anitque store space at 306 N Spokane St. Suite J.
A Post Falls resident recently went into business with a new website called 5spotdepot.com , 5 Spot Depot is website where people can post what they would be willing to do for 5 dollar or what they would be willing to pay 5 dollars for someone to do for them.
Barbara's Kitchen opened not long ago with a new kiosk in the center court of Coeur d Alene's Silver Lake Mall.The kiosk sells homemade fudge.
Leslie's Picture Framing and Used Furniture in Post Falls appears to have closed,Leslie's was across from Trading Company in the strip mall at the corner of Bay and Seltice Way.This one doesn't totally shock me as I heard the landlord of this strip mall recently up rents.
Have any tips? e-mail me at mjbehri@gmail.com or post to me on Facebook --- http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Inland-Northwest-Business-Watch/163064547117641
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
2 groups offer tour of growing Hayden company
If your a business professional who wants to see the manufacturing process up close and personal to get a better understanding of the processes this Wednesday is your lucky day.Both the Spokane area chapter of The Society of Manufacturing Engineers and the Inland Empire American Society of Metals will take a tour of LA Aluminum in Hayden. LA Aluminum is a growing company located in 27,000 sq feet of space at 1905 W. Miles Ave near the Pappy Boyington Field Airport,the company completed a major expansion last year and today they offer all processes in the manufacturing of aluminum.The tour will take place on Wed. Feb 15th at 6pm and is free also a networking event and dinner will follow the exclusive tour at The Caddy Shack, a sports bar nearby at 1100 Prarie Ave. also in Hayden.To get more info on the event or to RSVP please visit--- http://smefebruarylacasting.eventbrite.com/
Monday, February 13, 2012
Update Feb 13th 2012
Pizza Oven which is a chain of pizza resturants that opened last year in the River Park Square food court appears to be opening a second Spokane location in the building that was the site of David's Pizza near Gonzaga Unversity.Their address is 829 E. Boone Suite A
Maple St. Childrens Center closed and has consilidated with Busy Bodies Day Care located at the Mukogawa Ft. Wright Institute campus in northwest Spokane.
From Heaven to Seven is Spokane's first second hand store devoted to only baby items.From Heaven to Seven opened in December and is located in north Spokane at 8623 N Divsion Suite B,which is near the Y.
While they don't have a storefront as of now,The Cupcake Conspiracy is Coeur d Alene's newest cupcake shop.They sell their cupcakes thru facebook and other internet channels and will have a website online soon.
Giuseppe's Little Bit of Chicago has moved,the hot dog trailer had been in Coeur d Alene on Government Way by the Co-Op gas station.They have now re-located to 3621 N Government Way ,directly across from Costco and Wholesale Sports just north of Jennifer's CDA Auto Sales.
The Coeur d Alene Tribe's latest venture,a radio station has signed on the air.KWIS heard on 88.3 FM signed on last week and can be heard mainly on the Reservation but I checked and it does come in ok in Coeur d Alene and Post Falls also.KWIS broadcasts mostly local music and cultural content.
A new taxi service has launched in Coeur d Alene,Coeur d Alene Taxi is now open and claims to have the cheepest airport shuttle service.For info call 208-676-TAXI
The Handmade in Idaho Gift Shop which was at 6112 N Government Way is now Lizzie Lou's.The store is still basicly the same as before however.
Global Soccer Center will open soon in the former T&R Rentals location at 2001 N Division in Spokane.The new soccer center will be 8,000 sq feet and have a indoor soccer field as well a on site soccer shop.
Grandma Jai's Excellent Thai opened recently in Airway Heights,The new Thai Resturant is located at 12526 W Sunset Hwy.
Havenwood Caregiver Services has opened a new office,They are located at 303 E. Wellesley in Spokane.
The former Rathdrum Community Methodist Church located at the corner of McCartney and Post St in Rathdrum has been sold and will re-open as The ROC or Rathdrum Outreach Center.The new outreach center will be a faith based youth center.
Next to New is a new thrift store open in Spokane Valley.They are located behind the Pawn 1 off of Pines,the adress is 16 S. Union.
And last but not least I mentioned it appeared like Pacific Wireless at the corner of Hwy 41 and Seltice in Post Falls was closing,I can now say that they have closed as the unit is now empty with a for lease sign out front.
Maple St. Childrens Center closed and has consilidated with Busy Bodies Day Care located at the Mukogawa Ft. Wright Institute campus in northwest Spokane.
From Heaven to Seven is Spokane's first second hand store devoted to only baby items.From Heaven to Seven opened in December and is located in north Spokane at 8623 N Divsion Suite B,which is near the Y.
While they don't have a storefront as of now,The Cupcake Conspiracy is Coeur d Alene's newest cupcake shop.They sell their cupcakes thru facebook and other internet channels and will have a website online soon.
Giuseppe's Little Bit of Chicago has moved,the hot dog trailer had been in Coeur d Alene on Government Way by the Co-Op gas station.They have now re-located to 3621 N Government Way ,directly across from Costco and Wholesale Sports just north of Jennifer's CDA Auto Sales.
The Coeur d Alene Tribe's latest venture,a radio station has signed on the air.KWIS heard on 88.3 FM signed on last week and can be heard mainly on the Reservation but I checked and it does come in ok in Coeur d Alene and Post Falls also.KWIS broadcasts mostly local music and cultural content.
A new taxi service has launched in Coeur d Alene,Coeur d Alene Taxi is now open and claims to have the cheepest airport shuttle service.For info call 208-676-TAXI
The Handmade in Idaho Gift Shop which was at 6112 N Government Way is now Lizzie Lou's.The store is still basicly the same as before however.
Global Soccer Center will open soon in the former T&R Rentals location at 2001 N Division in Spokane.The new soccer center will be 8,000 sq feet and have a indoor soccer field as well a on site soccer shop.
Grandma Jai's Excellent Thai opened recently in Airway Heights,The new Thai Resturant is located at 12526 W Sunset Hwy.
Havenwood Caregiver Services has opened a new office,They are located at 303 E. Wellesley in Spokane.
The former Rathdrum Community Methodist Church located at the corner of McCartney and Post St in Rathdrum has been sold and will re-open as The ROC or Rathdrum Outreach Center.The new outreach center will be a faith based youth center.
Next to New is a new thrift store open in Spokane Valley.They are located behind the Pawn 1 off of Pines,the adress is 16 S. Union.
And last but not least I mentioned it appeared like Pacific Wireless at the corner of Hwy 41 and Seltice in Post Falls was closing,I can now say that they have closed as the unit is now empty with a for lease sign out front.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Spokane Startup Weekend
An event from Seattle called Start Up Weekend will come to Spokane this April 20th thru 22nd and will take place at Gonzaga University.The weekend long event and will be a place to pitch new business ideas and take advantage of resources available to new businesses in Spokane.Much like a reality show hopefuls will have 1 min. to pitch their business plan to a yet to be announced panel of judges who will advance some on the next level where the entrepreneurial hopefuls will break into groups and work on their businesses plans,etc... More info on the first Spokane Start Up Weekend is now available on spokane.startupweekend.org cost is 55 before April 1st and 75 dollars after.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Update Feb 9th 2012
A company called Inland Empire Residential Resources will build a new affordable apartment complex in the up and coming Spokane International District.The project will be in the heart of the district at 1420 E. Sprague Ave. and cost about 6.5 million to build.The new building will offer 27 apartments as well as 3 new ground floor commercial spaces.While it is needed don't look for this project to begin till next year however.
STCU(Spokane Teachers Credit Union) recently celebrated the grand opening of their newest branch located on the South Hill at 13211 E 32nd Ave. just 1 block west of hwy 27.The new STCU branch boasts many green qualities as well such as solar power and a charging station in the parking lot for electric cars.
In April or May look for a new grocery store with butcher counter and many local foods just north of Downtown Spokane.The new market is called The Family Market and will open in a building at 2121 N Division St,The building was formerly the Frontier West Resturant.
Miles Coffee Co. opened recently in Hayden.The coffee shop offers coffee,esspresso,baked goods and breakfast foods.The new coffee shop is located at 167 W. Miles in Hayden.
The first of it's kind at least for this area,The University of Spokamsterdam recently had their grand opening.The school offers classes in how to legally grow medical marawana and is now open at 127 W. Boone Ave in Spokane.
McKinstry which is a energy and construction firm in Spokane recently fixed up the building at 802 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. to be an office building housing their firm's office as well as some others.The new office building is called SIERR Building at McKinstry Station.So named because the historic building had been used by the railroad in it's past.The new office building was also constructed to be energy efficent.
The Dusty Trunk is new thrift store opening soon in the Spokane's Hillyard section.The store will be located at 5021 N Market St.
Rocky Mountian Construction Group of Hayden,a company I once mentioned for their work as roller coaster construction company has begun construction of a new 18,000 sq. foot 1 million dollar facility near their current home in Hayden,in the Warren K Industrial Park.Once complete the companies offices and operations will move into the new building but the new space will also allow Rocky Mtn. Construction to make a fabricate track and roller coaster cars.
Frosted Cupcakes of Coeur d Alene just had their grand re-opening.Frosted Cupcakes never actually closed but they did remodal their small shop.The cupcake store had been in just 1 suite of the Old City Hall office building on Sherman at 5th Ave in Coeur d Alene.Now they have taken down the walls and merged their space with Computer Guru's space allowing more display area and some seating.
Dahlberg Architects which had been on Coeur d Alene Ave. near 2nd st in Downtown Coeur d Alene is closing.
After a brief hiatis Traffic Stop Espresso is back open with a new owner.Traffic Stop Espresso is a coffee drive thru located near the Kroc Center on Ramsey Rd in Coeur d Alene.
I cannot pin down when the move happened but I noticed Copiers Northwest recently moved their offices from the former office on Mongomery in Spokane Valley over into the office buildings at 10102 E Knox, that house such firms as Carrington College and Belfor in Spokane Valley. Copiers Northwest is located in suite 500.
STCU(Spokane Teachers Credit Union) recently celebrated the grand opening of their newest branch located on the South Hill at 13211 E 32nd Ave. just 1 block west of hwy 27.The new STCU branch boasts many green qualities as well such as solar power and a charging station in the parking lot for electric cars.
In April or May look for a new grocery store with butcher counter and many local foods just north of Downtown Spokane.The new market is called The Family Market and will open in a building at 2121 N Division St,The building was formerly the Frontier West Resturant.
Miles Coffee Co. opened recently in Hayden.The coffee shop offers coffee,esspresso,baked goods and breakfast foods.The new coffee shop is located at 167 W. Miles in Hayden.
The first of it's kind at least for this area,The University of Spokamsterdam recently had their grand opening.The school offers classes in how to legally grow medical marawana and is now open at 127 W. Boone Ave in Spokane.
McKinstry which is a energy and construction firm in Spokane recently fixed up the building at 802 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. to be an office building housing their firm's office as well as some others.The new office building is called SIERR Building at McKinstry Station.So named because the historic building had been used by the railroad in it's past.The new office building was also constructed to be energy efficent.
The Dusty Trunk is new thrift store opening soon in the Spokane's Hillyard section.The store will be located at 5021 N Market St.
Rocky Mountian Construction Group of Hayden,a company I once mentioned for their work as roller coaster construction company has begun construction of a new 18,000 sq. foot 1 million dollar facility near their current home in Hayden,in the Warren K Industrial Park.Once complete the companies offices and operations will move into the new building but the new space will also allow Rocky Mtn. Construction to make a fabricate track and roller coaster cars.
Frosted Cupcakes of Coeur d Alene just had their grand re-opening.Frosted Cupcakes never actually closed but they did remodal their small shop.The cupcake store had been in just 1 suite of the Old City Hall office building on Sherman at 5th Ave in Coeur d Alene.Now they have taken down the walls and merged their space with Computer Guru's space allowing more display area and some seating.
Dahlberg Architects which had been on Coeur d Alene Ave. near 2nd st in Downtown Coeur d Alene is closing.
After a brief hiatis Traffic Stop Espresso is back open with a new owner.Traffic Stop Espresso is a coffee drive thru located near the Kroc Center on Ramsey Rd in Coeur d Alene.
I cannot pin down when the move happened but I noticed Copiers Northwest recently moved their offices from the former office on Mongomery in Spokane Valley over into the office buildings at 10102 E Knox, that house such firms as Carrington College and Belfor in Spokane Valley. Copiers Northwest is located in suite 500.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Spokane city council votes down plan to save the Jensen Byrd Building
At the most recent meeting of the Spokane City Council a plan was brought before Mayor Condon and his council members to persuade new building owner,Campus Advantage of Austin,TX from tearing down the landmark Jensen Byrd Building for their student housing project scheduled to be open in 2013 in a new 5 story building on the site of the Jensen Byrd.However that propsosal was voted down by a 4-3 vote which will allow the building to be demolished.Many people from the community attended the meeting in favor of saving the Jensen Byrd and one council member noted that a plan to identify such historic buildings may be needed to try to block such projects so such a situation does not arrise agian.No word as of now when the building will be torn down.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Follow-up on Cali's Coffee Stop
A few days back I posted a post on here for a new Downtown Spokane coffee shop called Cali's Coffee Stop which had recived a notice to vacate and a business partner who just walked away from the business.Now I happy to report the business appears to be back and hopfully around for a while,The owner has taken over and re-named the coffee shop Waking Bliss and will remain at 406 W 3rd Downtown.Waking Bliss offers coffee,tea,esspresso and snacks as well as local art and places for recovery meetings and clothing exchange programs.Waking Bliss is also hoping to get local musicians to preform in the shop.For more on the new Waking Bliss Coffee Shop check them out on Facebook at...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Bliss/217814041588693
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Waking-Bliss/217814041588693
Assisted Living development proposal irks some in Coeur d Alene Place.
Residents in the Coeur d' Alene's Coeur d Alene Place subdivision are concerned over a proposal being brought to Coeur d Alene city council at the Feb. 21st meeting. The proposal has already cleared the Planning and Zoning Committee by a 3-1 vote.The proposal is for an assisted living community on St. Michelle Dr. near Woodland Middle School.The development is being brought up by a couple from Coeur d Alene in partnership with another couple from Post Falls,The 2 of which currently own another assisted living facility off of 4th St. directly across from Coeur d Alene High School.The developers choose the land near Woodland Middle School because of the school being so close,They note of prior success with the students from the schools being active with their elderly neighboors nearby and helping them out when they can.The site is on 5.7 acres of surplus land held by the Coeur d Alene School District but being sold to the partners,The property if developed will by 5 homes,and admin building and a storage building all designed to fit in with the surrounding neighboorhood.The facility will handle up to 80 residents at a time and provide up to 40 jobs and while the project sounds appealing nearby residents are not quite as sure,Their issue is mostly over traffic and parking issues in the already high traffic area,over 100 people have submitted negitive notices to city council and many of those will most likly show up to the meeting on Feb. 21st when the issue comes up to council.I'll watch this more and update on here and facebook after that meeting with more....
landmark Holiday Inn undergoing remodel
For that last few years as you head north out of Downtown Spokane on Division St near the beginning of the Division/Ruby couplet you'll notice a hotel on a steep cliff known as the Holiday Inn On The Rock.The hotel is definatly noticeable with it's unique location and it now will become even more noticeable as the hotel is undergoing a full remodal. Hotel owners, Basalt Hospitality which is partly owned by former NFL star Mark Ryken are investing 1.5 million dollars in the property adding over 2,000 sq feet to the lobby and breakfast area and redoing the entire exterior.Once complete the hotel will have a large deck looking out over Downtown Spokane and look almost bavarian as seen in this example of the finished product....
The hotel will remain open during construction which is now well underway.
The hotel will remain open during construction which is now well underway.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Avista to join in Waste to Energy project in Kootenai County
Avista Utilites is planning to ask the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve a power purchase agreement to purchase renewable power from Kootenai Electric Co-op's landfill gas generating facility by the Kootenai County Landfill north of Worley on the Coeur d Alene Indian Reservation.The relatively new landfill generating facility is a 3.2 megawatt facility and owned by Hayden based Kootenai Electric Co-Op.
Update Feb 4th 2012
Nitro Killer is a new remote control car hobby shop opening in March in a 2500 sq feet spot at 1015 W. Garland in Spokane's Garland District.
The Gamer's Haven which has been a popular gaming store in Post Falls is moving.The Post Falls location which was on Seltice Way across from The Trading Company will close and re-open at 2114 N 14th St. Suite 1 in Spokane Valley.The Spokane Valley store is twice the size with a total of 6000 square feet.
Double Discount Groceries is now open in Post Falls,Double Discount Groceries sells groceries at deep discounts because many of the items in the store are dented,damaged,etc... The store is located at 402 E. Seltice Way in the former home of Caruso's Sandwich Company.
In a related note to the Double Discount Grocery post,The Handy Mart 2 and Bargin Grocery Store on 4th in Midtown Coeur d Alene is now closed.The owner is the same owner that opened Double Discount.Handy Mart 2 is closing due to the building being torn down later this year to make way for a new affordable apartment complex as mentioned in a previous post.
The Tarot Parlour is now open in Spokane at 2838 N Ruby .The Tarot Parlour does tarot readings with the owner as a member of the American Tarot Association.
Paige Organic Skin Care is a new business doing organic skin care services and waxing,etc.. from their home located inside Modern Apothecary at 9 S. Howard St in Downtown Spokane.
The Gamer's Haven which has been a popular gaming store in Post Falls is moving.The Post Falls location which was on Seltice Way across from The Trading Company will close and re-open at 2114 N 14th St. Suite 1 in Spokane Valley.The Spokane Valley store is twice the size with a total of 6000 square feet.
Double Discount Groceries is now open in Post Falls,Double Discount Groceries sells groceries at deep discounts because many of the items in the store are dented,damaged,etc... The store is located at 402 E. Seltice Way in the former home of Caruso's Sandwich Company.
In a related note to the Double Discount Grocery post,The Handy Mart 2 and Bargin Grocery Store on 4th in Midtown Coeur d Alene is now closed.The owner is the same owner that opened Double Discount.Handy Mart 2 is closing due to the building being torn down later this year to make way for a new affordable apartment complex as mentioned in a previous post.
The Tarot Parlour is now open in Spokane at 2838 N Ruby .The Tarot Parlour does tarot readings with the owner as a member of the American Tarot Association.
Paige Organic Skin Care is a new business doing organic skin care services and waxing,etc.. from their home located inside Modern Apothecary at 9 S. Howard St in Downtown Spokane.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
El Rancho Mobile Home Park shutting
The El Rancho Mobile Home Park which has been at the corner of Mullan Ave. and Hwy 41 in Post Falls for over 50 years is shutting down leaving the high traffic corner giving residents,most of which are low income and some on the verge of being homelessness, only 6 months to find housing elsewhere.The El Rancho has 45 remaining units and almost all homes in the mobile home park are too old to be safely moved as is.The park some time ago was sold to a company called 41 and Mullan Investments,LLC which is a part of Vandervert Construction of Spokane,recently Vandervert and some of their investors split up forming FF,LLC which now owns the park and wants the now in demand commercial corner clear.It's not clear what if anything is planned for the 9 acre site but at one point I heard a rumor of a Safeway store but that was not from a official source so I'll have to keep my eyes out on this one,hopefully more to come this summer...
Silver Lake Mall now part of Rouse Properties
Rouse Properties a regional mall owner and developer that was a spin off of General Growth Properties after GGP filed to restructure after a few years of tough economic times for their shopping centers across the United States.General Growth had owned Spokane's Northtown Mall and Spokane Valley Mall in Spokane but will place Coeur d Alene's Silver Lake Mall under the newly formed Rouse Properties.It's unclear what if any things will change with the new mall owner but a recent e-mail sent to the mall's mailing list hints at wifi and possibly new stores on the horizon. Hopefully Rouse can do some things to help Silver Lake Mall as it's clearly seen better days,the property is kept up but with Hallmark closing and Maurice's moving out soon in the already relativity small mall a lot will be needed.