Scotty's Dog House to open in former Chairs space on Hamiliton

Last used as a place called Chairs Public House, but more famously the former Bulldog Tavern building at 1305 N. Hamilton won't have to sit vacant long. Remodeling work has already begun for the next new business to use the building with a prime location nearby Gonzaga University.

That new business will be Scotty's Doghouse and will be a bar with a food menu. Although, the exact menu is still being worked out so watch for more on that in the near future. Scotty's Doghouse hopes to open for business around the middle of September.

The new bar will offer up a full bar with a kitchen that's open late. A live DJ will be there on weekends and they will be a great place to catch up on sports with 10 flat screen TV's.

For more information about Scotty's Doghouse, check their page on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/scottysdoghouse

And, a website is coming soon at-

http://scottysdoghouse.com

Where to find Spirit Halloween, and other halloween chains in our area in 2015

As I write this post it's still hot and dry outdoors, but in all reality Halloween 2015 is actually approaching us very rapidly. And, one way for a business geek, like myself, to tell is all the leases being signed for Spirit Halloween and other seasonal big box Halloween stores in our area. These stores are usually only open for about 2 or 3 months and just because their on this list does not mean their open now.

But, regardless here is where you will likely find Halloween stores around Spokane and Coeur d' Alene for 2015 ( by chain )-


Spirit Halloween - http://www.spirithalloween.com ( Jobs with these stores can also be applied for via this website )

1233 N. Division St , Spokane ( University District )

7810 N. Division St , Suite A , Spokane ( Northgate Shopping Center )

12105 E. Sprague Ave. , Spokane Valley ( Opportunity Shopping Center )

206 W. Ironwood Dr. , Suites E & F , Coeur d' Alene ( Ironwood Square Shopping Center )


Halloween Express - http://www.halloweenexpress.com ( This is a new Halloween chain to Spokane and looks to be a locally owned franchise, job information with Halloween Express Spokane is available on Facebook at www.facebook.com/halloweenexpressspokane )

47 E. Queen , Spokane ( Stand alone building, just north of Northtown Mall )


There are no planned Halloween City locations planned for Spokane / Coeur d' Alene this year as of yet. Although, one is planned in Pullman.


Although, not a seasonal store, Party City ( http://www.partycity.com ) also has a large Halloween and Halloween costume department in their Spokane area stores. Locally Party City can be found at-

9956 N. Newport Hwy, Spokane ( Northpointe Shopping Center )

13806 E. Indiana Ave. , Spokane Valley ( Evergreen Crossing Shopping Center )

New Hampton Inn proposed near Downtown Spokane

While not officially ready to be built just yet, another new hotel, is in the permitting / environmental review phases to be built not far away from Downtown Spokane and directly next to Sacred Heart Hospital on the Lower South Hill.

The proposal calls for a new six story hotel with 109 hotel rooms to be built at 617 S. McCellan St. , the project would also include a four story parking structure for 130 total parking spaces. The project is being purposed by Spokane S. Medical,LLC , who also owns the property and will be right next to the Hospital, likely to accept some the hospital's many longer term visitors. The new hotel will also be branded with the Hampton Inn hotel chain.

There is no set opening date for this new Hampton Inn as of yet as the review processes are currently ongoing. Nor, is there any information about what the new hotel will feature or how many new jobs it will create, I will update this post once I have all of that information. This will be the fourth Hampton Inn location in the Inland Northwest with locations at Riverstone ( Coeur d' Alene ), on Indiana Pkwy. (Spokane Valley ) and here in Spokane on Assembly St.

Hampton Inn is a franchise based hotel chain that is division of the much larger Hilton Worldwide. Their Headquarters is in McLean,VA and they have over 2,000 hotels scattered in many parts of the world. For more information on Hampton Inn, visit their website at-

www.hamptoninn.com

What's going in at the corner of Sprague & Bowdish

I've been getting a lot of email questions asking about what is going on with the active construction site on Southwest corner of Sprague & Bowdish in Spokane Valley seen here-

Well here is the answer, this site will soon become a new larger O'Reilly Auto Parts store. It will be a 15,335 square foot store with no set opening date as of yet. The new building's address will be 11421 E. Sprague Ave.

The land once housed a couple of smaller buildings, which, as you can see have already been torn down. For news on where those businesses relocated to, check this prior post about that very topic-
http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/03/oreilly-auto-parts-to-build-new-store.html

Locally filmed Macklemore music video posted

Have you heard the news? The music video for " Downtown " filmed entirely in Downtown Spokane has hit the internet. Take a look...

Grille from Ipanema moving to Riverstone

A popular restaurant from Downtown Coeur d' Alene is planning to leave Downtown soon to become a tenant of the Village at Riverstone. That restaurant is The Grille from Ipanema Brazilian Steakhouse which has been located on the ground floor of the Parkside Tower at 601 Front St. for a few years now.

The restaurant has gained a following and many positive online reviews. They plan to remain open in their current location until the move. The new Riverstone location is currently anticipated to open in the Spring of 2016 after the new space is done being remodeled. At Riverstone the restaurant will occupy 6100 square feet of space at 2416 N. Old Mill Loop . This is the same building as Starbucks on the eastern side of the lifestyle center styled shopping mall. The lease was secured by Bob Spooner of Goodale & Barbieri Real Estate.

The Grille from Ipanema is described best as an upscale all you can eat dining experience. The restaurant's wait staff roam from table to table serving a variety of beef, pork and chicken that is sliced off of skewers directly to the customer.  The restaurant serves primarily Churrasco and Brazilian Barbeque style foods with a colorful, festive décor throughout the establishment.

When first opened, The Grille from Ipanema was the first Brazilian restaurant in the Inland Northwest. Today another, unrelated, restaurant called Rio Grill serves Brazilian dishes on the South Hill in Spokane  .

For more information on The Grille from Ipanema, visit their website at-

http://www.thegrillefromipanema.com/

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/grillefromipanema

Matlida Building groundbreaking held, project to start soon

The Matilda Building will be Spokane's newest mixed use building, a large four story sturucture taking up an entire block. The building will bring 57 apartments for " young professionals " and a mix of retail shops and restaurants along the ground floor facing N. Hamilton. The building will rise at 1028 N. Hamilton and will be a development of some pretty famous names, both locally and nationally. The project's groundbreaking ceremony was this morning and Inland Northwest Business Watch staff was in attendance, here's the scoop...

**** For more about what will be included in the finished Matilda Building view our original post here **** ( photos included )

The Matilda Building's groundbreaking was well attended with many local government officials and business people on site. But perhaps the most well known is the building's part owner, Spokane native John Stockton....

John Stockton is a member of the development firm Ferdinand CJF,LLC. with the Matilda name coming from a late member of the Stockton family. The Clementine Square Building, a multi tenant commercial building with several restaurants is only about a block away. It too is a project of the Stockton family and also bears the name of one of their relatives.

This development will also be partly managed by Houston Stockton, John Stockton's son who is hoping to get some experience in construction management.

Mayor David Condon and City Councilwoman Amber Waldref ( the project falls in her district ) we're also both in attendance. Mayor Condon spoke of the building helping to beautify the Hamilton corridor heading north from the freeway. It was also mentioned that the building is intended stay there for 100 years, not 20 to 25 and get replaced.

Also involved in the building's management will be done by Kent Hull, seen above in the green shirt. Leasing of the remaining commercial storefronts will be done by Byrd Real Estate of Spokane. One space is already leased but the name cannot be given yet. That space is a 5,000 square foot unit and will be a " well known " coffee shop. It's unlikely it will be Starbucks however since there is already one only a couple of blocks north of here on Hamilton.

This groundbreaking has been a long time coming as the project has been on the books for many months now. If all goes as planned, much of the building will open in August of 2016 and it was revealed today that actual construction at the site will likely start next week with walls up by Christmas.

The Matilda Building will also act as a bit of catalyst for future development in the Hamilton St. corridor which has already been changing in the last couple of years. A new bar is scheduled to take the place of Chairs Public House nearby here, and more apartments are planned over off of Trent.
Here is a look at N. Hamilton looking north from the Matilda Building's site-

What would you like to see come to this corridor? Is the Matilda Building project a positive or negative for this transforming section of our city? Let us know on out Facebook page anytime at-

www.facebook.com/inlandnorthwestbusinesswatch

DogLux Grooming Salon opens in Spokane Valley

A new kind of luxury dog grooming salon has opened for business in Spokane Valley and is catching some buzz from dog lovers all around Spokane. The new business is called DogLux Grooming Salon and they just held the grand opening " paw-rty " just the other day.

DogLux Grooming Salon can be found in the Trent / Argonne Shopping center, next door to Papa Murphy's Pizza. Their address is 8901 E. Trent Ave. Suite 109.

DogLux is not like the other grooming businesses in the area or the big box store grooming centers. Instead each dog is treated with a personal touch based on what their owner requests. The business is meant to be spa like featuring an modern, open grooming area to please / calm their furry customers.

In addition to the large grooming space, a comfortable bathing area can be found towards the back . And, a inviting lobby in the front to please the owners dropping off and picking up their pets. Despite all the added touches and premium quality products, services at DogLux Grooming Salon remain quite affordable.

Regulars at DogLux will want to make note of their monthly re-occurring grooming club called the LuxPup program. In this program customers recive grooming services at regular intevals to promote good skin and coat health.

For more information on DogLux Grooming Salon, visit their website at-

www.dogluxgrooming.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/dogluxgrooming

Follow up on Tom Sawyer Coffee's new location by Kendall Yards

Last week we made mention that Tom Sawyer Country Coffee had outgrown their current headquarters and roasting facility at 9226 S. Hangman Valley Rd. and was planning to move to the more urban setting of Kendall Yards. We, now have more details on when that move will happen and what the expect from what the company is calling Tom Sawyer Country Coffee's Urban Stop.

Tom Sawyer Country Coffee will take over and remodel the building at 608 N. Maple St., above the Maple St. Bridge, and while not actually in the Kendall Yards geographical boundary they will share a property line and serve the entire up and coming neighborhood. The company will close down their current facility and move to this location once it is completed. The former location ( address listed above ) is now on the market and comes with a home, six car garage and already has " home industry" zoning ideal for a new business.

Tom Sawyer Country Coffee's new location will still welcome visitors, the location will allow guests to "watch as the finest, Specialty Grade coffees from around the globe are roasted to precision" .

In addition to the coffee roasting operations at the new building, a drive through for coffee is also planned, as is a patio with outdoor seating to enjoy fresh coffees to open in the Spring of 2016. Future phases at the new location also include a full coffee bar and a retail coffee setup. A small private conference room will also be available at the site for groups up to 20 with , of course, an amazing coffee service. Opening at the new Kendall Yards location could happen as early as next month.

Tom Sawyer Country Coffee is a Spokane based coffee roaster and wholesaler who believes that coffee is more then just a beverage, coffee is an experience. The company is owned by a man named Tom Sawyer ( Yes that's his name ) who boasts 50 years of coffee roasting experience. The coffees created by Tom Sawyer Country Coffee are available all over the region, in many coffee shops and espresso drive ups.

For more information on Tom Sawyer Country Coffee, visit their website at-

http://www.tomsawyercountrycoffee.com/

New owners at The Montvale Hotel, renovations coming soon

Amid all the bad news of the wildfires destroying the Northwest today has been one true gem of local business news. The Montvale Hotel , an historic boutique hotel located in Downtown Spokane has been purchased and will undergo some remodeling / updates to keep the hotel moving forward.

The Montvale Hotel almost closed and has operated in receivership from the bankruptcy courts in recent months after some hard times fell on the hotel. The hotel was, for a time owned by local developer Rob Brewster who went belly up after getting in over his head in local real estate projects.

But now, it looks like the hard times may be in the past for The Montvale as the new owner is well known local Developer Jerry Dicker, who already owns numerous properties in the Montvale's neighborhood. The hotel will go under Dicker's Ruby Hospitality business which operates the Hotel Ruby and Ruby 2, both artsy hotels within a few blocks of this property. The Montvale Hotel's address is 1005 W. First Ave, corner of 1st and Monroe.

The Montvale Hotel will have some work done to it, starting right away, but will retain much of it's historic appeal and remain open for business during any renovations. The property is a 36 room hotel that first opened back in 1899 as an SRO ( single room occupancy ) and is the oldest hotel in the city.

Upgrades will be done throughout, including repairing / restoring the original skylights and décor in the hotel rooms / common areas. In addition, mechanical systems, including the air conditioning will be repaired. But, it's the renovations themselves that will likely get peoples attention...

The lobby area will be expanded into the corner retail space ( last used as a bar, named Scout ) with a new coffee shop added within that space. The new coffee shop will be open to the public, not just hotel guests, and as of now remains to be named. The basement space, where a restaurant named Catacombs Pub last operated will also be fixed up and re-opened as a new restaurant.

The building has also been home to Scratch Restaurant and their sister business Rain Lounge for sometime now. These two businesses, that face 1st Ave, just west of the lobby will likely remain open in the current locations unchanged.

The new owners, Ruby Hospitality, plan to incorporate some of their " life is art " treatment to this hotel as Jerry Dicker and his wife are also big into art. Dicker, had this to say about taking over operations at The Montvale Hotel-

“We are thrilled to add the Montvale to our hotel options.  My wife, Patty, and I have a passion for art and historical preservation.  We look forward to installing amazing art that will be both contemporary and consistent with the historic feel of the Montvale.  Our guests will be treated to a first class operation that will be consistent with the hotel’s original era but will include all the comforts of today."

Jerry Dicker, who also owns the commercial development firm, GVD Commercial Properties has invested heavily in Spokane in the last couple of years. Dicker, recently opened Ruby Suites , a " serviced residence " hotel property at the Burgan's Furniture building in the University District. They also recently acquired the former Dempsey's Brass Rail bar building Downtown. He and his company are currently renovating that building as well to house their own headquarters on the second floor and what will likely be a new bar and / or restaurant on the first floor.

For more information about The Montvale Hotel, visit it's website at ( online room booking also included ) -

www.montvalespokane.com

Or, find The Montvale Hotel on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/montvalehotel

Consign Furniture planning move to Liberty Lake

If you listen to the radio in the Spokane / Coeur d' Alene area you may have heard Consign Furniture's many ad's using the jingle " easy way to sell, smart way to buy ". And, regardless of if it's their advertising or good deals on furniture, Consign Furniture has outgrown their current space in Post Falls and is looking to relocate and expand.

The business is now in escrow on the former Ashley Furniture Homestore building on the west side of the City of Liberty Lake. They hope to relocate there in the coming months, and due to the larger building size would likely need to hire on some more employees as well.

The Liberty Lake building, which is at 21605 E. Country Vista Blvd. ( by Home Depot ) is 59,000 square feet and was already formerly used as a furniture store, making the transition to Consign Furniture very easy. Their Post Falls location was only 30,000 square feet. There is no set opening date for their Liberty Lake store as the deal remains ongoing but we will keep you posted when we hear more.

Consign Furniture is a furniture retailer with a unique business model. The business relies on consigning people's used furniture of all types, this makes their merchandise usually cheaper then the big name furniture stores around our area.  Although, much of what they sell is used, an inventory of new mattresses from Twilight Bedding can also be found in their store.

Until their new store opens in Liberty Lake, Consign Furniture remains open for business at 1525 E. Edmonton Ave. in Post Falls. Once, they move the building will go up for lease and provides a great business location with high visibility from I-90, especially with increased highway signage.

The local location of Consign Furniture is actually just a sister store to the business's main location in Reno,NV. That location also remains open for business at 6865 Sierra Center Pkwy Reno,NV. For more information on Consign Furniture ( both locations ) visit their website at-

www.consignfurniturenow.com

Or, on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/consignfurniturepf

Maverik planning location in Hayden

After entering the Inland Northwest market only a few years ago, the Utah based Maverik gas station chain has already grown to 4 locations around the Spokane / Coeur d' Alene area. And, now a new fifth location is already under construction on a site in Hayden.

This is currently the only new location planned for our area and will be the second for the Greater Coeur d' Alene area. Maverik also has one at the intersection of Ramsey Rd and Hayden Ave. in CdA. There is also a rumor of a Maverik planned to open in Post Falls, which appears to be a false rumor at this time.

The Hayden Maverik will be on the northwest corner of US 95 and Hayden Ave on the vacant lot next to Rustlers Roost Restaurant. The new Hayden location should open toward the end of the year with a 4 to 6 month construction session. The new building will have about 4,250 square feet of space.

The store will be similar to other Maverik locations with multiple fuel pumps, a full modern convenience store and unlike some convenience stores, Maverik also hot foods served fresh under the Bonfire food name.

Maverik now operates over 250 locations, currently all in the Western United States.  Maverik is operated under the FJ Management parent company, who formerly owned the Flying J Truck Stop chain.

For more information on Maverik, visit their web site at-

www.maverik.com

Other area Maverik locations include-

717 N. Evergreen Rd. Spokane Valley,Wa

4206 E. Day Mt. Spokane Rd. Mead,Wa

2827 First Ave Cheney,Wa

6415 N. Ramsey Rd. Coeur d' Alene,Id.

Franko's Dog House -New restaurant review

Tucked away in a largely empty parking lot, in between a smoke shop and a dentist in Post Falls sits a very small new food truck, or food trailer as the case maybe. But don't let the small out of the way location deceive you. Franko's Dog House is a hot dog vendor, selling gourmet hot dogs that are unique and have big flavor.

Their address is 1900 E. Seltice Way and have only been open for maybe a couple of weeks now. Even myself drove by them a few times and dismissed this trailer as just another basic hot dog place that won't last long. That was until they we're featured in The Inlander's weekly entrée e-mail newsletter and I decided I probably should give them a try too. And, I can honestly say I'm glad I did.

Hot dogs from Franko's Dog House are prepared when you order them with often little wait making for a quick, easy lunch. Do they have the best hot dogs in the Spokane area? I can't say as I haven't ordered all that many but for the price they must be among the best.

Franko's Dog House's hot dogs are what I would consider crazy cheap. Hot dogs can range from around $4 up to $5.50 and are fully loaded with toppings and sauces depending on which one you order. Chips and some soda's are also available and making your meal a combo with both chips and a drink will only cost you $1.00 more. During my visit I ordered a Spanish Chihuahua with chips and a drink and it only cost about $5.75.

All of the hot dogs served here have dog themed names, some breeds, some other references . Here is a look at the current menu. I'm told via their website that some special hot dogs may also make appearances in the future...

 

This picture is a little small but it give you an idea of what is offered. A full menu, that wasn't taken with an iPhone while trying to hide the fact I was taking pictures, is available on their website. In addition to the hot dogs, kettlecorn and jerky can also be found here. Only in Idaho would a food truck also sell jerky....

 

Franko's does however have a hot dog available for most any taste. Vegetarian's will also want to make note of their " The Cat's Meow " which features no actual hot dog. There is even one called the Huckleberry Hound that served with a huckleberry chipotle, savory and sweet, sign me up!

 



But, as I mentioned above, I ordered the Spanish Chihuahua. And, here is what I got...

The hot dog was large and topped with pico de gallo and plenty of jalapenos. An ok amount of a chipotle sauce was also added directly to the bun. Defiantly a messy hot dog to eat but at least they gave me lots of napkins. It was a good filling portion just right for lunch.

They do not have much of seating area, just a small table in front of the trailer, but in today's smoke I think it's best to drive home or eat in the car, out of the elements anyways. The staff, what I assume is a couple, are very nice and welcoming. I really get the felling they want to serve a quality product and want customers.

If your ever cruising through Post Falls during the day time, do pull over at Frankos' Dog House and let them know you heard about them on inlandnwbusiness.com . They probably won't know what your talking about, nor will they give you anything for free, but hey I gotta get this site plugged somehow!!!

For more information about Franko's Dog House, including a look at their full menu, visit-

http://frankosdh.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/frankosdoghouse

Share Space Spokane moving to new, larger space

Share Space Spokane is a coworking space located on the third floor of the Steam Plant Building in Downtown Spokane. It's managed by Greater Spokane Incorporated's Startup Spokane program and it's many services are used by some of Spokane's finest business people each day.

But now, Share Space is on the move to a new space that's larger and will offer even more services. Like, free business consulting services under a new partnership with Gonzaga New Venture Lab. The new Share Space location will also be even more convenient as they will now be located inside of one The Spokane Entrepreneurial Center's Downtown buildings .

The new Share Space Spokane location will open on September 1st, after some renovations are done to the new space. Here is a look at what the new space is planned to look like-

This new space will be on the ground floor of Spokane Entrepreneurial Center's Plechner Building at 608 W 2nd Ave on the south side of Downtown Spokane. The new center will be larger then the old one with 2,700 square feet of space. The new space will also provide seating for up to 36 people to sit and work at one time.

In addition to having more workspaces, Share Space Spokane's new home will also offer multiple meeting rooms, a large conference room, phone booth spaces for taking private calls , kitchen space , secure after hours access, an event stage and high speed internet offered in partnership with the Spokane Entrepreneurial Center.

All of the previously offered programs will continue and grow at the new location under Share Space's parent program, Startup Spokane. These programs help get new business started and succeeding and have already had many successful alumni.

Monthly membership at Share Space Spokane is $100 ( way cheaper then having to rent a full office ) and includes 24/7 access to the facility. Pricing on dedicated desk space and other membership levels is coming soon. New members who sign up before Sept 1st will receive a 25% discount off of the $100 rate for the first 3 months.

To show off the new, bigger location, Share Space Spokane will be welcoming the community to tour the space on Thursday Sept. 10th from 5pm - 6:30pm . More information on these free tours will be available soon on the websites listed below.

For more information on Share Space Spokane visit their website at-

www.sharespacespokane.com

Or, via their Startup Spokane parent-

www.startupspokane.org

So, is Cracker Barrel still coming to Coeur d' Alene?

Coeur d' Alene getting a Cracker Barrel Restaurant & Country Store has been a rumor ever since I started writing this blog I believe. For a time it was even confirmed that one would locate on the vacant lot across from Winco on Appleway. But, as of today no construction activity has actually started there. Even though, a work trailer and some orange construction fencing remain on that site.

It's looking safe to say plans fell though for the planned Cracker Barrel on Appleway, but the rumor is still there, and it's looking like it could be real again....

First of all, Coeur d' Alene Press columnist Nils Rosdahl wrote a tease that Cracker Barrel may actually be looking to open in Post Falls is his recent column. Here's a link to that- http://cdapress.com/news/business/article_859878bd-95b0-5db7-ab47-d0b388e636c2.html

And, then just yesterday came the biggest hint yet, an awesome reader of this blog alerted me to this job posting....

 



I fell like I'm on the cusp of debunking this rumor. So, I'm issuing a call for help from all of my great readers. If you have any information about Cracker Barrel coming to the Coeur d' Alene area please email me! My email is inlandbusiness@yahoo.com and I welcome tips anytime. If you know where Cracker Barrel will be or anything please let me know! I will not name my sources, so don't worry if your under some sort of contracts,etc..

Cracker Barrel's corporate has yet to respond back to my request about this, so I'm putting it in your hands. My readers have done it before with Panera Bread, so let's do it again.

Also, I've uncovered a commercial pre-application in Spokane Valley that might also be for a Cracker Barrel because it says it's for a restaurant with retail store and is at a currently vacant address not far off of I-90. If you have any info about that or other locations also let me know at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cheney expanding / remodeling

In a college town like Cheney, hotel rooms, are almost always in demand. And soon there will be even more in the small city with a major project coming soon to the Holiday Inn Express.

The Cheney Holiday Inn Express is located at 111 W. Betz Rd, at the corner of Betz and 1st. The hotel will invest over $5 million dollars, with much of that money going towards physically expanding the hotel itself. The plan calls for adding 46 new guest rooms and increasing the size of their conference center to allow groups of up to 200 people to book the property.

Some other investments will go toward a remodel of the existing hotel, including the lobby area. The project is expected to completed around the second quarter of 2016. The expansion area will be built first before the older rooms are touched.

Before the expansion begins, the hotel features 76 guest rooms, indoor heated pool, hot breakfast bar, 24 hour fitness center and courtesy shuttle within seven miles of the hotel. The hotel will not close during the construction, with rooms available the whole time. Here is a look at the hotel now, courtesy of their Facebook page-

For more information on the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Cheney, visit-

http://www.hiexpress.com/cheneywa

https://www.facebook.com/HIExpressCheney

Tom Sawyer Country Coffee to expand to Kendall Yards

Locally owned and operated Tom Sawyer Country Coffee has outgrown their current roasting / Headquarters facility at 9226 S. Hangman Valley Rd and will soon be expanding and becoming one of the newest tenants of Spokane's Kendall Yards development.

This news was broke in a member spotlight Youtube video from the West Plains Chamber of Commerce this week. We have inquired directly with Tom Sawyer Coffee but have not received comment back as of yet. By, the sound of the video ( posted below ) the new facility will also include a coffee shop with drive through.

Keep watching for more news on this expansion for Tom Sawyer Country Coffee and the several other new businesses planning to set up shop soon in Kendall Yards ( I'll put an update link at the bottom ). But, for now here is the video from the West Plains Chamber ( www.westplainschamber.com )-

For more information on Tom Sawyer Country Coffee, visit their website at-

http://www.tomsawyercountrycoffee.com/

Spiceologist opening new retail store near Downtown Spokane

Spiceologist is a relatively well known Spokane based company, despite being only two years old. And, now even more people will be able to find their many products,because the company has leased a 8,000 square foot space in the University District, near Downtown Spokane. Their lease was handled by Brian Anderson, an agent with NAI Black.

Spiceologist will be located at 125 S. Cowley, the former Little Shop of Rentals, a costume / prop rental business. Spicecologist will be open to the public, and they hope to open in the new building in early September.

Spiceologist offers many different spices & rubs, in addition to herbs and unique spice holding blocks, including their own Spiceologist block. Even after the local retail store opens, their products will continue to be sold at several other stores around the nation.

For, more information on Spiceologist, and to find how to purchase their products, visit their website at-

http://spiceologist.com

Jersey Mike's Subs opening location near Northtown Mall

With only a few of months since opening their first ever location in Spokane, the Jersey Mike's Subs chain is now working on a second. Jersey Mike's opened at the Regal Plaza shopping center ( 4919 S Regal on the South Hill back in March, that location will continue to operate.

This new Jersey's Mikes Subs will be a tenant in Northtown Square Shopping Center, directly across from Northtown Mall at 4805 N. Division. The restaurant will take over 1,475 square feet of space and employ between 15-20. Currently there is no set opening date, although it is expected to be during the fall, perhaps in October.



Jersey Mike's Subs is a very rapidly expanding chain of sub sandwich shops based in, of course, New Jersey. The chain began in the 1950's on the Jersey Shore and began franchising in 1987, since then their locations have spread out all around the nation. In 2014 alone Jersey Mike's Subs opened 155 new locations and had a 30% system wide sales increase.

Jersey Mike's Subs offers fresh sandwiches, quickly made to order for each customer. Even their beef is certified angus beef that are trimmed, tied and cooked in store, in addition to baking their own breads.

For more information on Jersey Mike's Subs, visit their website at-

www.jerseymikes.com

Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More adding Inland Northwest locations

Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More is a chain of quick oil change businesses based in Denver, Co. that is expanding in many locations, including the Inland Northwest.

Grease Monkey is not a new name in Spokane however, as they have operated a location in Wandermere at 12710 N US 395 for a while, that location also remains open for business. But, now they will have two more locations with a new franchise in Airway Heights now open and another coming soon to Post Falls.

In Airway Heights, Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More opened over the Spring in what once was J & J Lube at 13023 W. 14th Ave. .And, in Post Falls, they are aiming to open as early as September 1st in another former independent oil & lube shop at 3273 W. Seltice Way.

Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More offers oil changes while you wait, but also many other basic car care services. Everything from replacing lights to air conditioning service and serpentine belt replacement can be handled by the staff at Grease Monkey. The Post Falls Grease Monkey will employ 6 full time, and they are currently hiring.

For more information about Grease Monkey Oil Changes & More, visit their website at-

http://www.greasemonkeyintl.com/

West Plains Plaza,a large retail development starting in Airway Heights

The contractors signs are already up, and construction work could start as early as Labor Day on a major new development in Airway Heights. Located, on the southwestern side of the Hayford Rd / US 2 intersection, a busy section on the eastern side of the town.

The project is tentatively named West Plains Plaza and will have six buildings of both retail and office uses. All together the project will have 54,000 square feet of space, that's being developed by West Partners,LLC . Construction work will be done by Meridian Construction and leasing being done by Hawkins Edwards,Inc. If all goes as planned some of the plaza should be completed 3rd or 4th quarter of 2016

Most of the space in the project will be inline storefront space, one of those space's has already been leased for a new Jimmy John's Subs location. In addition, a Pawn 1 will also join the project in one of the site's outlying buildings.

Negotiations are also underway now for the remaining spaces which could be used by small and mid sized retail businesses and restaurants. Three stand alone buildings will also be on the site, one of which for Pawn 1 and another marketed towards banks and credit unions. An office building is also purposed for the development site.

We have contacted the leasing agent on the project for photos and leasing rates , etc and are currently waiting to hear back on that information. I will update this story if and when I get those details.

This is just one of many commercial projects in Airway Heights, we wrote about two that are within a mile of this site recently, here is that story-
http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/07/several-big-construction-projects-in.html

Spokane's Central Service Center completed, grand opening Aug. 18th

The majority of the posts on this website pertain to private sector stores, restaurants and the like. But, there is one major project is being wrapped up by The City of Spokane to consolidate the city's large fleet of vehicles into one location and make the city a bit greener, and because of this it must be mentioned.

The greener aspect is because, this new " service center ", called the Spokane Central Service Center will allow the city to convert it's solid waste department vehicles over to compressed natural gas. Also, the new Service Center will provide one central location, eliminating some un-needed trips since prior to this building, the City of Spokane had 3 separate locations where it's vehicle fleet was based out of. This new building will also allow those sites to be opened up for possible redevelopment.

The new Service Center will provide the city's fleet with repair, on site fueling , maintenance and vehicle washing and keep all employees together, improving communication.

The City of Spokane's new Central Service Center has also acquired the nickname Nelson Service Center due to it's location at 915 N. Nelson in the Chief Garry Park neighborhood. The building has two stories and 57,500 square feet of space. Construction being done by Garco Construction and architecture design work done by Bernardo Wills Architects PC , both local businesses.

Here is a look at the new center during it's later construction phases -

( Photo credit- Bernardo Wills Architects PC Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bernardo-Wills-Architects-PC/307868279419716 )

To celebrate the completion of this exciting new facility, the City of Spokane is planning a grand opening event. That grand opening will take place on Tues. Aug 8th at 11am , at the building on Nelson. Tours will be provided at that time...

Many new business openings coming up around Spokane

Several highly anticipated new business openings are coming up in the next couple of months in and around Spokane.

Here are a few of those opening dates, including a couple who just happened, but you may have missed-

Panera Bread, Spokane Valley

A reader, who has a source within Panera Bread tells me the new Panera Bread on E. Indiana will open for business on August 14th

Also, a second Panera Bread is coming to North Spokane. That location won't open however till early Summer in 2016.

Info- http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/02/panera-bread-is-coming-to-spokane-valley.html   /  http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/07/panera-bread-is-confirmed-to-also-be.html


Homegoods, Spokane Valley

As long as nothing changes, opening day for the first Homegoods store in the Spokane market will be August 23rd

Info- http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/01/homegoods-coming-to-spokane.html


Steady Flow Growler House, Spokane Valley

Look for a grand opening at Steady Flow during the September 4,5 & 6 weekend . Steady Flow is located at 328 N. Sullivan and the first 100 customer each day will get 1 of 100 free growlers each day that weekend.

Info- https://www.facebook.com/steadyflowgh


Rite Aid, Spokane

The new Rite Aid store by the Franklin Park Commons Shopping Center will open for business September 17th . This is the new stand alone Rite Aid at 5628 N. Division to replace another store that had been in line at the shopping center itself.

The old Rite Aid will be replaced by a new North Spokane Trader Joe's that is to open sometime next year, more on that soon. Info on Trader Joe's - http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2014/11/trader-joes-to-open-store-in-north.html


Happy belated business opening to...

Also now open, with opening dates happening in the last couple of weeks include...

The new larger North 40 Outfitters in Coeur d' Alene, N. Government Way by Kathleen Ave.
More info coming soon!

Lost Boys Garage Bar & Grill in Spokane, now open at 6325 N. Wall St.
Info- http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/06/lost-boys-garage-bar-grill-opening-in.html

Piccolo Artisan Pizza Kitchen opening & other changes at Hay J's Marketplace

Tucked away in the 21000 block of E. Mission Ave. in Liberty Lake, just feet off of the I-90 exit ramp, sits a plaza of businesses that one might consider a hidden gem of the Spokane culinary world. That plaza is called Hay's J's Marketplace and some changes are coming to it very soon.

While the plaza is actually anchored by a Conoco gas station ( far from a gourmet shop) most other businesses there are either restaurants or have something to do with food. The big change is the closure of the retail wine shop, Eau de Vie Wine Shoppe.

But the suite where Eau de Vie Wine Shoppe was is already being filled with a new business, a cool new restaurant. That space will soon become, Piccolo Artisan Pizza Kitchen , a small locally owned and operated pizza restaurant with a decent menu of pizza's and other Italian entrees ,etc.. .

Piccolo will be a gourmet establishment, and will also have a bar with beer and wine. A look at their current menu can be found on their website, which is at the bottom of this article. They are currently remodeling the space and hope to open for business sometime in September.

Customers who purchased their wine and beer from the former Eau de Vie Wine Shoppe will still be able to stay at Hay J's Marketplace. This, as the other change there is the move of retail wine and beer over to the plaza's butcher shop, The Butcher Block .

The Butcher Block is a locally owned and operated butcher shop with many other gourmet foods, and now beer and wine.

In addition, to The Butcher Block the Hay J's Marketplace is also home another gourmet restaurant, called Hay J's Bistro. A couple of other non-food related tenants are also there, including Brumback Real Estate and the Conoco gas station with Devine's C-Store attached.

For more information on the aforementioned, Piccolo Artisan Pizza Kitchen, visit their web site at-

http://www.piccolopizza.net

And, for more information on The Butcher Block and Hay J's Bistro, visit-

http://www.hayjsbistro.com/

The Growler Guys opening in Coeur d' Alene

The Oregon based chain of growler fill businesses, The Growler Guys, is expending further into the Inland Northwest with a new Coeur d' Alene location coming later this year. This comes only months after opening their first two area locations, both in Spokane. But, this new Coeur d' Alene Growler Guys store will be slightly different then those two locations.

The big difference is that, in addition to buying and filling growlers of beer, customers will be able to stay around and enjoy a beer on site. A limited food menu will also be provided, but they are not gearing the business towards a full restaurant.

The Coeur d' Alene Growler Guys is hoping to open in mid to late October in their convenient site near the corner of US 95 and Appleway, directly behind where the new Chipotle Mexican Grill will be, also opening later this year.

Although the Coeur d' Alene location will be different, it also will be very similar to all other Growler Guys locations. The business will still have 48 taps, with a wide variety of beers in addition to ciders, kombucha , root beer and possibly also sangria and cold pressed coffee's. The tap list will be listed on The Growler Guys website once they open.

The Growler Guys will also continue to operate their two locations in Spokane, which are already open. They are located at 9329 N. Newport Hwy in North Spokane and 1314 S. Grand Ave Suite 4 on the South Hill. The chain is also expanding throughout other areas of the Northwest.

For more information on The Growler Guys, visit their website at-

www.thegrowlerguys.com

Thomas Hammer & Starbucks Coffee both planning new locations in Spokane

Two well known chain coffee shops have new Spokane locations in the works. One being a new store concept, the other a locally based chain branching out into a new neighborhood. Here's the details on both...

Thomas Hammer Coffee opening soon in Northwest Spokane!

The Spokane based Thomas Hammer Coffee chain announced Friday that they are taking over a former Rocket Bakery location, by the Fairwood Shopping Center on Hastings Rd. .

( Photo credit- Thomas Hammer Coffee on Facebook , www.facebook.com/thomashammercoffee )

We are told this new Thomas Hammer will open around Mid-September and will have incorporate " some cool changes " . We'll keep an eye out for more, and until then for more information visit the Thomas Hammer Coffee website at-

www.hammercoffee.com


Starbucks Coffee opening new drive through location near Spokane Community College-

Because apparently Spokane doesn't have enough Starbucks locations yet, another one is coming up very near SCC. This new coffee shop will be located 1605 N. Greene, on a formerly vacant lot at Greene and Augusta.

 This new Starbucks will be a stand alone building with about 880 square feet of space, but it will also be completely missing one feature, most other Starbucks locations have... interior seating.

This new Starbucks will only offer a drive through with two windows on either side. Graphics of the building plans also don't seem to have a walk up in window, just drive up. While this is a newish concept, Mcdonald's also recently opened a drive through only restaurant on N. Hamilton, here in Spokane.

I would assume this new Starbucks should be open sometime in the next few months, however the media contacts at Starbucks can't be reached for comment and the customer service email employees keep sending me nonsense form emails in reply .

Starbucks has also be investing in the Inland Northwest a lot lately with several locations undergoing remodels.

For more information on Starbucks, visit their website at-

www.starbucks.com

 

 

Steady Flow Growler House opening in Spokane Valley

Craft beer lovers will want to mark their calendars for September 4, 5 and 6th for the grand opening of the new beer growler fill business in Spokane Valley.

That business is Steady Flow Growler House and the remodel / move in is wrapping up now on their new storefront. Steady Flow will be located at 328 N. Sullivan Rd #8, in shopping center a quick trip north of Sprague & Sullivan.

Steady Flow Growler House will offer 39 taps, mostly of craft beer, but non beer drinkers may also want to pay them a visit, as the business plans to also have crisp hard cider, wine and cold brew coffees on tap. Those products will be primarily from our local area, adding to the positives for this already locally owned and operated business.

While growlers will be sold and filled at Steady Flow Growler House, they will also offer tastings, half pints and pints to be enjoyed on site. Steady Flow does not plan to have a food menu, but is considered to be a food friendly establishment allowing food from any restaurant to be brought in or delivered to their business.

As mentioned at the top of this article Steady Flow Growler House's grand opening will be in the beginning of September ( Labor Day Weekend ) . The grand opening festivities will be spread out over all 3 days with 100 growlers given away free to the first 100 customers each day.

In addition, each of the three grand opening days, they will offer a " meet the brewer " event to meet and chat with people from some of our local breweries. That same meet the brewer event concept will also be held on September 12th with a radio station remote broadcast, and Big Barn Brewing from Green Bluff will be on site giving away 200 free growlers to the first 200 customer during that second weekend.

Steady Flow Growler House will focus on " focus on quality of product, customer service and will strive to ensure that when the growler is opened at home, it tastes just like it did at the store "

A list of beers,etc on tap will soon be listed on Untapped. Also information on this exciting new business can be found on their Facebook page ( listed below ), and a website soon.

https://www.facebook.com/steadyflowgh

Gonzaga University's John J. Hemmingson University Center almost complete

One of the biggest and most exciting construction projects in Spokane lately has been the construction of Gonzaga University's new University Center. Now called The John J. Hemmingson University Center the project is nearly complete, ready for use for the fall 2015 students.

The building will open at the end of this month and will officially be dedicated during Zagapalooza All Zag Reunion Weekend. That dedication will be October 16th, 2015 at 4pm.

Below is a look at the completed building compared to it's original rendering...

The building replaces an outdated, smaller building called " The COG " which was torn down to make way for this new large building. The John J. Hemmingson University Center is 167,726 square feet with many new offices, services and even some cool new places to eat while on campus. Here is what all can be found at the center...

Several new headquarters for many student clubs and organizations.

200 Seat theater for live shows and movies

GU Outdoors office space, for equipment and trips to area mountains , lakes, rivers, etc...

Bike maintenance and repair shop

Group meeting spaces

Reflection room with calming water feature

University ministries programs , activities and events

Unity Multicultural Education Center

Center for Global Engagement/Study Abroad/International

Center for Community Action and Service Learning (CCASL)

900 seat multi-purpose space


Gonzaga students will also be able to take advantage of many open areas and other features including a giant video wall. That wall is described for storytelling and sharing what is on your mind. The building will have a " Main Street " of sorts to funnel students and visitors alike to their destination.

Here is a look at part of that Main Street area...

And, as mentioned above, the new John J. Hemmingson University Center will open up many new on campus dining options. Including a re-boot of sorts for the Bulldog Tavern, which is a former landmark bar and grill over on Hamilton.

The building will have a two floor dining room, with the following dining choices-

The Bulldog ( full service restaurant )

Starbucks Coffee

Einstein Bros. Bagels

Marketplace Convenience Store

Daily Bread ( artisan deli / bakery )

360 Degrees ( Mongolian Wok )

Zagriculture ( vegetarian restaurant )

Spike's Diner ( American )

Mediterranean Coast

World's Fare ( International dishes )


We hope to get pictures of this massive new University Center soon, so keep watching this site. And, congratulations Gonzaga on the completion of this great new building.

For more information on the John J. Hemmingson University Center, visit it's website at-

https://www.gonzaga.edu/beinspired/hemmingsoncenter/

Huge mixed use building to rise on N. Hamilton

A few months back we reported on the pre-development conference for a new large new commercial / apartment building in the 1000 block of N. Hamilton. And, since then the developers planning has progressed and if what we hear is true, ground could be broken with the next couple of months.

As it turns out the building will be called The Matilda Building and it will offer apartments on the top three floors and commercial retail / restaurant space on the ground floor. The ground floor will have space for multiple businesses, the building owner has secured one tenant for 4,000 square feet of that space. However, they will not divulge the name of that business. Marketing and negations remain ongoing for the other storefronts.

The residential component will offer 57 apartments with 1,2 and 3 bedroom units with upscale amenities . And, despite the close proximity to Gonzaga, these apartments are not intended to be student housing. The apartments are geared towards " professionals, professors and possibly graduate students with two year commitments possibly with a family or willing to share a unit with other grad students. "

Those renting apartments at The Matilda Building will also be able to enjoy a roof top patio with elevator, restroom, kitchenette and BBQ.

The building, which will have an address of 1008 N. Hamilton will be completed during the Summer of 2016. The current schedule is for the commercial area to be complete in June 2016 and the apartments to be available in August 2016.

What else makes The Matilda Building exciting is that it's heating and cooling will be provided by geothermal sources with 64 ground wells and a back up gas fired boiler. This system is being provided by McKinstry and is similar to the one used for their own building, along the Spokane River, south of this project.

The building will also have some pedestrian friendly features with a sidewalk that will be set back against the building, about 25 +/- feet away from the street. Parking will be in single deck parking garage the will create 168 parking spaces. Those spaces will be along the eastern edge of the building putting in a less visible, and safer location away from Hamilton.

Keep an eye on Inland Northwest Business Watch for more as this big new construction project progresses.

Skechers opens outlet store in North Spokane

With several locations already running in Western Washington, the shoe company Skechers has opened it's first retail outlet here in the Inland Northwest.

Skechers is now open for business in the Heritage Village Shopping Center at 9324 N. Division after leasing a storefront there. The lease was secured by Steven Pohl, a managing broker with NAI Black.

The new North Spokane Skechers Outlet sells a wide variety of shoes, for the entire family. The store carries mens, womens, boys and girls shoes, including shoes for running or dressy shoes for the workplace.

The Spokane location is open seven days a week, with hours posted on their website. Also, visit their website for an extra discount coupon. Their website can be found at-

http://local.skechers.com/wa/spokane/586/

http://skechers.com

Brewery Incubator still coming to Downtown Spokane, just in a different spot

Many a local craft beer lover has wondered when Young Buck Brewing Co. and their planned brewery incubator, a first for Spokane, is actually going to open. The businesses we're originally scheduled to open in the same building as the former Spokane Public Market at the corner of W. 2nd and S. Browne in SoDo Spokane.

But there is now more hope we'll see this exciting project actually come to fruition with the recent announcement that Young Buck and it's partners are re-grouping to open the business in another Downtown building, that's also historic and a great location to the rest of Downtown.

Young Buck Brewing will now be opening in the Luminaria Building at 154 S. Madison on the Western side of Downtown along the railroad viaduct. Taking over the Pink Salvage Gallery space, but despite the move to the new, equally awesome, building their plans remain much the same.

Young Buck Brewing will be the primary microbrewery in the space, but will lease out the use of the brewing equipment to other small microbreweries, allowing them to grow, and possibly even move beyond the world of home brewing. Brewing space is still available as Young Buck and another new brewery called Little Spokane Brewing Co. are currently to only for sure tenants.

Also, the space will be home to a tap room business to drink the beers brewed there, along with other craft beer selections / wines and more. That tap room will be called Steel Barrel and should open later this year, possibly before the breweries. Steel Barrel Tap Room will offer 24 taps, along with a small food menu and the possibility of Kombucha.

There is no word on what will take the space of the former Spokane Public Market now that this beer business has moved on. Pinot's Palette and Tinbender Craft Distillery still occupy portions of that building but large spaces are still empty.

For more information on Young Buck Brewing, and to follow along with their plans visit them at-

www.youngbuckbrewing.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/youngbuckbrewing

North Spokane store to be remodeled in multi-tenant shopping center

A new redevelopment project is coming soon to North Spokane, where an Apollo Spas retail store stands today. The spa and hot tub retailer has outgrown the building and is moving out to a new location, making way for a major construction project to commence on their building.

 

The building is location at 7808 N. Division ( not 7008, as seen in the ad above ) near the high traffic intersection of N. Division and E. Lincoln Rd. . We're told construction will start on the building later this summer and will turn it into a multi-tenant retail / restaurant center with up to four separate units.

 

Currently no tenants are locked into the new center, but there has been interest, and leasing / marketing efforts are currently underway. Levi McCormick of SDS Realty Inc. is the listing agent, his contact info can been seen above.

 

Units are available from 2 to 8,000 square feet and a patio seating area is also included on the site, making it ideal for a cool new restaurant to lease some of the space. The site is also only a short distance South of the, under construction, Rockwood Deaconess free standing ER and many other large employers.

 

Keep watching Inland Northwest Business Watch for any news on businesses that may open here. And for information leasing visit SDS Realty at-

 

www.sdsrealty.com

 

Now, if only we can get similar projects going on the former Northtown Lowe's and the E. Francis Fred Meyer!

 



What's going in next to Panera Bread in Spokane Valley * Update 08/04*

The readers of this blog are awesome! I've received so many emails / comments, etc.. about what is currently under construction next door to the new Panera Bread in Spokane Valley. I love getting everyone's questions about new area businesses ( Submit yours to me, Matt Behringer at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com ) . But, this one project has prompted enough questions to answer here on the main blog. So here is you answer to what is going in next to Panera Bread....

Building permits and other documents show this new building will serve as a dentist office, under the Aspen Dental chain branding. I have received no comments back from Aspen Dental as of yet, but I have several sources confirming this, so as of now it appears true.

This will be the only Aspen Dental in Spokane, although they have formerly operated in our area in the past. Aspen Dental is a unique kind of dental office, being a chain operation with locations in 20 US states. The company is based Syracuse,NY and operates under it's parent company Aspen Dental Management,Inc.

No news as of yet on how many jobs this new location will create or what dentist(s) will be practicing at this new Spokane Valley location.

Below is a recent photo of the new building, by Panera Bread in the Valley. As you can see construction is progressing very fast with all site work done and the building fully enclosed. Interior work is likely already well underway...

Watch for more updates on this project, and the other new businesses in this part of Spokane Valley.

For more information on Aspen Dental, visit their website at-

www.aspendental.com     

Update: Heard back from Aspen Dental, no firm date for the opening of this location. However, should be around or after October.