Jeramko becomes Dave Smith Nissan

While the exact details of the transaction are not available, Spokane Valley's Jeramko Nissan has been acquired by another well known name in the local auto sales industry. Dave Smith Motors acquired Jeramko and has since taken over operations, making it Dave Smith's first dealership in Spokane.

The dealership will now be known as Dave Smith Nissan , but despite the change the dealer will still sell new Nissan cars, trucks, SUVs and trucks. Used vehicles are also sold by the dealership in addition to a service department and an auto parts department. There is no news about if any expansions are planned in the future for the new dealer which is located at 6901 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley.

Dave Smith Motors also continues to maintain a strong presence in North Idaho. Dave Smith has a main dealership in Kellogg and a second dealer called Dave Smith Frontier Sales in Coeur d' Alene. The company sells 9 different automotive brands and employs over 500. They also continue to look for new salespeople.

For more information on Dave Smith Nissan formerly Jeramko Nissan, visit their web site-

http://www.davesmithnissan.com/

Dickey's Barbecue Pit to add more area locations , inlcluding one in Spokane Valley

Dickey's Barbeque Pit is a growing national chain of fast casual BBQ restaurants that added it's first Spokane location back in 2013. Today, that location is going strong at 12628 N. Division in the Wandermere area. The Wanderemere Dickey's even won Best of Spokane 2015 award for best BBQ in Spokane Coeur d' Alene Living Magazine.

But, now Dickey's is looking to build on the success of their one local location. This month the Texas based chain announced they have inked a franchise agreement with Dickey's Owner / Operator Mark Engberson and Palouse Restaurant Group to open five new locations all in the Eastern Washington / Spokane area.

It has yet to be announced where all the five Dickey's locations will be and when they will open. In fact we assume it may be some time before they all open. However, Dickey's Barbeque Pit has signed a lease for a location in the Spokane Valley. The Spokane Valley location will likely need to be remodeled as the building has been vacant for sometime. The building was last used as a local restaurant at 14720 E. Sprague.

The local franchise owners own a variety of fast food and fast casual restaurant franchise locations all around our region. The group owns locations of Carl's Jr. , Subway and Wingstop. With over 80 years of combined experience in franchise food service.

Dickey's Barbeque Pit is the largest barbeque restaurant chains in the nation. They we're founded in 1941 with the goal of authentic slow smoked barbeque. All meats are still smoked on site at their resturants , allowing them to live up to the chain's motto " We speak barbeque ".

Keep an eye out for more on where these new locations will open and when. And, for now for more information , including a look at the chains menu, visit their website at-

www.dickeys.com

Fresh Plate Market & Catering now open in North Spokane

After some delays for a full building remodel and some health issues The Fresh Plate Market is now officially open in North Spokane. The Fresh Plate Market is the latest venture from the same owners as The Bistro Box food truck and the Fresh Plate Café at WSU's Spokane campus.

The market is located at 3818 N. Nevada, at the corner of Nevada & Empire . The store occupies 1052 square feet and includes a commissary style kitchen for their two Fresh Plate Café locations, both of which are at WSU Spokane. The kitchen also allows customers of the market to enjoy a selection of prepared foods and meal components that are ready to cook.

In addition to the prepared meals, Fresh Plate Market also offers fresh produce , specialty grocery items and more. Many of those items being supplied by local producers and manufacturers, like Spiceologist, Chatteroy Cheese and Roast House Coffee. Beer and wines may also be sold in the future as the business grows. Also, The Bistro Box food truck will likely be at the market on regular basis once the weather warms up next year.

Laguna Cafe moving ,changing

Laguna Café, a popular South Hill restaurant is changing. And, the biggest change is their move, Laguna had been located at 4304 S. Regal Ave. and is now working on a new larger restaurant space a short drive north as part of the Grapetree Village Shopping Center. Laguna Café will take space next to US Health Works at 2013 E. 29th .

The new Laguna Café will have over 2,600 square feet , meaning about 1,000 square feet more space the their current location.  The new location will also allow the restaurant to add liquor to their drink menu, which as of now only includes beer and wine. 

Even in the new space however, the restaurant will maintain much of the same food menu and café type atmosphere. The move will allow Laguna Café to hire 2 or 3 more employees to handle the more space and customers. If all goes as planned the new location is expected to open in December.

Laguna Café is a locally owned and operated restaurant that's described as a "unique restaurant". Laguna offers breakfast, lunch , dinner and a menu of small plates in addition to coffee drinks and decent selection of beer & wine. They are open seven days a week, and for more information, including a look at the menu visit their web site at-

http://restaurantsspokanewa.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/Laguna-Cafe-330351273999/

Planned Parenthood planning new building in Spokane

While controversy continues for the organization at the national level, Planned Parenthood has announced a plan to expand in Spokane. Planned Parenthood says their plans will replace their current clinic and offices at 123 E. Indiana with a new modern and more efficient building , to be built just east of the their current building on Indiana.

The new building will be financed largely via a capital campaign that has already received some large donations, despite the fact the campaign has not started yet. The building is estimated to cost about $5 million to build and is hoped to open during the last half of 2017. The current Planned Parenthood building will be demolished upon completion of the new building. Below is a look at what the new building is planned to look like:

The new Spokane Planned Parenthood building will offer nine exam rooms , two surgical suites an education center and a community classroom. No word on if this new building will create any new jobs. Planned Parenthood is also investing in re-establishing an office in Pullman following a arson fire destroyed the original office there.

Kendall Yards expanding, adding two big new buildings

Being one of Spokane's hottest new neighborhoods, construction is always happening in Kendall Yards. Several small to medium sized condo buildings and single family homes are going up all over the western side of the development. And now, Kendall Yards' developer, Greenstone Homes is about the begin construction on a couple of new big buildings. One will be a large condo building and the other a new office building. Here's the details on both-

Elm Street Condos-

Kendall Yards' Elm St. Condo building will rise soon at the corner Summit Pkwy & Elm St. . The building will have 43,700 square feet of space with 24 condos to be sold upon the buildings completion. The building will also include a small parking garage for residents.

New office building

Kendall Yards is planning to build a new office building by the intersection of Jefferson & Bridge Ave.  Construction will likely start in the spring with Greenstone Commercial already working hard on attracting / finalizing tenants that have yet to be announced. The building will offer about 30,000 square feet of class A office space.

Also...

A couple of new business have also opened up shop recently in Kendall Yards' central business district. Including a new non profit center called Spark Literacy Center that acts as a small library / learning / community center. Also, I'm told Greenstone continues to seek out opening a grocery store within the Kendall Yards development but at the present time does not have a tenant secured.

Larry H. Miller Dealerships continues to remodel / move in Downtown Spokane

Although some pieces of Larry H. Miller's local remodeling projects have been a bit controversial ( i.e. plans to vacate a public street, demolish a historic building ) the company continues to move forward with their several projects. Larry H. Miller has purchased some other small spaces adjacent to their campus for more selling space and are also doing work on their showrooms and office space. Here is what is in the works-

Larry H. Miller Lexus new showroom

Larry H. Miller has completed the first step with new showroom / offices for their Lexus dealership . The new showroom is located at 1030 W. Third and occupies 25,000 total square feet. The new Lexus building is directly across the street from where the former Lexus dealerships showroom had been.

The new facility also offers a dedicated customer lounge and a larger service department then before.

Larry H. Miller Toyota Scion moving to former Honda lot

The company's Toyota / Scion sales and service will move to where the Honda dealership had operated. This move will happen after a $6 million dollar renovation of the new location completes next year. The building will give the Toyota dealership about 50,000 square feet of total space.

The Honda dealership is currently operating a temporary location, across the street from it's future home as the construction project for the Toyota dealership begins before the Honda project.

New home for Larry H. Miller Honda at former Toyota lot

Larry H. Miller Honda is to move into the vacated Larry H. Miller Toyota Scion dealership space after it moves next year. The Honda dealer will then remodel the Toyota building with a new look, which will be similar to most other Honda dealers. The address of the new Larry H. Miller Honda will be 1208 W. Third, once all work is completed. It's estimated that all work will be completed towards the end of next year.

More about Larry H. Miller...

Larry H. Miller entered the Spokane market a few years ago with the initial purchase of the dealerships in Downtown Spokane. Since, then the company has also acquired the former Hallmark Hyundai lot in Spokane Valley which today continues to operate as Larry H. Miller Hyundai at 8801 E. Sprague . The Hallmark dealership group also continues to operate, but now as 509cars.com on E. Sprague closer to Downtown.

Larry H.Miller is a group of several companies and dealerships around the West with a headquarters in the Salt Lake City area. In the Spokane market Larry H. Miller employs about 260 and does expect to hire more employees with the new bigger offices and showrooms.

Spokane Overstock opens store on N. Division

With not even a full year in business, Spokane Overstock , is proving to be a highly successful business. Spokane Overstock is a locally owned and operated retail store with one location at 9818 E. Montgomery in Spokane Valley, near the I-90 / Argonne Rd. exit.

But, now Spokane Overstock is expanding and adding a second location in Spokane, with the original location also staying in business. The new Spokane Overstock in Spokane has now opened for business in the former DiVision Thrift Store building at 2915 N. Division, by the Division St. Hill. The building is over 4000 + square feet and will likely have similar inventory to the Spokane Valley store.

Spokane Overstock sells a wide selection of overstocked merchandise that they buy at a lower cost directly from several large retail stores. And, because this merchandise is from these stores it is not off brand but instead brands like , Stearns & Foster Mattresses , Beats by Dre and many more. And the stock changes frequently.

According to the businesses Facebook page much of the store's merchandise is priced as much as half off retail.  Items sold by Spokane Overstock includes: Mattresses, bathroom vanity's , couches , loveseats, home décor , Beat by Dre Headphones, cabinets, lighting and much more. For larger, heavier items, they also provide a delivery service for a nominal fee.

And, unlike the Spokane Valley store, the new Spokane Overstock store on N. Division will be open seven days a week. The new store will be open 10-8 Monday through Friday and 8-4 on Saturday & Sunday.

For more information on Spokane Overstock, visit their web site at-

http://spokaneoverstock.com

Or,find them on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/spokaneoverstock

Large new industrial park planned near Post Falls

The prospects of new manufacturing / warehouse jobs in the Inland Northwest continues to look positive. Both Cheney and Deer Park have newer industrial parks and the large Spokane Business & Industrial Park is always gaining new tenants. But, another new large industrial park is also beginning just over the Idaho state line, north of Post Falls.

The new park, which is called Bighorn Industrial Park will be located near the corner of Pleasant View Rd & Poleline Rd. on the Rathdrum Prairie. The location makes it ideal for business being only a short drive from both Route 53 and I-90.

The park will be built in three phases with phase one being up for sale now. Phase 1 has 14 lots all around 5 acres in size, with access from a new extension of Grange Ave. Here is a look at the site plan for phase 1-

The next two phases will be located to the south of phase 1 and will include 20 + more lots. There is no word on what business will go into the Bighorn Industrial Park as it is still too new, but the hope is there for some big names and big employers.

Bighorn Industrial Park's lots are being sold through Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty of Coeur d' Alene. Lot prices range from $149,000 to $249,000 with possible seller financing. For more information on land at Bighorn, visit-

www.ccimteam.com

Open house this afternoon to see what's new in the University District

Have an interest in what's new in Spokane's University District? Then you might want to stop by the district's open house this afternoon at Gonzaga's Hemmingson Center ( 702 E. DeSmet ). The open house will take place Oct. 21st from 3 - 6 pm and will allow the public a chance to get information and meet the district's new director Mark Robert Mansfield PhD.

While several private sector developments are also happening now in the University District ( 940 N. Ruby , Matilda Building, etc... ) this open house will put a spotlight on the public sector and university projects, including-



- The Gateway Bridge ( a pedestrian bridge between the Riverpoint Campus and the E. Sprague area, over top of a railroad area that hinders movement by the public )

- South Bridge Landing ( a plan to renew, build new buildings, create new business around where the new Gateway Bridge will connect into the Sprague area )

- WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine ( Spokane's new med school ! )

- Spokane Teaching Health Clinic ( in the Riverpoint Campus area, to be large medical facility also providing training to students. Already under construction )

- Gonzaga University's new Hemmingson Center ( Now open and a large new university center for Gonzaga. The center houses many offices, meeting spaces, presentation areas and a verity of restaurants )

- Jensen Byrd Building ( now owned by Washington State University the large historic former Jensen Byrd Warehouse building may see redevelopment soon. The university is exploring options to make it a centerpiece of the district and compatible with the surrounding neighborhoods.

Riversbend Business Park planned in the University District

Not to be confused with the Riversbend Commerce Park in Post Falls, a new complex of offices / retail and restaurant spaces called Riversbend Business Park will rise soon just east of Downtown Spokane.

The Riversbend Business Park will be a group of 2, three story buildings at 111 N. Erie St. and will be built on a seven acre parcel that partially falls underneath the Hamilton / I-90 exit bridge in the University District. The project site will also soon connect into Downtown Spokane, with a purposed extension of Martin Luther King Way planned to run past the Riversbend property.

Here is a look at what the completed buildings may look like once this purposed project comes to fruition-

Riversbend Business Park in all will offer 52,000 square feet of space, with no known tenants for sure lined up for it as of yet. The two building will be available for many possible uses, medical / general office space would be an ideal fit. But, retail , an event center or even a restaurant overlooking the Spokane River could easily fit into this new development.

Leasing is already underway for the project with an estimated completion date being Fall of 2016. NAI Black is responsible for leasing the project. The space is considered Class A and is leasing for $24 - $26 per square foot.

We will continue to watch for new tenant news, but for now contact NAI Black for information on how you business could lease space within the new Riversbend Business Park. Their website is-

http://www.naiblack.com

New owner , new tenants for former Pizza Pipeline HQ

Located not far north of Downtown Spokane, and nearby the Rock Pointe Office Campus, at 418 N. Sharp sits the former home office for the Pizza Pipeline restaurant chain. The building may not look like much, but it's recently come under new ownership, and exciting things are about to be happening inside it's grey concrete walls.

The office building was recently acquired by well known State Representative and local businessman, Kevin Parker.  Parker, who owns the Spokane area Dutch Bros. Coffee franchise locations, plans to use some of the space as new home office for his Dutch Bros. ventures. But he also plans to give back with the remaining office space.

The remaining office space, about half the building, will be leased out at a discounted rate to local non-profit organizations. Much of the space is already spoken for, with the following groups planning to set up shop in the building-

Generation Alive

Junior League

Embrace Washington

As of my writing this ( which, mind you, was sometime before this gets posted ) two more office spaces are still empty and waiting to be filled.

Kevin Parker also continues to invest elsewhere in the Spokane area. Construction is well underway for another new Dutch Bros. Coffee location, this time in Spokane Valley. The new Dutch Bros. will be at 20 N. Pines Rd. , next door to Denny's and out front of the abandoned former Albertson's grocery store.

Looking for a unique Downtown office space? Paulsen Center Penthouse is for lease!

I'm not a realtor, and I try to shy away from using this blog to sell things. But when I came upon this YouTube video, I just had to share it on here.

The video shows the inside of the now for lease penthouse at the Paulsen Center in Downtown Spokane. The penthouse was once the home of the building's namesake Paulsen family, today it's empty, but building management is hoping to find a business that's a right fit to fill the cool old space. Here is that video-

For those who don't know The Paulsen Center is a historic 17 story skyscraper, located at 421 W. Riverside in the heart of Downtown Spokane. It has even been referred to as a city within a city because of the many services that can be found within the building.

The penthouse is not the only office space available within the building either. The building management recently shared this information on available offices at the building ( may not still be accurate, but gives an idea ) -

For more information on the Paulsen Center, or to convince them to let Inland Northwest Business Watch move into the penthouse rent free ! :) visit their website at-

www.paulsencenter.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/paulsencenter

Iron Goat Brewing Co. moving to Downtown Spokane

Spokane's craft beer scene is the best, for a medium sized city we have tons of breweries with new ones still coming or recently opened. But, one that's been open for awhile and built itself a positive reputation is Iron Goat Brewing Co.

Uniquely named after Riverfront Park's iconic garbage sucking goat, the microbrewery continues to grow and is now even outgrowing it's current location, a couple of miles east of Downtown at 2204 E. Mallon Ave. But, to solve that, Iron Goat Brewing recently purchased the former Jones Automotive Engines building on the South side of Downtown Spokane at 1302 W. Second, seen here in photo courtesy of  " Bryce Walton's Photography " ( https://www.facebook.com/Bryce-Waltons-Photography-860593610680226/timeline/ ) :

Today the building may look a little rough, but the historic garage will undergo a complete remodel with SDS Construction doing a full interior redevelopment for brewery, which will move all operations to this building once it is completed. The current hope is Iron Goat may be able to move to the new building by the end of the year.

The new Iron Goat Brewing Co. building is significantly larger then there current location. In fact the new building is more the double the old location, with the Second St. building offering over 10,000 square feet of space, and some additional outdoor spaces.

The bigger space will allow Iron Goat Brewing to increase it's services. While the brewery will continue to produce great, locally produced beers the new space will include a kitchen for a food menu, which has not yet been seen. The new location will also allow for extended hours, live music and even art for First Friday.

Keep watching for more updates on this exciting new Downtown microbrewery location. And, for more information on Iron Goat Brewing Co. , visit their website at-

www.irongoatbrewing.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/irongoatbrewing

New event center opening in former Ella's Supper Club space

The former Ella's Supper Club is proving to a popular spot for new businesses. The historic building in the 1000 block of W. 1st Ave. in Downtown Spokane recently became home to Orilson Brewing's new Downtown tap room. And, a women's clothing store called Tangerine Boutique continues to go strong on the ground floor of the cool old building.

But much of the space remained unused, since a popular Downtown club called Ella's Supper Club closed sometime ago. But all that is changing, as the space is now be renovated and will soon open as an all new event center.

The center will be available to be rented out for most any occasion. It goes by the name First Avenue Events Center and their address is 1017 W. First Ave. The center can even host weddings with a handful of packages available for that very purpose.

Space rental can be done after the grand opening which is currently scheduled for October 22nd. The First Avenue Event Center offers two unique rooms, one is a theater called Ella's Theater with a vintage feel and going on 6,000 square feet of space. The other is Metronome Hall, with 5,241 square feet of space and a more urban rustic feel.

 

The First Avenue Event Center also has a full commissary kitchen , Wi-Fi , controllable lighting , AC & heating ,tables & chairs in addition to a complete list of vendors for whatever else you may need for your wedding or event. Pricing is reasonable with more information on their web site at-

 

www.firstaveevents.com

 

Or, on Facebook at-

 

www.facebook.com/firstaveevents

Xtreme Arena opens in Spokane Valley

Remember playing with Nerf guns as a kid? Maybe your kids like to play with them now. If so, you'll likely want to make note of a new all indoor dart shooting arena now open for business in Spokane Valley.

The new arena is called Xtreme Arena and is easy to find at 1521 N. Thierman Rd. and offers 4,200 square feet of indoor dart play. The facility promises a safe and family friendly experience for all customers, with cool features like-

Live DJ every night

Safety equipment provided

Nerf gun and darts ( although you can bring your own )

Arcade games

Admission is $10 per person per hour and the same for all ages. Current military, police / fire / ems members however can get in for no charge. Hours of operation, along with other information can be found on Xtreme Arena's website at-

http://xtremearenausa.com

The arena also hosts birthday parties, with three different exciting party packages available. Information on birthday party booking can also be found on their web site.

Grocery Outlet / Dollar Tree coming to Airway Heights

More proof that Airway Heights and the West Plains in general is a hot place to locate a business, a purposed shopping center on the eastern edge of the City of Airway Heights is filling up before it's even built.

The West Plains Plaza is that shopping center and it was first purposed a couple of months ago for the southwestern side of the intersection at US 2 & Hayford Rd. The site is a high traffic area and nearby some major employers / attractants like Northern Quest Casino and the Spokane International Airport.

When West Plains Plaza finally does open, in the fall or winter of 2016 , several businesses will call it home. Including two we just learned about. They are...

Grocery Outlet - Taking the space directly in the middle of the inline retail space. No info about opening date or how many employed, that will be posted separately as we find out more.

Dollar Tree- Taking a slightly smaller space then Grocery Outlet, next door and directly to the west of the that store. Also, there is no other news to report about this store, but we will create a separate post about it later as well.



A marketing advertisement for the plaza also shows an image of the Sprint logo but no mention of them being a tenant there. But, Dollar Tree and Grocery Outlet are not the only already planned tenants as a Jimmy John's Subs and a Pawn 1 location are also included as coming to the plaza. Pawn 1 will be on a pad site and the Jimmy John's will be within the inline spaces.

The area around the new West Plains Plaza is also getting a lot of new businesses as well. Here's what's happening in the neighborhood around US 2 & Hayford Rd.-

- A new smaller shopping center in the parking lot of Wal Mart, tenants going in there so far are a AT&T cell phone store and a Papa Murphy's Pizza.

- A new second Chevron gas station from Northern Quest Resort & Casino, along US 2

- Hearing a Oil Can Henry's will go in out front of Wal Mart

- Walgreen's already owns a lot across Hayford from the West Plains Plaza, it is to be used for a new store that has been on hold. However it is speculated that the new project will re-start the Walgreen's project.

New tenants come to Downtown Spokane's Empire State Building

New York City isn't the only place with an Empire State Building, Downtown Spokane is also home to a historic building with the same name. While Spokane's is named for our location in the " Inland Empire " and offers a smaller amount of square footage ( much smaller ), it is playing a big part in local economy.

The building , which is located at 905 W. Riverside Ave. , underwent renovations in the early 2010's . And, with the economy in better standing, some new office tenants are setting up shop within the building. But first a look at the building, along with some leasing information, for the several offices that are still available for your business-

And, now here is a look at what business have opened in the Empire State Building recently-

Community Frameworks

Community Frameworks is an affordable housing organization with several low income apartment complexes owned and managed by Community Frameworks in both Spokane and Western Washington. In fact the move by Community Frameworks' offices is due to plans to construct a large three story apartment building at the site of Community Frameworks' old offices north of Downtown Spokane ( search this site for 315 West for more information on that project )

Community Frameworks is leasing 2,700 square feet of office space, all on the first floor of the Empire State Building.


Millianna Jewelry

Millianna is a maker of fashion and high end jewelry, that's even had pieces seen on the hit CW show Gossip Girl. Millianna also operates an office in New York City.

In the Empire State Building Millianna occupies almost 800 square feet of office space.


OAC Services

Architecture / construction management / engineering firm OAC Services has opened a new Spokane office in suite 510 of the Empire State Building. The Spokane office will act as a satellite office to their other offices in Seattle and San Jose,CA. . The Spokane location also created a small amount of  new local jobs.



Fun fact about Spokane's Empire State Building ( from OAC Services )

Spokane's Empire State Building , is a six story historic building that was constructed in 1900, pre-dating the more well known Empire State Building in New York City in by 30 years.

Selkirk Pizza & Tap House to open in Liberty Lake ( Update: Location will be Selkirk's sister business, Fieldhouse Pizza )

Update 11/30 - This will actually be a second location on Selkirk Pizza's sister business, Fieldhouse Pizza & Taphouse, a new post with up to date information is coming!

Construction is already well underway inside the former Blockbuster Video location in Liberty Lake. And, until then we have been unable to confirm anything other then it will be a restaurant. That is, until now...

We have now confirmed that the space will be a new second location of Selkirk Pizza & Taphouse . Selkirk is popular pizza restaurant from the Wandermere area, that took over for Fat Daddy's Pizza some time back. Selkirk plans to keep it's original location open, it can be found at 12424 N. Division St. by the Village Center Wandermere Cinemas.

The former Blockbuster that Selkirk Pizza plans to open in is the end cap of the Liberty Lake Plaza at 1235 N. Liberty Lake Rd. seen in this picture-

 

The Liberty Lake Selkirk Pizza & Tap House is estimated to open sometime in November or December. The menu for this location is still being worked out but will be similar to the original location.

 

 

 

Selkirk Pizza & Tap House has an exciting menu of several specialty pizzas made with fresh toppings and at a fair price. Pizzas made with toppings of your choosing are also available as are gluten free options.

 

Pizza is not the only thing on the menu at Selkirk however, the menu also includes sandwiches , calzones , soup , salads and pasta dishes. And, beer is big at Selkirk also, with several taps being devoted to local breweries . The restaurant can also even fill growlers with anything on tap.

 

For more information on Selkirk Pizza & Tap House, visit their web site at-

 

www.selkirkpizza.com

 

Or, find them on Facebook at-

 

www.facebook.com/selkirkpizza

Remedy, a new bar / restaurant coming to the South Hill

A group of well known local restaurateurs and business owners have acquired the former Grand Cleaners building on the South Hill. There they plan to do an extensive remodel to the building and open an all new bar and restaurant.

The building, which is next door to The Hop Shop close by the corner of 38th and Grand could re-open as this new bar as early as December. No date has been set yet as the new bar, which will be called Remedy will really change the look of the entire structure, even adding some cool new rooftop dining space. Here is a look at one Remedy will look like once it opens-

Remedy's menu has yet to be made available but the motto seems to give some clues. As Remedy's motto is cocktails, cures and rations . We'll continue to keep you updated as we hear more about the drinks, menu and employment numbers.

One Tree Hard Cider planning a new cider house in Spokane Valley

A new cider house is coming to Spokane Valley, from a well known growing local hard cider maker. One Tree Hard Cider will open the new business sometime during the Winter of 2015 in the same Industrial complex as their production facility is in now. The address is 9514 E. Montgomery Ave, Spokane Valley.

One Tree's space will go up to 2,300 square feet with some taken up for cider production. About 1,000 to 1,500 square feet will be set aside for the new cider bar. It will feature new comfortable seating area, all of their ciders on tap and some hard ciders from other producers.

Seating will be available for about 50 - 100 people and while a food menu is not planned for the cider house it will be a " food friendly " establishment but food can be delivered to One Tree and food trucks may also set up shop at the One Tree Cider House.

One Tree Hard Cider has been in business for a couple years or so now and made a positive name for itself. It's products, which come in array of flavors , are sold at many local beer and wine retailers .

For more information on One Tree Hard Cider, visit their website at-

www.onetreehardcider.com

Laundry Land holding grand re-opening!

Laundry Land, a coin operated Laundromat with two locations in Spokane is back under it's original ownership. And, to celebrate the new ownership and changes both locations will be hosting a grand re-opening celebration from Oct. 9th - Oct 12th and it's certainly worth checking out....

The grand re-opening will feature a catered lunch from Sweeto Burrito ( both locations ) , free use of washers for residential customers and drawings for either a 50" flat screen TV or a $100 gift card to either Wal Mart or Fred Meyer.

Laundry Land is open for business at both locations, they are...

2215 W. Wellesley Ave. Spokane

510 S. Thor Ave. Spokane

And, if you can't make it to the grand re-opening, still be sure to check out Laundry Land for all of your laundry needs. Locations are clean, safe and a friendly environment with TV , free wi-fi , attendant on site and fair pricing.

For more information on Laundry Land, visit them or like them on Facebook at-

www.facebook.com/laundrylandspokane

Cracker Barrel gets building permit for first location in the Inland Northwest

Several months after I was able to confirm the rumors of a Cracker Barrel restaurant and country store coming to Coeur d' Alene, it is finally becoming a reality. This as the Plano,Tx based property owner has filed for a building permit to build a location of the restaurant chain near I-90 and the new Winco grocery store.

Currently that building permit is in the processing phase ( as of my writing this ) but will likely be approved for construction to start soon. The building will go up on the empty lot that was last used for a small strip mall at 1675 W. Lee Ct. For reference here is a photo of the purposed site looking north from Lee Ct.-

The current information gives no hints about the size of the building, opening date or how many jobs this new restaurant will create. However the building permit is for a building valued at $850,000 and will likely look like all other Cracker Barrel restaurant locations in the nation, here is an example of what their locations usually look like-

While the restaurant is the main focus of Cracker Barrel locations, they also are home to small retail stores full of gifts, collectables and just general " country store " type merchandise. Here is an example of what the store are looks like seen here in a photo from the Rehoboth,DE Cracker Barrel-

As mentioned before this will be the first Cracker Barrel location in the Inland Northwest, and for now the only one as we have no details on any locations coming to the Spokane area. But this may change, currently the closest Cracker Barrel location to us is in Missoula,MT.

Cracker Barrel is based in Lebanon,TN and operates over 600 locations all around the nation. The restaurant has a good sized menu of meals for all times of day, they describe themselves as -
" where pleasing people with our delicious homestyle cooking & gracious service defines our country spirit "

The site of the new Coeur d' Alene Cracker Barrel will also soon be a very busy site as a Native Grill & Wings and a Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers have also been confirmed to be coming to the empty lots next door. Both of those restaurants are planned to open sometime next year.

For more information on Cracker Barrel , visit their web site at-

www.crackerbarrel.com

New restaurant openings & closings - Oct. 5th, 2015

Been several new restaurants opening around the Inland Northwest lately, here are some of the highlights-

The Wellness Tree , 1025 S. Perry St. Suite A , Spokane

The Wellness Tree is a new smoothie bar in the same suite as a small medical clinic is the South Perry District. The business is located by Perry Street Brewing and has a full menu of smoothies, teas and acai bowls.

The Wellness Tree's medical clinic offers naturopathic medicine, chiropractic care and acupuncture services and is also a new business.

More info- http://www.wellnesstreejuice.com/


Gas Lamp, River Park Square, Downtown Spokane

Now open next door to the AMC movie theater, in the former Arbor Crest Winery space is Gas Lamp. Gas Lamp is a full bar with a food menu, more to come on them soon.

More info- https://www.facebook.com/Gaslamp-1142132565802010


Marketplace Bakery & Deli, 1011 1st , Downtown Cheney

Now open in Downtown Cheney is Marketplace Bakery & Deli . Marketplace is full bakery , deli and coffee shop featuring locally sourced ingredients .

More info- http://www.marketplacecheney.com/


The Bulldog , on campus at Gonzaga University , Spokane

The Bulldog is back in business, just a bit different and in a new space, now on campus. The Bulldog still has a full food menu in addition to beer and wine. The restaurant is on the second floor of the new John J. Hemmingson Center. It is open to the students and the public alike and is operated as part of Sodexo's campus dining program .

Atilano's , 12526 W. Sunset Hwy, Airway Heights

Atilano's , the growing local mini chain of restaurants serving big burritos and other Mexican dishes in a fast food style format is adding a new location in Airway Heights. We haven't heard back for information from Atilano's yet but it will likely be like there other locations. They will occupy a former Thai restaurant space on the east side of Airway Heights.


Longboard Coffee Company, 5417 N. Government Way Suite 1, Coeur d' Alene

Taking over for the former Kootenai Coffee is a new location of Longboard Coffee, across from the Sheriff's Office on the North side of Coeur d' Alene. Longboard is a full coffee shop with drive through and serving organic coffee choices.

More info- https://www.facebook.com/Longboard-Coffee-Company-612456018786706


Rivelles River Grill, 2360 Old Mill Loop , Coeur d' Alene

The former location of the short lived Melone's Culinary Public House is now Rivelle's River Grill, next door to Starbucks in Riverstone. Rivelle's has a full menu of shareable dishes with a good selection of beer and wine.

More info- https://www.facebook.com/RivellesRiverGrill


Stir , 8166 N. Government Way , Hayden

Stir is a new neighborhood style craft cocktail bar with beer, wine and a food menu. Stir is set to open soon in the Ciao Mambo restaurant space. The restaurant is planned to offer a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere with a central location.

More info- http://stir.mobi
                  http://www.facebook.com/stirhayden

Also...

We're also keeping an eye out for a rumored second Chipotle Mexican Grill in Spokane, a new restaurant ( possibly a pizza place ) in the old Blockbuster store space in Liberty Lake, a new Mod Pizza in North Spokane, an organic restaurant and café in the Garland District and a new Zip's coming soon to Post Falls.

Click Distributing East relocates to new bigger distribution center

The wine and craft beer industry continues to be a strong spot in our local economy, which likely plays a big part in the recent relocation and expansion of Click Distributing East's distribution center and office's in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park.

However they didn't move very far, Click moved from building 18 to building 29 still in the Business Park. But there space is now much larger, in fact the new space is almost double the size of their old space. Click had occupied 21,000 square feet and now has 40,000 square feet.

In addition to all new building space they also have new, more convenient cold storage area. Their space is equipped with a 4,000 square foot, 18 foot high walk in cooler which is triple the former amount of cooler space. The move has also created some new jobs, with 3 new jobs filled recently.

With the physical expansion also has come along with some new merchandise to be distributed through Click Distributing East. Click recently added beers from 12 String Brewing of Spokane Valley and Waddell's Brewing of Spokane. The company also hopes to continue to add to that merchandise portfolio that included fine wines, craft beer and only the best ( often locally produced ) spirits.

Click Distributing East is the Spokane division of Click Distributing, which is based in Renton,WA. For more information on Click Distributing visit their website at-

www.clickdistributing.com 

Kootenai Health planning massive expansion in Post Falls

Kootenai Health's only full hospital, Kootenai Medical Center , in Coeur d' Alene has been undergoing a massive expansion for sometime now. A large new two story addition is now up on the east side of the hospital's property, set to open to the public sometime next year. But as that expansion comes to it final steps, the locally based health care system is planning another major construction project. But this time the expansion is coming to the Kootenai Health Park property in Post Falls.

Here is what the property will look like once the expansion is completed. The building that is currently there can be seen in the front with urgent care signage on it...

The expansion will not make the facility into a full hospital but will greatly expand the health care offerings at the Post Falls facility. Part of the reason for the expansion is " Post Falls is growing and so are we " explains a rep. from Kootenai Health.

The new expansion is a 2 story addition with 22,000 square feet of space. Also, it will create 20 new permanent jobs and take about a year to 15 months to complete. Also, Kootenai Health recently purchased a church building nearby it's Coeur d' Alene hospital for office expansion and a new child care center.

For more information on Kootenai Health, visit their website at-

www.kh.org

Liberty Lake Haggen grocery store to close

After being open only a few months since the transition from Safeway to, Bellingham,Wa. based Haggen Northwest Fresh, the chain is making plans to close down it's store in Liberty Lake. The store is located at 1233 N. Liberty Lake Rd. seen here before the switch when it was still a Safeway.

The closure is a direct result of the Haggen grocery store chain's recent bankruptcy filing. This location was the only Haggen branded grocery store in the Spokane area. It was one of the locations purchased by Haggen from Safeway / Albertson's , which was the beginning of the downturn for Haggen, growing too fast and now involved in a lawsuit with Albertson's and chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The closure must be ok'd first by the bankruptcy court and then the locations affected will be given 60 days notice. It is assumed employees will all be laid off and the building will go up for lease. Liberty Lake is one of 14 stores in Washington State under the Haggen name that will close, but it's not as bad as the Southwestern US, where all Haggen stores will close their doors. A map of all closing store locations can be found via this Seattle Times article- http://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/haggen-wants-to-close-100-additional-stores/

For more information on Haggen, visit their website at-

www.haggen.com

Next IT settling into their new offices in Spokane Valley

" Goodbye, Paulsen Center " was the Facebook status recently of one of the most exciting companies headquartered here in the Inland Northwest. After several months of construction that company, Next IT, has finally moved from Downtown Spokane's Paulsen Center to a brand new, larger office building in Spokane Valley. Here is a shot of that building earlier this year, during it's construction phase-

The new Spokane Valley Next IT building is located at 12809 E. Mirabeau Pkwy in the Pinecroft Business Park. The building has 44,000 square feet of space and provides quarters for all of it's estimated 160 employees. Some hiring is also expected, however I do not have exact figures on that.

Next IT creates and develops virtual assistant software platforms including the " Alme for healthcare " platform which allows those in healthcare fields to be assisted in multiple mediums.
Here's a look at the Next IT facility now that it is completed and open for business-

For more information on Next IT, visit their website at-

www.nextit.com

Archbright opens new office in West Spokane

The Western Washington based business consulting firm, Archbright Workplace Performance Experts has chosen to expend to Eastern Washington with a new office here in Spokane.

Archbright officially opened for business earlier this month in Suite 208 of the Airport Office Center at 5709 W. Sunset Hwy in Spokane. This new office is intended to provide increased capacity for member services, sales and training classes.

Archbright Workplace Performance Experts is a provider of HR advice and legal council to member businesses all over Washington. With membership businesses get unlimited access to an HR Helpline, two hours of legal advice every quarter, survey data and access to an online HR toolkit. Many more features are also available for members to add on to their membership.

Archbright also plans to continue their popular training classes in the new Spokane office. Among the classes offered are supervisory skills and understanding legal issues for supervisors. “We are really pleased with the expansion of training that this move provides to our employees in Spokane,” said Craig Diaz of Haskins Steel, one of Archbright's local members.

For more information on Archbright Workplace Performance Experts, visit their website at-

www.archbright.com