NUDO & Sweeto Burrito to open in newly remodeled former Shakey's Pizza Parlor building

I've received several emails about the construction work that has started on the former Shakey's Pizza location at 9602 N. Newport Hwy ( out front of the Northpointe Shopping Center ) . And now here is your answer to this exciting project that will modernize the building and split it into space for two up and coming local restaurants.

-The northern side of the building will be a new location of the rapidly expanding Sweeto Burrito chain of unconventional burrito restaurants. Sweeto Burrito is shooting for an early August opening for their new location that will feature both dine in and a drive through. The new Sweeto Burrito at Northpointe will be about 2700 square feet and employ about 30.

This marks the beginning of Sweeto Burrito's expansion further into the Spokane market. Sweeto opened their first restaurant here last year at 15705 E. Broadway near Wal Mart in Spokane Valley. The company plans to add several more stores in the area and even recently started work on a location at 1814 N. Division , in the University District just north of the White Elephant. That location should open in September. Sweeto Burrito is also in the planning stages for new locations in Coeur d' Alene and the Tri-Cities. The Coeur d' Alene Sweeto Burrito is their next priority with an announcement on that coming soon.

- The southern half of the former Shakey's Pizza Parlor building will be converted into a new location for the locally owned & operated NUDO Ramen House who is well known from their location Downtown near the Davenport Hotel at 818 W. Sprague Ave. . The new NUDO at the Northpointe Shopping Center is also shooting for an opening in August ( late August however ) and will occupy about 2800 square feet.

The new NUDO will offer both indoor dining and a good sized outdoor patio for additional dining space during the warmer months. And, of course they'll bring their delicious menu of ramen dishes including the only place ( that I know of... ) in Spokane to get a ramen burger!

For more information on NUDO visit their website at - http://www.nudoramen.com

And, for more information on Sweeto Burrito visit -

 

Umpqua Bank likely relocating Downtown branch to across from River Park Square

Umpqua Bank, the Portland based financial institution that acquired the Spokane based Sterling Bank a couple years ago is evidentially making plans to relocate their Downtown Spokane branch to more visible location.

Umpqua itself claims they have " no updates now, but will have more to share soon " for me about this branch move but we have uncovered evidence of their plans. Umpqua Bank will move into the former Bergman Luggage storefront on the main floor of the Crescent Court building at 707 W. Main,  directly across W. Main from River Park Square and the Apple Store.

The move will not only align the Downtown Umpqua Bank to be more visible and in a position with more foot traffic, but will also give the bank more space. The planned branch location will have 2645 square feet of space and a walk up ATM facing Main. However due to the lack of an official announcement from Umpqua as of yet we have no opening date yet. We are also left wondering what will become of the current Downtown Umpqua Bank location at Wall St & Riverside by the STA plaza, where Sterling's former flagship branch once was.

Umpqua Bank is a publicly traded bank ( Nastaq : UMPQ ) held by their parent Umpqua Holdings Corporation. The bank operates around 400 bank branches all around Oregon, Washington , Nevada and California . For more information on Umpqua Bank visit their website at-

http://www.umpquabank.com

N. Monroe Shari's planned to be replaced by a new Burger King

I think many people hoped the now out of business former Shari's restaurant location at 1829 N. Monroe would someday re-open as a similar diner style restaurant. But, while it looks like this won't happen, it does look like the now abandoned corner of N. Monroe & W. Indiana will soon come back to life... this time with fast food.



Property owner Lloyd Torgenson has filed a" pre-development conference " agenda with the City of Spokane for plans to demolish the Shari's building. After the demo the lot would be prepped for a new Burger King franchise. Since the development is still in the planning phase there is no planned opening date for the new Burger King, but if the new location on Division near Northtown Mall is any indication the project will be speedy.

Plans for the new N. Monroe Burger King call for a standard single story fast food style restaurant building with dine in and a drive though. The building would run parallel to N. Monroe with the front facing W. Indiana and a rear entrance on W. Nora. Plans call for the building to be a little over 4000 square feet in total ( 920 square feet of that being the indoor dining area ). The plan also currently calls for 900 square foot children's play area. A new surface parking lot would also be added to the site on the western side.

The building has sat empty for roughly the last 3 years since the Shari's Café & Pies franchise closed. This was the only Spokane are Shari's to close as they continue to be open for business at 5602 N. Division , 12502 N. Division & 320 N. Sullivan ( Spokane Valley )

For more information on Burger King find them online at http://www.burgerking.com  

King of Ramen opens in University District

Spokane has a new casual dining option for getting that ever tasty bowl of ramen. This as King of Ramen held their soft opening just a few days ago at their restaurant, located in the strip mall at the corner of N. Division & E. Mission , next to the Cricket cell phone dealer ( 1601 N. Division St. , Suite D ) .

King of Ramen is small ramen restaurant will just over 1,500 square feet of space and is locally owned and operated. The exact menu is still being worked out based on customer suggestions but will have several ramen soup options in addition to a full bar offering.

The restaurant says they have spent hours testing and searching for just the right ingredients for recipes for authentic traditional ramen that is adapted to the " American palate " . Their soups are boiled for hours and contain natural ingredients and no MSG.

For more information on King of Ramen , visit their website at-

http://www.kingoframen.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/kingoframenspokane


 

MetroPCS adding stores all over Spokane & Coeur d' Alene

MetroPCS is coming to the Inland Northwest. But, while the MetroPCS cell phone service has worked in most of the Spokane area for some time there has been little local retail store presence . That is until now, as a couple of authorized dealers have opened / will soon open MetroPCS branded cell phone stores in most every corner our region.

Here is where to find the currently already announced area MetroPCS stores ( some are open, others are coming, check ahead )-

220 Ironwood Dr. Coeur d' Alene,ID

12012 E. Sprague Ave. # B Spokane Valley,WA

1519 N. Pines Rd. Spokane Valley,WA

Kiosk inside the STA Plaza, 701 W. Riverside Ave. Spokane,WA

2926 S. Regal St. Spokane,WA

2424 1st Ave Cheney,WA

5903 N. Division St. Spokane,WA

3923 N. Market St. Spokane,WA

MetroPCS is a national cell phone carrier that merged with T-Mobile in 2012 but remains a separate brand. The merger was to help the Texas based company to better compete with the bigger national cell phone carriers.

The company provides service via T-Mobile's huge national 4G network with data plans and deals on new phones and new lines of service.

For more information on MetroPCS stop in to any of these addresses above or visit -

http://www.metropcs.com

Pool World joining new shopping center on Appleway in Coeur d' Alene

Pool World a locally owned and operated swimming pool and more retailer is making a big upgrade to their store in Coeur d' Alene. The company has operated for the last several years in smaller store location on Sunset Ave. , by Home Depot . But the company is growing and moving to an exciting new site, where they will also build a new shopping center.

The business has purchased a lot of raw land at 745 W. Appleway near the China One buffet where another smaller shopping center had once been considered.  The new Pool World store there will be larger and more modern and occupy about 7000 square feet. Coming out of the west side of Pool World store will be a multi-tenant strip mall , with 6400 square feet of newly created suites for yet to be determined retail businesses and restaurants . The suites will be leased out and can be divided down to 1000 square feet. The far west suite will also have a drive through, the new Pool World store and the accompanying shopping center are to completed by March of 2017. Pool World will remain open for business at their current location on Sunset until then. Here is a look at what the completed development will look like-

Pool World also operates three stores in the Spokane area, and they will also stay in business with no news right now on relocations for any of them. Those stores are located at : 13524 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane Valley , 9111 N. Country Homes Blvd. Spokane , 5701 E. Sprague Ave. Spokane .

Pool World sells swimming pools, pool accessories, saunas , hot tubs , BBQ grills and other outdoor accessories . Among the brands sold by Pool World are Hot Spring & Caldera hot tubs , Finnleo saunas, Big Green Egg, Treager & Weber Barbeque grills and more.  The company has been in business since 1976 . In addition to the retail stores, Pool World also does several commercial swimming pool installs including the pools inside the Spokane Valley YMCA & Davenport Hotels.

For more information on Pool World, visit their website at-

http://www.poolworld.biz

Gamers Arcade Bar coming soon to Downtown Spokane

Note: this is a re-post of a prior article on this site. It had to be fixed, including the URL due to a trademark issue with a part of the business's name.

* the business has been renamed Gamers Arcade Bar...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The trend of Arcade bar's ( half bar / half video arcade ) is hitting most every city of any size in the country, likely due to the nostalgia factor. And, now that trend is making it's arrival in Spokane with Quarters.

Quarters has leased a small storefront space Downtown at 321 W. Sprague , a portion of the former Big City Saloon building and plan to open for business there soon. Work has already started and they hope to sometime in early July with a small staff and 1,000 square feet of space. The business may be small but it will offer a full bar.

There will also be a good selection of mostly retro video games to play in the arcade portion of the business with such well known games as Street Fighter , X- Men , Galaga and more. They also promise to have air hockey and pinball machines.

It is also worth noting that Quarters is joining a block of Downtown that seen / seeing some exciting business changes. Spokane Comedy Club, which features A- list comedians opened a couple of months ago at 315 W. Sprague and Pinot's Palette recently announced they will move to the same block with a significantly larger paint n' sip studio then the one they have now on Browne & Second. More on those topics by searching this blog.

For more information Quarters , find them on Facebook.

Dollar Tree opening in Rathdrum , Airway Heights on the horizon.

The first of two new Dollar Tree stores in the Inland Northwest is about to open for business in Rathdrum,ID. The first however has been the subject of some controversy as a locally owned and operated hardware store was removed from the strip mall space for the store. However, that hardware business is still open and will soon be on to a new bigger, better location elsewhere in Rathdrum.

The new Rathdrum Dollar Tree is currently scheduled to open on Thursday , June 30th in the former location of Rathdrum Trading Post Hardware at 16484 N. Highway 41. The store is about 10,000 square feet and is in a shopping center, just a few doors down from Stein's grocery store. The store will have much of the same merchandise / departments found in typical Dollar Tree stores, like decorations, books, stationary, cleaning goods, grocery basics and more, all for $1.00 or less.

But, while Rathdrum is getting their new Dollar Tree store first, another new Dollar Tree branded store is only a short time away from opening on the other side of Spokane in Airway Heights.

There a new Dollar Tree will be one of several new business going into the new Hayford Crossing shopping center on the Southwest corner of US 2 and Hayford Rd. in Airway Heights. Originally, this store was announced to be opening in the fall, however the building is looking to be progressing somewhat ahead of schedule. We will keep an eye on that new store, and that whole project in general ( More on what all is coming in Hayford Crossing here- http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/2015/10/grocery-outlet-dollar-tree-coming-to.html )

Dollar Tree is a Chesapeake,Va based dollar store retailer, one of the largest chains in the dollar store industry. The company operates 13,600 stores in 48 US States and parts of Canada and as is evident by the events here continues to grow.

For more information on Dollar Tree, visit their website at-

http://www.dollartree.com

Mobius Science Center to home in new Post St. home July 1st

Construction is wrapping up on the new permanent home of Mobius Science Center in Downtown Spokane. And, we are now learning that they will open for business there on Friday , July 1st with a free community day* and an exciting new exhibit. But, more on that in a moment.

Mobius Science Center has been open for the last few months in a temporary leased space in the same building as the Downtown branch of the Spokane Public Library, a little hidden and without all their displays and exhibits. This, as you may recall, is after the Science Center was removed from the space across Main from River Park Square for a planned Anthropologie retail store, which is now open for business.

After they we're forced out, Avista stepped up essentially donating the space where Mobius will be opening on the 1st. The space is an historic brick structure at 331 N. Post St. , still in Downtown Spokane and still only a short distance from River Park Square, just on the other side of the mall now. The building is better known as the Post Street Annex of the Washington Water Power Building, a bit of landmark near the Spokane Falls.

Lydig Construction has been acting as the general contractor on the project which is converting about 8000 square feet of former under utilized space into the new Science Center. When construction began the project was estimated to run around $1.1 million dollars and Mobius Science Center will pay Avista $1 per year to operated in the space.

We have yet to see the completed inside of the new science center but have been told all of the exhibits from their former home on Main will be inside, along with a few new features including a new small 3D theater with seating for about 35 to show educational science films. The building also now contains a new lobby area, offices for the Science Center and new restrooms.

As was teased on earlier in this post, Mobius Science Center will also introduce a new exhibit with the grand opening celebrations. This will be a special exhibition called Bodies Human which will bring a unique display of actual human body parts and organs to give guests a better understanding of how the human body works. This exhibit is a separate charge of $7 .

*The July 1st grand opening will be free , but only to the first 1000 guests on behalf of a generous sponsorship by Washington Trust Bank .

For more information on Mobius Science Center , visit their web site at -

http://www.mobiusspokane.org

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/mobiusspokane

Also, of note this move effects only the Mobius Science Center. Their sister museum , Mobius Childrens Museum remains open for business in the same location it has been in the basement level of River Park Square.

New strip mall purposed in Wandermere area

North Spokane's Wandermere area continues to grow and evolve, and soon residents of this suburban area will have another new shopping center to shop / dine at, just feet away from several others at 513 E. Hastings Rd. ( just east of the corner of N. Division & E. Hastings Rd. ).

The shopping center is still in the planning phase and look / tenant list is still being worked out. But I'm told they hope to start construction once they reach 65% occupancy and work should take roughly 6-9 months after they reach this goal. The project's developers have already started pre-leasing space in the project and one tenant is already signed on, an eye clinic, likely the same one that is already on the land in an older building.

This shopping center will be built on land behind the Albertson's grocery store on the north side of E. Hastings Rd . . It will feature up 15,220 square feet of space and may contain as many as 8 separate storefronts and drive-thru space is available to potential tenants. Space is currently leasing for $20 - $25 per square foot / per year .

We will continue to keep an eye on this project for construction timeline / new tenant announcements, likely to come in the next few months. For leasing information contact Mel Lindauer at 509-863-2400.

Chef Chad White's Zona Blanca now open / other businesses there opening in Downtown Spokane #limefishsalt

They say good things come to those who wait, and Spokane has been waiting for literally years to see the completion of the Zona Blanca / Brewery Incubator / Steel Barrel Tap House project in Downtown Spokane's Luminaria Building at 154 S. Madison. Steel Barrel held it's soft opening a few days ago, but won't have a grand opening till the end of the month ( Jun. 30th ) . And, perhaps the portion of the business getting talked about the most, Zona Blanca, offically opened today...

Zona Blanca is a ceviche bar , the first of it's kind in Spokane and takes up a small portion of the building at 154 S. Madison . It's owned and operated by Chef Chad White who is originally from Spokane and competed in last season of Bravo's Top Chef TV show . This is Chef White's first restaurant in Spokane as he also owns a couple in the San Diego / Tijuana area where he had been living.

*Chef Chad White also is still planning a second Spokane restaurant known as Native Post & Provisions. A Seattle based food & restaurant blog claims he has found a location in Spokane for this business but it has yet to be announced.

Zona Blanca is a casual counter service ceviche place with a short menu of items inspired by the dishes of Coastal Mexico. Pricing is reasonable and of course being in a building housing a brewery there is plenty of beer to go along with their delicious ceviche offerings.

For more information on Zona Blanca, visit their website at-

http://www.limefishsalt.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/zonablancacevichebar

Some of the remaining space will be officially be opening after a June 30th grand opening celebration as the Steel Barrel Taproom .  Steel Barrel will be a unique tap room with 30 beers on tap, many of which will be the beers brewed on site in the aforementioned Incubator Brewery, that will occupy the remaining space and will also be unique to Spokane. That's because while Spokane now has several microbreweries there are now spaces where multiple breweries work together to produce their own brands and styles under the same roof.

The Incubator Brewery is a full production microbrewery with agreements between up to five separate breweries . Currently two breweries are already signed on the brew their beers at the Incubator space. They are:

Young Buck Brewing Co.

Little Spokane Brewing Co.

The space plays largely on the building's already historic look and feel , with a somewhat industrial looking décor. It's also of interest that the space is a section of Downtown Spokane that's rapidly becoming a bit of Brewery District. Orlison Brewing , Iron Goat Brewing Co. & River City Brewing Co. all have some sort of operation within blocks of this new business.

Business owners are also still actively seeking other small breweries who want to join the incubator, an often times less costly option for those wishing to join the rapidly growing Spokane beer scene.

For more information on this exciting new complex of locally owned & operated businesses visit either-

http://thesteelbarrel.com

Or...

http://www.youngbuckbrewing.com

Rockwood Sports Performance moving to new, larger facility

Rockwood Health System's Sports Performance program is moving on up with their new , larger facility that will be unique to Spokane. Rockwood Sports Performance will remodel and move into an existing building at 122 E. Montgomery just off of N. Ruby and across the street from Camp Chevrolet.

The new facility will encompass 7,000 square feet for the Sports Performance program, which highlights sports training and medicine with two personal trainers on staff to help build strength and power. A large section of the building will have turf , a running track , racks and more all indoors and open to their customers.

The front portion of the building will be divided into space for other Rockwood programs, including:

Physical Therapy

Massage

Bracing ( DME )

Injury Clinic

Rockwood Sports Performance hopes to open in the facility within the next two months. Until then they will stay open at 505 E. Third Ave.

For more information on Rockwood Sports Performance, visit their website at-

http://www.rockwoodclinic.com/services/sports-performance 

Space is the Place opens in Downtown Spokane

The 200 block of W. Riverside in Downtown Spokane is getting cooler and cooler.  It's already been a buzz since Garageland opened there a few months ago , and now that business, which is part record store / part bar & restaurant has gathered quite the following.

But right next door to Garageland has been a long vacant storefront, until now, with the recent opening if a new business with a unique name. That business is called Space is the Place and is a hip locally owned and operated vintage good retailer / vendor mall. Space is the Place is at 226 W. Riverside and features over 3500 square feet of space for the vintage, the odd and the collectable.

Space is the Place promises to have some awesome merchandise from the people behind other local stores like Spokane Vintage Warehouse , The Bachelor Pad, Lot 49 ( from Seattle ) and more. In fact Spokane Clock has even moved their clock sales division to Space is the Place, allowing their current building on N. Division to be for only clock repairs.

Garageland also moved over their vintage goods section to the business and they plan to replace that section of their store with a small retro video arcade. They say it will start with only 4 or 5 video games but will likely grow as time goes by.

Space is the Place will be open seven days a week from 10am - 6pm each day. For more information, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/spaceistheplaceinspokane

TAPA Business Park planned in Spokane Valley

Grading and site development is already underway across Trent Ave. from the Spokane Business & Industrial Park for another new development of small factories, warehouses and other commercial buildings.

The project is being called the TAPA Business Park and being developed by TAPA Spokane,LLC who is operated by Thomas Andersen, a Bellevue based real estate developer. The site will mostly face Trent Ave. and will be just east of the Trent / Sullivan Rd. intersection on just over 10 acres of land.

Pre selling of commercial build sites at the TAPA park has already begun with as many as 8 total buildings locating there once the project is completed. Two " spec " buildings will rise at the site simultaneously after the site work is complete and be operational by September. No mention of tenants / uses for these two new buildings .

Each site can hold up to 6 or 7000 square foot building with many uses welcome, all infrastructure will be in place soon allowing tenants to move in with no issue. For more information about land or buildings at the TAPA Business Park contact Tom at 509-998-6707 .

Centennial Properties purchases former Downtown Macy's building

After a few weeks of a confidential bidding process, the now closed up former Macy's building, Downtown officially has a new owner and is already making plans for new life in the prime building.

Centennial Properties , the real estate arm of Cowles Co. is the new owner and is also the owner of River Park Square located right across Wall St from the Macy's high rise. The purchase price was not disclosed at this time but Centennial did beat out at least two other investors that we're also in the bidding process. Other bidders we're a joint venture between developer Kent Hull & John Stockton ( the same people behind the Matilida Building ) and an un-named national company.

The new owners have not yet released their exact plans for the building but do admit to having an aggressive schedule to start renovations. Centennial Properties plans to convert the former Macy's into retail / restaurant space on the bottom two floors and a mix of office space and apartments on the floors above.

Despite the building being attached via skywalk to River Park Square the building will likely be built out and marketed as a separate project. The area to be converted into a retail space is roughly 360,000 square feet and they hope to have a tenant or tenants in place sometime in 2017.

Keep watching for more news on future developments of former Downtown Macy's....

Play It Again Sports returning to Spokane

Play It Again Sports, a national franchise based retailer of gently used sporting equipment is opening soon in Northwest Spokane. The chain did have a location in Spokane once before but this store will be in a new location, at the Five Mile Shopping Center ( 1808 W. Francis ) .

Play It Again Sports will take over a 4500 square foot space that was formerly a Hallmark greeting card store . Work has already started on the store which is planned to open for buying sports equipment sometime around Mid- July and actual sales around the middle of August. Play It Again Sports is retailer of most any kinds of sporting goods for hockey, baseball, softball, lacrosse, soccer, fitness, ski, snowboard, water sports, golf, and disc golf . And, even after the sales start Play It Again Sports will continue to accept your gently used sports gear for both cash or trade.

Play It Again Sports is a Parma,OH based chain that is franchised out by parent company, Winmark Corporation . Winmark is a growing company that has several well known stores in it's portfolio, other Spokane businesses that fall under the Winmark umbrella are Plato's Closet and Once Upon a Child, both of which have two locations. Play It Again Sports has over 400 stores in the United States and 40+ in Canada .

For more information on Play It Again Sports in Spokane visit-

http://playitagainsportsspokanewa.com/ ( coming soon )

Or, find them on Facebook at-

https://www.facebook.com/playitagainsportsspokanewa

Gov. Inslee approves Spokane Tribe's new Casino in Airway Heights

It's been a waiting game for years, but it's all now finally becoming a reality with today's huge announcement that Gov. Jay Inslee has given his approval to the Spokane Tribe of Indians plan to build a new Hotel & Casino complex on land they already own on the west side of The City of Airway Heights.

Gov. Inslee's approval was the final approval for the project which has been a hot topic in the Spokane area over the last few years due to it's proximity of Fairchild AFB where some have argued a new casino could make Fairchild a target for future rounds of military base closures. It is also highly note-worthy that this new Casino will actually be the second Casino in Airway Heights with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians still operating their Northern Quest Resort & Casino on Hayford Rd. on the northeast side of the Spokane suburb.

As of the post time there is no construction timeline for the Spokane Tribe's new Casino, however we have been told the Tribe is mostly ready to start the project. The Casino, which will be operated by the Spokane Tribe will be affiliated with the Hard Rock chain of Restaurants and Casino's that operate in mostly tourist hot spots around the world. Because the campus of this project is large we can only assume this also means Hard Rock Café Spokane is also coming along with the project. The Project will be on a 145 acre site at the corner US 2 & Craig Rd. where the Spokane Tribe has already built their SpokoFuel / Arby's travel plaza. Here is a look a rendering of the project-

The new Casino does raise some questions, but in the end is promising to bring thousands of jobs and big local investment. The Casino will be the centerpiece of the development, that has been dubbed STEP Spokane ( Spokane Tribe Economic Project ) but won't be the only thing included. STEP Spokane's site will also host...

- Tribal Cultural Center
- Wellness Center
- Resort style hotel with indoor water park
- Food Court
- First class Spa
- New police and fire station for the City of Airway Heights

The site will also be partially be developed into a lifestyle style shopping center with several pad sites for many new business, some even being big box retailers also bringing in large amounts of new jobs. It is estimated that the STEP Spokane project, built out completely could create upwards of 5,000 ne jobs!

Gov. Inslee says he based his approval of this project on a legal review and discussions with local business leaders and leaders with the Air Force. Fairchild AFB never took an official stance on the project and only a few continue to speak out against the project.

We expect to hear more about STEP Spokane in the coming months so stay tuned and visit the project's website at-

http://www.stepspokane.com

And, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/stepspokane

Rock City Grill moving to the Famous Ed's building on South Hill

After more then two decades on the first floor of River Park Square, Rock City Grill is moving on , with Jun 12th being their last day in Downtown shopping center . But Rock City Grill isn't going out of business, just relocating.

Rock City Grill's owners have purchased Famous Ed's , a bar and restaurant at the corner of 57th & Regal  on the South Hill and will close down that business to allow Rock City Grill to open in the same building after a brief remodel. The new South Hill Rock City Grill should be opening in the first half of July.

The menu of Rock City Grill will remain the same and the employees of the River Park Square location will be transferred to the new location. In addition some of the employees of Famous Ed's will be offered positions with Rock City Grill. There is no news yet about what business or businesses will open in the prime River Park Square space that is also visible from Riverfront Park and Spokane Falls Blvd.

Rock City Grill is a full service American / Italian restaurant with a full bar, a menu of burgers , pizzas , salads , entrees and more. For more information on Rock City Grill, and their menu, visit-

http://www.rockcitygrill.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/rockcitygrill

Sweet Lou's to open restaurant in Downtown Coeur d' Alene

A popular North Idaho restaurant with it roots in Bonner County is taking a big step forward with an all new location opening later this year in Downtown Coeur d' Alene.

Sweet Lou's is that restaurant, they began their business sometime ago on the shores of Lake Pend O'reille in Hope,Id and now they run a restaurant under the Sweet Lou's name in the small town of Ponderay,Id on US 95 . Sweet Lou's Coeur d' Alene is currently in the planning phase and should open for business sometime in November.

The Coeur d' Alene Sweet Lou's location will be located in a leased 3,600 square foot space on the first floor of Downtown Coeur d' Alene's Parkside high rise ( Front St. , near the Library ). The space is currently occupied by the Grille from Ipanama , a Brazilian steakhouse that is planning to move to the Riverstone development in the next few months ( their space is under construction now near the Regal Cinemas ) . Here is a look at the future location with the new building signage-

Sweet Lou's is an American restaurant with everything from salads , sandwiches and burgers up to steaks, ribs and fish . The restaurant also has a full bar, kids menu and some impressive dessert offerings. This new restaurant will also likely create some new local jobs, but no exact numbers have been released as of yet.

For more information on Sweet Lou's visit their website at -

http://www.sweetlousidaho.com

Downtown Spokane's Chronicle Building to be largely converted into apartments

Once home to Spokane's now defunct evening newspaper, the Spokane Chronicle, the Chronicle Building stands with a significant history at the northeast corner of Sprague & Monroe ( 926 W. Sprague ) . But with the newspaper out of print for several years, a large accounting firm who moved to a neighboring building and the Spokesman Review consolidating their offices out of the Chronicle Building, the building is now largely empty. But all that is about to change with a yesterday's huge announcement, that also means more residential units for the city center.

The Chronicle Building, which is owned by Centennial Properties a division of Cowles Company, has announced plans to convert most of the upper floors of the building into apartments. Construction work on the apartment floors will start within the next couple of weeks with hopes of tenants being able to move into the apartments in February 2017.

The building will house 32 apartments , both 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units available with a rental rate that has not yet been set. The apartments will be on all floors except the first and second floors, improvements have also been made to the lower floors in recent months with Nodland Cellars opening a new tasting room in a portion of the first floor and a new courtyard which is shared with the Tamarack Public House bar next door, apartment tenants will also get to use the new area and will have access to roof of the building which features sweeping views and historic gargoyles looking over the city below.

Two remaining office tenants are currently in the space that will become apartments. Those tenants are The Rypien Foundation and a law firm who will move to new office spaces elsewhere Downtown over the Summer.

The apartments in Chronicle Building will range from 668 - 1200 square feet in space, and the building owner is currently actively seeking a restaurant tenant for the remaining first floor space. Keep watching this site for more on the planned apartments including features and rental prices.

Anthony's at Coeur d' Alene and a new Cracker Barrel to open in just days in CdA

It's only fitting that two of the most highly anticipated new restaurants in the Coeur d' Alene area would open only days apart from each other ( Get your appetites ready... ) . Here is what to expect and their opening dates...

Anthony's at Coeur d' Alene

The large group of cars out front of the Anthony's building might almost make one wonder if they are already open for business. But in fact they have been actively training, going over the menu to make sure it's just right and teaching the staff the perfect wine pairings.

Anthony's at Coeur d' Alene will actually open for business on June 6th with dinner service starting at 5pm, reservations are suggested and can be made by calling 208-664-4665 .

Anthony's at Coeur d' Alene is location of Anthony's Restaurants who is based in Western Washington and well known in our area for their long running Anthony's at Spokane Falls on Post St. in Downtown Spokane. They are upscale seafood restaurants with a positive reputation .

Here is a look at the outside of their new Coeur d' Alene restaurant has it's seen today-

*Anthony's at Coeur d' Alene is located on the Riverstone Pond on the western side of the Riverstone development.

Cracker Barrel Restaurant & Country Store

The Coeur d' Alene Cracker Barrel location will be first location for the chain in the Inland Northwest, however they are far from unknown with locations in most other parts of the country. In fact Cracker Barrel has had a location in Missoula,Mt. for some time now.

The Coeur d' Alene Cracker Barrel will open for business on June 21st , likely for breakfast . They are also still in process of hiring for their open positions as they plan to employ upwards of 175 people.

Cracker Barrel restaurants serve a menu that's based on Country / Southern favorites with a nod towards comfort foods and also include a retail store with gifts , collectable items and similar. Their location in Coeur d' Alene will be not far north of Riverstone at 1675 W. Lee Ct. , by the Ramsey / Appleway intersection.

Here is a look at the new Coeur d' Alene Cracker Barrel as it looks today-

And there is more to come...

These two restaurants are just the talk of the town right now, a few more new restaurants are on the horizon for the Coeur d' Alene / Post Falls area including...

Popeye's Chicken , Hwy 41 & Neufield Ln in Post Falls ( still gathering info, post coming soon)

Sushi I & Rustic Bakery in Riverstone

Dickey's Barbeque Pit , Hanley Ave. by Silver Lake Mall .

And a new Sweeto Burrito ( location TBA )

Keep checking back for more information on each and of course news on the businesses and restaurants of Spokane also ....

Best Food Court grand opening this weekend in Coeur d' Alene

For probably at least a couple of years now the parking lot of Midway Restaurant Supply has been home to a few food trucks. The gathering was small and didn't have a name, but many locals knew it was there, on Best Ave. about a block east of N. 4th St. in Coeur d' Alene.

But things are changing, the Coeur d' Alene food truck scene has blossomed and that same strip of pavement has grown and is now home to about 10 or so food trucks serving a variety of different cuisines, many award winning. So with new ownership next door at the Midway Restaurant Supply it was fitting to give the court some organization and a official name, make it Coeur d' Alene's first actual food truck pod. That space is now the called Best Food Court and while it's no Cartlandia it is a highlight of the Lake City's restaurant scene.

The Best Food Court will host their official grand opening event this weekend, several of the food trucks will be offering specials and a couple of new trucks are joining into the mix. The grand opening will take place both Friday Jun. 3rd & Saturday Jun. 4th , mostly during the day as each truck has different hours.

The space has some outside dining areas and starting this weekend includes two new trucks, one brand new to Coeur d' Alene, the other already a local favorite. Those trucks are Coeur de Breizh Crepes & Left Coast Fusion ,  a couple more are also likely coming soon.

As of today the Best Food Court will be home to the following food trucks-

Left Coast Fusion

Coeur de Breizh Crepes

Taco Works ( who just got an all new trailer! )

Best Sandwich Shack 

Rawdeadfish ( Sushi food truck )

Roadside Grill ( Burgers , Indian Tacos & more )

Backhills BBQ ( same guy that used to do BBQ at the Hayden Albertson's )

High Mountain Coffee ( more of a drive up then a food truck but still it's there and good )


If you'd like more information on the Best Food Court and some of the current food specials, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/bestfoodcourt

The Lab moves into new bigger home at Cedar Crossing in North Spokane

North Spokane's The Lab is clearly a success. The business, which is locally owned & operated fitness / personal training center recently opened for in their new significantly larger space, only a couple or so years after originally opening for business. Here is a look at the front of their new location from their Facebook page-

The Lab is joining the Cedar Crossings retail / restaurant development at 6501 N. Cedar Building 4, Suite B , they can be found directly across the parking lot from the Boiler Room pizza restaurant. This new space brings their business's total space up to 4800 square feet, more then double what they had at their old location at 208 W. Francis.

The Lab's new location also means their fitness class times will be expanded and the space will now offer showers. All of the staff and services continue on in the new space , The Lab is primarily a strength and fitness studio with a wide array of strength and conditioning classes and on site personal training, classes are available as early as 5 am most days so there is always a class to fit your schedule.

For more information on The Lab, visit their website at-

http://www.thelabspokane.com

Or, find them on Facebook-

http://www.facebook.com/thelabspokane

White Rabbit Heli Tours launches over Spokane

Ever wondered what some of Spokane's iconic landmarks look like from the air? Just want to show off the Lilac City to friends and family? Now there is the perfect solution at a new business that opened just recently out of a small space a Felts Field Airport.

White Rabbit Aviation LLC ( who does aircraft leasing and consultation ) and their division White Rabbit Heli Tours have leased a 120 square foot office space inside of the terminal building at Felts Field and have began using Felts has a home base for local Helicopter tours. The business currently operates two helicopters which give set tours and custom tours of the city and region.

White Rabbit Heli Tours offers an approximately 15 min. Spokane City Tour  ( priced at $75 per person ) , sunset tours ( $200 ) or a custom 30 min. tour ( $325 ).

And, on a special note White Rabbit Heli Tours will also be set up during Felts Field's 6th Annual Neighbor Day Event which is this Sat. June 4th from 9-4. During this event White Rabbit will be doing special tours for only $40 per person.

Online booking is available and credit cards are accepted. White Rabbit Heli Tours also allows you to take pictures / record your flight as long as you use extra caution. For more information, visit their website at-

http://www.flywhiterabbit.com