Send all business inquires & press releases to matt.behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Alt 96.1 launches with format switch at iHeartRadio Spokane

Spokane has a new radio station, and it's a format that hasn't been in out market for the last few years. iHeartRadio has re-branded their station at 96.1 into Alt 96.1, a radio station with an adult alternative / alt rock format. Also, the station has been re-assigned new call sign KFOO.

Previously, the 96.1 was a country format known as Kix 96.1 which has historically had the lowest ranking of the 3 country stations broadcasting in Spokane. Kix 96.1 has had a 1.5 market share, lacking behind the top station 99.9 Coyote Country with their 5.0 market share. But, iHeartRadio intends to keep a country station on the air in Spokane. That station has moved to 99.3 which is actually a translator station of KZFS 1280 AM. 1280/99.3 launched not long ago and had a short run as a contemporary Christian station. The country station will now be called Kix 99.3 .

Alt 96.1 began broadcasting at the beginning of March and in addition to the alterative music format will air a syndicated morning program called The Woody Show which broadcasts out of Los Angeles. Prime advertising spots are available on Alt 96.1 and the other iHeartRadio Spokane stations with info on that available on http://iheartspokaneadvertising.com

Locally iHeartRadio also operates 98.9 KKZX, 103.1 KCDA, Kiss 98.1 and News radio 590 KQNT.

For more information about Alt 96.1 , visit their website at-
http://alt961.iheart.com

Also, find the new Kix 99.3 at- http://kix993.iheart.com

2018 Northern Quest Resort & Casino Summer Concert Lineup announced!

The announcement of Spokane’s hottest concert lineup is here! Here is who will be appearing in the 2018 line up for Northern Quest’s Pepsi Summer Concert Lineup....

Little Big Town Jun 18th

I love the 90s Tour Jun 28th

Incubus Jul 10th

John Fogerty Jul 17th

Brad Paisley Jul 27th

Zz Top Jul 29th

Willie Nelson & Alison Krauss Aug 3rd

Gabriel “fluffy” Inglesias Aug 9th

Train Aug 10th

Alabama Aug 15th

Huey Lewis and the News Aug 19th

Kane Brown Sept 9th

The Australian Pink Floyd Show Sept 13th

Joan Jett & Cheep Trick Sept 18th

Rascal Flatts Sept 22nd


More information on these concerts and everything happening at Northern Quest, check their website at- http://northernquest.com

Monday, March 26, 2018

Etailz to relocate HQ to Spokane Valley

Etailz is leaving Spokane, but have no fear the growing company isn't going far. Etailz is beginning a remodeling project to move into a larger office space in Spokane Valley. The company says they have outgrown their current HQ in the historic McKinstry Station building at 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. . No word on who will replace them there.

The new Etailz HQ will provide workspaces for all of the company's 250 plus employees and should be ready for occupancy sometime this Summer. This new office will occupy 37479 square feet in the Sullivan Business Center at 2818 N. Sullivan, which was Itron's factory space several years ago . This new HQ location is also strategic as the company already leases some warehouse space not from here in Spokane Business & Industrial Park.

Etailz , which was once known as greencupboards describes themselves as a leading online marketplace retailer. They also offer advanced technology and strategys to help grow there customers sales on Amazon, Jet, Ebay, Walmart and Alibaba.

While Etailz HQ is located here in Spokane, they are a part of the larger parent company Trans World Entertainment Corp of New York. Trans World Entertainment acquired Etailz in 2016 for $75 million. But, despite the far off ownership, Etailz has managed to remain a separate entity. Trans World Entrainment Corp. is also the owner of FYE and Suncoast Entertainment brands which we're recoginaizable largely mall based retail brands.

For more information about Etailz, check out-

http://etailz.com

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Incrediburger and a coffee chain to open at the newly built Ramsey Crossing in Coeur d' Alene

The relatively small plot of along Appleway, just northeast of the Northwest Blvd exit off of I-90 in Coeur d' Alene has been proven to be a great spot for new restaurants to open. Two chains that are new to the area have already opened there, one being the Inland Northwest's first Cracker Barrel which opened last fall. And, the other is Coeur d' Alene's first Firehouse Subs location ( Spokane's opened a few months earlier ).


Cracker Barrel is in there own building but the newly opened Firehouse Subs is in the end cap of an otherwise vacant strip mall, which can be seen above. And, it's those vacant spaces where we are finding two more businesses coming soon. Here's the details on those-

Incrediburger & Eggs to add second location in Coeur d' Alene

Just weeks after the first ever Incrediburger & Eggs opened to much fanfare in Downtown Spokane, another location is already in the works for the Ramsey Crossing development of Coeur d' Alene. This new restaurant will be right next door to Firehouse Subs.

We're told the menu will be very similar to the Downtown Spokane location. Incrediburger is a fast casual style eatery with gourmet burgers, egg sandwiches and boozy milkshakes.

On a side note Incrediburger is a business venture of local chef and restaurant owner Adam Hegsted.  Hegsted is also developing another restaurant in Coeur d' Alene as he plans to open a place called Honey & Co. in Downtown CdA where The Cellar once was. Neither Honey & Co. or the new Incrediburger location have set opening dates just yet so stay tuned....

Thomas Hammer Coffee to add a new location

We are still waiting on the details but have confirmed that the Spokane based Thomas Hammer Coffee chain will join the same building as Firehouse Subs and Incrediburger.

It looks like this store will be much like their others and include a drive thru lane but we'll re-post when they share more.

Could more new places be coming?

It's very likely that more places could be coming to the same Coeur d' Alene neighborhood. In fact, the non-restaurant related Idaho Central Credit Union just broke ground for a new branch and office building across Appleway from Ramsey Crossing.

There is also a vacant lot still for lease directly at the corner of Ramsey and Appleway and another new strip mall is still largely up for lease to the east on Appleway just past Lowe's ( where the new Pool World store is ).

All of this just a short distance north of Riverstone where a handful of construction projects are also underway. So, stay tuned...







Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Top 8 restaurant chains that Spokane wants

Recently I took to the Inland Northwest Business Watch social media pages and the Spokane sub-reddit with a question. That question was what restaurant chain would you want to see come to Spokane?

Below is what we found. And, to explain why I asked, it was to get people talking and while most are the same places I hear all the time some we're kind of a surprise.


8. Texas Roadhouse

This one surprised me a bit as there is already a location in Coeur d' Alene. But, it's true Spokane has none and the Coeur d' Alene location is usually packed.

I've heard on and off for the last few years of possible plans for a Texas Roadhouse location in Spokane nothing has come to fruition. From what one commenter mentioned is since the Coeur d' Alene store is so successful they don't want to put in Spokane to take away from the sales in CdA. I can't say if that's true or not, but it is probably a factor,

Texas Roadhouse is a Louisville,KY based chain ( shouldn't they be based in Texas? ) and founded 25 years ago in Indiana, with around 500 locations in the United States and some Asian / Middle Eastern countries.

For more information on Texas Roadhouse, check out- http://texasroadhouse.com


7. Bojangles Famous Chicken n' Biscuits

Bojangles is about as Southern fried chicken of a restaurant as you can get out of a chain establishment. The North Carolina based restaurant chain has been in business since 1977 and today is a publicly traded company with over 600 restaurants.

So, will Bojangles ever come to Spokane? Well probably not very soon as their current closest store is in Tennessee. In fact over half of their locations are within the state of North Carolina, but they are building a bit of cult following nationally so never say never.

For more information on Bojangles Famous Chicken n' Biscuits , check out- http://bojangles.com 


6. Dunkin Donuts

Probably because of Starbucks' huge market share in the Northwest, our area is one of the few spots in the country that doesn't have a Dunkin Donuts. I'm told there was one in Spokane a long time ago but they have all since moved on.

The Canton,MA based chain is known for it's coffee drinks ( often cheaper then the other chain's ) and donuts. Although they have been experimenting with dropping the donuts portion of their name lately. Dunkin Donuts was founded in 1950 and today has over 11000 stores worldwide.

Their parent company , Dunkin' Brands also operates the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop chain, which does have locations in the Spokane / Coeur d' Alene area. But, will Dunkin Donuts ever come to Spokane? It could happen as they are still in growth mode but there are no plans as of right now.

For more information on Dunkin Donuts, check out- http://dunkindonuts.com


5. Dave & Busters

When Northtown Mall underwent their remodel of the north side of the mall a couple of years ago a lot of people thought a Dave & Busters would surely open there as they created some new restaurant spaces. Sadly that was not the case as today Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill and Buffalo Wild Wings are in those spaces.

But, could Dave & Busters come to Spokane? The very well could as they just opened a location in Anchorage  and are already open for business in Auburn,Wa. . I'm not sure exactly what is holding them back from coming to Spokane.

Dave & Busters is a Dallas based chain lead by CEO Steven King ( not that Steven King... ) . They are a publicly traded company with over 100 locations almost all in the United States a couple in Canada. Their stores are sports bars that a sort of an adult version of Chuck E. Cheese. They are the corporate sponsor of the UFC and have been in business since the early 80's

For more information on Dave & Busters, check out- http://daveandbusters.com


4. NONE!

Many who I asked said Spokane doesn't need any more chain restaurants. And, while I support local businesses first and encourage people to do so, chains aren't going anywhere anytime soon and do employ many in our community.

So, all I can say to do this one is after reading this post do some research into local alternatives to the chains. Check out D Lish's, Chicken-n-Mo or DeLeon's  as they are all great local options and there are so many more.


3. In n' Out Burger

Founded in 1948 the Irvine,CA based fast food burger chain has grown a lot in recent years, but still in a not to fast pace. Today, most of their 329 locations are still in California and Nevada although they have grown towards us opening a location in Medford,OR not too long ago.

In n' Out's menu consists of three burger variety's hamburger, cheeseburger and " double double " . Burgers can come with thousand island dressing and don't forget to try out getting your burger " animal style ". There is also sides, shakes and more.

So, will In n' Out Burger come to Spokane? I'm going to say yes but give it at least a couple more years probably more. And, don't believe the rumors...

For more information on In n' Out Burger, visit- http://in-n-out.com


2. Cheesecake Factory

Rumors have swirled around many locations that a Cheesecake Factory would open at in Spokane. That's because the chain has had locations as close as Western Washington for several years now. So will Cheesecake Factory come to Spokane? it's likely they will sometime but there are no plans as of yet.

Cheesecake Factory is a Calabasas Hills,CA based company that has been in business since the late 70's. As the name would imply they are famous for cheesecakes and desserts but in reality are full services restaurants with burgers, steaks, pasta and more, including alcoholic drinks.

For more information on Cheesecake Factory, check out-
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com


1. Chick-fil-a

Many in Spokane apparently want to live by Chick-fil-a's motto " eat more chicken " . The chain has over 2200 locations and is based in Atlanta,GA . The company started in Georgia in the mid 1940's by a different name and today has locations all over the country, except here in Spokane.

They have however been hit by controversy from some stances they have taken due to the founders religious beliefs, because of this Chick-fil-a restaurants are closed on Sundays.

So will Chick-fil-a ever come to Spokane? it's likely it will happen someday but there are no plans right now. A rumor swirled after the developer of the purposed Commons on Regal development showed a building plan with a blurred version of the Chick-fil-a logo on it. That has turned out to be false but I do think the chain has looked at for sites here.

It's also important to note that Chick-fil-a actually already has a location in our region. There is a lesser known location on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow. Still a drive but for die hard fans...

For more information on Chick-fil-a , check out-
http://chick-fil-a.com




Monday, March 19, 2018

Indigo Urgent Care to open a Spokane location

The Indigo Urgent Care chain is planning to open their first location in Spokane soon. The chain, which is a division of Multicare Health System has a network of 16 locations, however all of which are currently in the Seattle / Tacoma area.

Indigo Urgent Care will take an approximately 5000 square foot space in the newly built strip mall at 9420 N Newport Hwy, joining BECU as a tenant. Another 1850 square foot storefront in the building remains up for lease. There isn't an opening date just yet but they plan to create 10 exam rooms, common areas and support offices.

Indigo Urgent Care locations treat minor health issues for all ages with locations open from 8am-8pm 365 days a year.  The company says they keep you first with drinks including gourmet cappuccino and free wifi with docking stations in the waiting lounge area. And, some of the latest medical equipment to get their guests the care they need quickly.

This new location is interestingly called the " Spokane-North " location so we assume a South Hill locations is planned but more on that after we can confirm it. Indigo's parent Multicare Health System is also the owner of Deaconess and Valley Hospitals among many other clinics in the Spokane area.

For more information on Indigo Urgent Care, check out-
http://indigohealth.com

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Life returns to the Ridpath as the Ridpath Club Apartments are now leasing

Almost 10 years ago the Ridpath Hotel closed it's doors after being Spokane's longest continuously operating hotel. During the decade since most in Spokane know it's been one legal battle after another, but finally developer Ron Wells' re-development plan has pushed through and we can now report that the new apartments in the former hotel building are now available for lease!

The former hotel has been almost entirely converted into apartments and now operates as the Ridpath Club Apartments, being managed by NAI Black. Renters can fill out applications now for move in starting around April 13th. The building is 13 stories and now houses 206 units of varying sizes, including something not very common yet in Spokane, micro-apartments. The micro apartments are just 220 square feet and are perfect for just one person. In addition 300 square foot studios, one bedroom and even a lone two bedroom apartments are also now available for lease.

Living at the new Ridpath Club Apartments will be affordable too as apartments start as low as $495 a month for the micro units ( if your income qualifies ). Rent is restricted based on income, although some units have been set aside as market rate and open to anyone. All utilities , as well as fiber internet are included in the rental rate. Parking spaces will also be available to rent.

The apartments are fully update and have appliances in place with wheelchair accessible units also available. Laundry facilities are on site as is a multi use room and a bicycle storage area. But, likely one of the top selling points of the Ridpath Club Apartments will be the location. The building is in the heart of Downtown Spokane, just perfect for Downtown workers or those wanting to be close to action. Riverfront Park and River Park Square are only about 3 or 4 blocks away and bars, restaurants and shopping are most everywhere.

And speaking of resturants, the 206 apartments aren't the only thing coming soon to the building that once was the Ridpath Hotel. The ground floor space is also being remodeled but for a commercial use, there local chef / restaurant owners Jeremy and Kate Hansen will soon open Ridpath Brasserie and Gin Bar. Like most things with the Ridpath, there have been some delays and now the restaurant / bar will likely open in late Spring or early Summer. We'll update with more that business when their opening gets closer.

For more information on how to rent an apartment at the new Ridpath Club Apartments, check out their website. But, hurry as there is a lot of interest.

Check- http://liveatridpath.com 

Or, find them on Facebook ( there is even photos on their page )-
https://www.facebook.com/Ridpath-Club-Apartments-1325404510900987/

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Carter's Oshkosh B'gosh store and a new Brothers Office Pizzeria open tomorrow in Spokane Valley

Looking for a couple of new places to check out? Then head to area around the Spokane Valley Mall tomorrow ( Thurs. Mar. 15th ) as a highly anticipated new mall store and a new pizza business not far away will both be having there first day's open.


Carter's / Oshkosh B'gosh
These 2 popular children, babies and toddler clothing brands will open there first duel branded store in Spokane market within the Spokane Valley Mall. In fact this is Oshkosh B'gosh's first retail store in Spokane, Carter's however already has a store at Northtown Square, across from Northtown Mall.


The new store is located on the first floor of the mall right by the center court area. The space is about 5000 square feet.


Brother's Office Pizzeria
Maybe a mile or so from Spokane Valley Mall, on Mansfield Ave. nearby the Valley YMCA is a new commercial building. The first tenant there, a workout facility called Specialty Training,Inc. is already open for business but now the second tenant is ready to open.


That will be the 3rd location of Brother's Office Pizzeria, their other stores are at 32nd & Pines on the south side of the Valley and in Liberty Lake. They offer a menu of several handcrafted specialty pizza's, build your own pizza's , sandwiches, salads and a small amount of other items. Adult beverages are also available .
Note: Brother's Office doesn't open till 4:30pm tomorrow


Also...
Keep watching this site for more business openings in Spokane Valley as construction is continuing for a new Tuesday Morning store on Indiana by Staples and a gaming store Fun Unlimited should be opening next month in Spokane Valley Mall.


Plus, construction work is coming soon to a new strip mall out front of Yoke's ( the former Trading Co. grocery store ) at Sprague & McDonald . And, at the new Ponderosa Village shopping center off of Dishman Mica Rd.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Wonder Bread building renovations almost complete, leasing to begin

The former Wonder Bread building at 821 W. Mallon has been undergoing a dramatic renovation and expansion for the last several months. But the building, which is now known as Wonder Spokane, will be wrapping up their project this Summer bringing new office space along with an artesian market space. The market will be called Wonder Market and will be a 12,000 square foot space for local retail and food vendors, we'll likely have more on that coming soon.


But, first the office space as it was announced just today that the owners have partnered with commercial real estate advisor JLL and NAI Black to begin marketing and leasing that space. They say the arrival of this office space will being some relief to the tight market for large scale office space locally. And, what's exciting about the large office space is they even hope the space might be used by a tenant from Seattle, Portland, San Fransisco or similar seeking to expand into the a more affordable growing market like Spokane.

Wonder Spokane will feature three full stories and a large basement for office users, totally 100,000 square feet of new space geared towards growing creative companies. The space will offer high ceilings, abundant natural light and will be unique as it's a historic over 100 year old building. Plentiful parking will be provided on site and the building will be topped by a rooftop deck featuring views of Riverfront Park and Downtown Spokane.

For information on leasing at the Wonder Spokane Building contact Michael Sharapata of JLL at 925-457-6966. A website is also being set up at http://wonderspokane.com

Keep watching this site for upcoming tenant announcements, the Wonder Market space and other information!

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Update and peek inside of the Cooper George Apartment renovations

This week we at Inland Northwest Business Watch we're given a tour of quite possibly one of the coolest building renovation projects going on locally. That project is the renovations of the Cooper George building at 707 W. Main by Deaconess Hospital.


The Cooper George was originally opened in 1952 also as an apartment building, over time the building transitioned to a senior living / assisted living ending that run as a complex called South Hill Senior Living only a couple of years ago. But now, an Oregon based owner and Baker Construction have been running full renovation of the building. This time back into an apartment complex, but it'll be an apartment complex that's in a lot of ways unique for Spokane.

The apartments will go by the name Cooper George Apartments with 144 total apartments. Studio, 1 bed and 2 bedroom apartments will be available and tenants will be able to move in April 15th. And, I'm told there has been a lot of interest already, as is to be expected as after taking the tour I can honestly say the building is cool, the views are awesome and the location is basically un-beatable just a few short blocks away from the Downtown Spokane core.

In addition to the 144 apartments there is some very limited commercial space that will be leased out on the ground floor. One space with a kitchen intended for something like a café and a medical office / retail space on the back side of the first floor. But, the apartment tenants will also be able to use the ground floor as a sort of hang out, I'm told they even plan to hang the historic Cooper George sign that used to be up on top of the building on the walls of the first floor. Leasing offices, a conference room, Amazon storage lockers and a fitness center are also planned to be on the first floor.

Upper floors will be apartments until you get to the roof, there a rooftop deck will allow residents to relax and overlook Downtown Spokane. There will also be a place to store / work on bikes, but for those with a car, parking is included in the price of rent. I'm told only a few units will not include a parking space.

The apartments are modern spaces that take advantages of the good bones of the historic building. In fact the building is just a block from I-90 but there is no highway noise given the thick sturdy construction. Inside the apartments are stainless steel appliances , gas ranges, washer & dryer , central heating, air conditioning, white quartz countertops and more all in a secure building. Oh, and they are pet friendly too.

So, with all of that how much will it cost to rent an apartment at the new Cooper George? It depends partially on what floor you want, floor plan, etc... . But, rents will start at $920 per month for a 415 square foot studio, 1 bed starts at $1235 and 2 bed starts at $1675, but parking and all utilites are included in the rent.

For more information about the Cooper George Apartments, visit their website at-
http://thecoopergeorge.com

And, now a look at the exterior and interior of the building in addition to a couple of photos of the incredible views-







We would like to thank Cooper George for allowing us to see the building! Thank you!



Monday, March 5, 2018

New Taco Bell may replace Five Mile Heights Pizza Parlor

Plans are calling for a new Taco Bell location to be built in place of what is today the Five Mile Heights Pizza Parlor. But, the key word here is may as this is still very much in the planning phase.

CLC Restaurants of Missoula, the owner of all of the local Taco Bell franchises, has filed " pre-development conference " documents with the City of Spokane to build a new Taco Bell on the site, which is located at 6404 N. Ash.

The plans call for a demolition of the current structure and the replacement with a new construction Taco Bell. The new Taco Bell would be 2573 square feet with a drive thru lane, indoor seating for 52 and a small amount of outdoor seating. Parking would be added on the south side of the lot along the new building and few spaces up front near the roadway.

So what about Five Mile Heights Pizza? It's a locally owned pizza business that's been a part of the Five Mile neighborhood for quite sometime. Well, we haven't been able to get a reply back from their ownership just yet, but we have several sources saying they are closing up shop. According to our sources the pizza restaurant is to close at the end of April. We will continue to work on confirming this however...

We don't have information about when construction will begin, or an opening date for the new Taco Bell. So, keep checking back as we will continue to follow this project...

Friday, March 2, 2018

Logan Tavern opens near Gonzaga

The building at 1305 N. Hamilton has been several businesses since the landmark Bulldog Tavern closed in 2012. The last place, Scotty's Doghouse left late last year and now another group is giving it a go with this weeks opening of the Logan Tavern.

The Logan Tavern's owners have done some remodeling to the interior of the building and are now open as a neighborhood style hang out. And, even though they've only been open for about two days now we are already hearing very positive feedback about this new place.

Logan Tavern is named for the Logan neighborhood, where the bar is located. The tavern has a full bar with some specialty drinks and a food menu that they describe as traditional pub food kicked up a notch. There is several burgers and sandwiches like an ultimate grilled cheese and the kennel wrap. There is some wonderful sounding appetizers, soups and salads and more. There is even a couple of dessert items like Pint O' Donuts.

And, just as before Logan Tavern will have TV's to watch all the current games and a great place to stop after a game. For more information, including menus check them out at-

https://www.logantavernspokane.com/

Or http://facebook.com/thelogantavern

 

Sketchers Outlet now open in Spokane Valley

The Spokane area's second Sketchers Outlet store is now open for business in Spokane Valley. The new outlet can be found in the Evergreen Marketplace shopping center at 14008 E. Sprague Ave, in the same plaza as Office Depot.

The new store is roughly 10,000 square feet and carries the full line of shoes manufactured by Sketchers. The company produces casual and athletic shoes for men, women and children and their outlet store's merchandise is often priced lower then at other retailers. Sketchers now boasts about 2600 retail stores and the first Spokane location also remains open for business at 9324 N. Division, it opened about 3 years ago.

There appears to be no other locations planned to come to our area at this time. For more info on Sketchers, visit-

http://sketchers.com

Boombox Pizza to open in Downtown Spokane

A hip new pizza place will be opening soon in Downtown Spokane. The local establishment, Boombox Pizza, is under construction now and they are planning for a opening sometime in April.

Boombox Pizza will be in the former Revolver Bar space at 221 N. Division, right in the heart of a section of Downtown known for bars and clubs. And, given the young party crowd Boombox Pizza will be open late, till 2am. In fact, the new business will have a liquor license of their own serving serving a full bar of cocktails, beer and wine.

But Boombox Pizza won't be just a party place as they will also serve up delicious pizzas for lunch and dinner as well. The menu isn't out just yet but we're told it will consist of pizzas, wings, salads and more.

Their website is coming soon, but they are now on Facebook so watch for more info at-
https://www.facebook.com/boombox-pizza-303946483465574