Cafe Rio, Wake Up Call and Swig all coming soon to The Pointe at Post Falls

 More new restaurants are coming a growing area of Post Falls. Although they are all still in the planning stages with exact details presently being ironed out, before they can actually break ground. The plans call for three new places by the southwest side of the W. Pointe Pkwy and Beck Rd. interchange, across from Maverik.

Garco Construction will be the general contractor for the project that with the following places all planned-

Cafe Rio - Planned to open in a new 2800 square foot building direct at the Pointe Pkwy./Beck Rd junction. Plans show the new restaurant will include a drive thru lane and a small outdoor seating area.

Wake Up Call - Planned to be a new 490 square foot drive thru building directly to the west of Cafe Rio.

Swig - Planned to be in a new 1500 square foot building due west of the Wake Up Call this will be the first location of the Swig chain in the Inland Northwest. The St. George,UT based company sells "dirty sodas" which have proven to be quite popular lately in addition to a few cookies.

Courtesy photo of the planned new Post Falls Cafe Rio location

There aren't set opening dates for any of these new businesses just yet but we expect construction to start as soon as they are able. This is the same development area which recently built two other new buildings, one a new Napa Auto Parts store and the other a small strip mall with locations of Wendy's , The Man Shop and Joint Chiropractic all coming.

Unrelated to this exact site but adjacent to it within The Pointe at Post Falls will also be a new Starbucks coffee shop which recently applied for building permits along Beck Rd., just southwest of the existing Maverik store. After many years of sitting empty, with the exception of Walmart and Cabelas, The Pointe at Post Falls is now proving to be a development hot spot for the area. Stay tuned to this site as I plan to keep track of each and every development in the area.

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Taichi Bubble Tea to open in Kendall Yards

 Taichi Bubble Tea, a rapidly growing New York based chain of bubble tea and ramen restaurants is coming soon to Spokane. The company will occupy the space last used by The Tea, an unrelated boba establishment at 1227 W. Summit Pkwy, in the same building as The Inlander's offices. 

Courtsey photos

The new business of course does offer an array of bubble teas but also has a menu of other beverages, ramen and warm rice bowls. Taichi Bubble Tea currently plans on opening there around the end of March with updates available on their social media (linked below). Once open, take-out and delivery will be available via DoorDash, GrubHub and UberEats in addition to their own online ordering platform. 

Taichi Bubble Tea was originally established in 2015 and has been growing ever since with 40 stores already open and many more in the pipeline. This will be the first Taichi location in the Spokane area as well as in Washington state, although the company tells me they are always on the lookout for new opportunities.

For more information about Taichi Bubble Tea, visit their website at http://www.taichibubbletea.com . Additionally, you can follow the new Spokane Taichi Bubble Tea on their Instagram page .

New South Hill Bruchi's location to start construction soon

 We've been tracking a planned new Bruchi's restaurant on the South Hill for a few months now. And, now it looks like actual construction is coming as the company announced the approval of their building permits recently on social media. They tell me they in the final stages before actually breaking ground which they hope to do sometime in March.

Courtesy photo of the planned South Hill Bruchi's location.

This new Bruchi's will be built at 4416 S. Regal, at the corner of Regal & 46th on the South Hill. It will be a bit different from the other existing Bruchi's locations, with no indoor dining area. The new restaurant will be in a stand-alone 1,145 square foot building with a drive thru lane, exterior walk-up window and some outdoor patio dining space. This location is planned to open in about five months after actual construction starts, so likely during the Summer.

Bruchi's a well known locally based chain of quick service cheesesteak and burger restaurants has been a growing company lately as the company also opened locations in Mead and Post Falls in recent months. Another location is also in the planning phase now at 15706 E. Sprague, near the corner of Sprague & Sullivan in Spokane Valley.

The general contractor for the new Bruchi's location on Regal is Yost Gallagher Construction with architectural work done by Architecture All Forms, both of Spokane. For more information on Bruchi's visit their website at http://www.bruchis.com or follow them on social media via Facebook or Instagram

Stratus Surfaces to open in former Spokane Valley Tuesday Morning store space

 The space that formerly housed the now defunct Tuesday Morning chain in Spokane Valley is about to have life once more. Stratus Surfaces, a company that specializes in wholesale distribution of high-grade natural stone, StratusQuartz and StratusPorcelain slabs is planning to open there sometime in March. The stores address is 13808 E. Indiana Ave. and is part of the Evergreen Crossing shopping center.

Courtesy photos of Stratus Surfaces products in home applications.

The slabs are sold for many applications, including countertops. The new Spokane location will be fifth location for the growing company and their first boutique showroom gallery. Other locations can be found in Austin, Oklahoma City and two in Western Washington. The company tells me they are more than just a wholesale distributor but are also "partners in creating exquisite spaces with the finest quality materials"

For more information on Stratus Surfaces, visit their website at http://www.stratussurfaces.com

Keto Sweetie, a sugar free, gluten free, low carb bakery opens to the public in Deer Park

 Keto Sweetie, a 100% sugar free, gluten free, low carb bakery originally opened their doors during the pandemic in 2020. Due to Covid the owners decided to take the route of selling wholesale with a limited menu. But, despite the challenges the company, owned by a mother-daughter duo has proven to be a success. Today the company sells their products to many local coffee stands,etc. and even launched a website last year allowing them to sell their products to all 50 states. 

But now customers can also go directly to the source as last week Keto Sweetie held a ribbon cutting ceremony, officially opening their bakery to the public. Walk in customers are now welcome at the business on Thurs. and Friday afternoons from 2-6. The bakery can be found in Deer Park at 3 N. Main (entrance along Railroad Ave.).

The menu of Keto Sweetie has also grown over time. Many baked goods are available from their famous keto donuts to cookies, cupcakes, cheesecakes, muffins, bagels, biscuits, cinnamon rolls and even custom cakes. I'm told the Mom is the mastermind behind the recipes and there might even be a little bit of help from one the owner's four-year-old daughter, making it a true family business.

New items come out frequently and they can even do custom orders for special events. For more information on Keto Sweetie visit their website at https://www.ketosweetiedonuts.com or give them a follow on their social media via Facebook or Instagram .

New Dollar Tree store planned in Hillyard

Looks like Dollar Tree, the Chesapeake,VA based chain of dollar stores is coming to the Hillyard neighborhood. The company recently filed an application for building permits at 4107 N. Market, which is the space last used by the now closed Hillyard Ace Hardware.

The new store will take over the building's entire 9215 square feet, the company will remodel the space before opening with permits indicating work for fixtures, mechanical and plumbing valued at $222,240. No opening date is known yet for the store; however this will be 9th Dollar Tree store to open in Spokane with a handful of others scattered elsewhere around the Inland Northwest.

For more information on Dollar Tree, visit their website at https://www.dollartree.com

The West Plains Stream launches this week

 A new hyper local focused newspaper is launching this week, bringing news and information for the communities on the West Plains. Ben & Danica Wick who own Wick Enterprises will run the new paper, which is to be called The West Plain Stream. Additionally, the Wick's also operate The Liberty Lake Splash and The Current, a newspaper covering Spokane Valley news.

The West Plains Stream is a free paper that will have 9000 copies to be direct mailed to Airway Heights, Medical Lake and Fairchild Air Force Base. The first edition of The West Plains Stream is to be out tomorrow, Friday Feb. 16th. Initially they won't be mailing to Cheney addresses, but they do plan to cover some Cheney news, including Cheney School District news. Pick up rack locations will also be available, including at the Spokane County Library. A website for the newspaper is also in the works.

This publication will have similar features to the Wick's other newspapers on the other side of the county. A Q&A with a community member, a kids section called "The Wave", a senior section, school sports section, Airway Heights and Medical Lake city council news and community outreach stories.

The newspaper will have publish a new edition each month. Advertising is also available for future editions, for more information contact them directly at advertise@westplainstream.com or call 509-242-7752

For more information on The West Plains Stream, check out their website at http://www.westplainstream.com or follow them on Facebook

Curtains Rise Again: The Garland Theater's grand return with exciting upgrades coming on March 1st

 In a story of resilience the landmark Garland Theater, has prevailed over adversity and is now set to reopen on March 1st under the new ownership of Chris Bovey, Tyler Arnold and Jasmine Barnes. Over the past two months new owners and a dedicated team of volunteers have poured countless hours into updating the theater to get it ready.

Courtesy image- noteworthy the theater will be selling 45 of these 24x36 posters for $45 in honor of when the theater was built.

" This project is unlike anything I've experienced before.  It's heartwarming to see so many individuals from our community coming together to contribute and revive the Garland. The support has been nothing short of inspiring," said Bovey. In addition to Bovey's artistic touch to the revival, local artists Daniel Lopez and Matt Johnson have contributed to stunning murals inside the Garland Theater. Additionally, new display cases will feature Arnold's authentic movie memorabilia collection. 

The theater is also introducing a new membership program called the "Movie Club" where for just $5 a year members can enjoy free movie screenings every Sunday, fostering a sense of community among movie lovers. 

The official re-opening of the Garland Theater is planned for March 1st with a screening of the filmed in Spokane classic, Benny & Joon. The feature will be at 7:30 with doors opening at 6:30, tickets will be available online but with the theaters new website under construction that will be announced on their social media soon (link below). The opening movie will still be just $5.

The Garland Theater has been a Spokane landmark since 1945 and is dedicated to preserving the cinematic experience with a commitment to 35mm films. For more information on the Garland Theater follow their new social media pages via Instagram or Facebook .

Nothing Bundt Cakes opens new location in North Spokane

 A new location of the Texas based Nothing Bundt Cakes chain is now open in North Spokane. This is the second location to open in Spokane as another store remains at 2525 E. 29th Ave #1B on the South Hill. As is implied by the name the business is a bakery that specializes in bundt cakes with standard bundt cakes and small personal cakes called bundtinis.

Courtesy photos

The new North Spokane Nothing Bundt Cakes is located within the North Point Shopping center at 9706 N. Newport Hwy #29 . Currently the hours for the new location are 10-6 Mon-Fri. and 11-4 on Sun but they do plan to increase their hours come spring so check with the business directly to confirm. An official grand opening / ribbon cutting is also planned in the coming months.

Another new Inland Northwest area Nothing Bundt Cakes location is also in the works for Coeur d' Alene. That location is presently planned to be in a yet to be constructed new building coming nearby the corner of Neider & US 95.

For more information on Nothing Bundt Cakes, visit their website at http://nothingbundtcakes.com

Trader Joe’s applies for building permits in Coeur d’ Alene

 It’s been perhaps one of the worst guarded secrets in Coeur d’ Alene. But, I’m now ok with sharing the news that Trader Joe’s is coming to Coeur d’ Alene as a dedicated reader pointed out to me that the California based grocery chain applied for building permits with the city today (thank you!). The permits are valued at 2.75 million which will likely include extensive renovations to the entire building.

Not much is known yet about the new store, but it is to be located at 303 E. Spokane by the corner of 4th & Spokane. This is the building currently used by Runge Furniture which is presently holding a sale to downsize and take up a smaller space afterwards sharing the building with Trader Joe’s.

Size of the store, look or opening date,etc are not mentioned. We have put in a public record request to gather more details and will update this when we know more.

Two new Wing Stop locations coming to the Spokane area

 Wing Stop, the Texas based chain of quick service chicken wing restaurants is investing and expanding in the Spokane market. The company is currently planning two more local locations, these would be the third and fourth locations in Spokane, another also operates in Coeur d' Alene. 

One new location will be at 9926 W US 2 on the edge of Airway Heights, using the end cap space of a newly constructed strip mall that also houses a Chipotle Mexican Grill. The other will open in Millwood at 8901 E. Trent Ave. #111C in the Safeway anchored strip mall. Both new Wing Stop locations are planned to open during the Fall of 2024 and will offer indoor dining, carry out and delivery.

As of 2020, there were over 1400 Wing Stop restaurant locations chain wide, including locations in nine countries other than the United States. The Wing Stop menu features cooked-to-order classic and boneless chicken wings, crispy tenders and chicken sandwiches, all of which are hand sauced and tossed in 11 bold and distinctive flavors. 

For more information on Wing Stop, visit their website at http://www.wingstop.com

New owners revamp Mavericks at the Den with new vibe

 The Mavericks Men's Hair location at the Innovation Den in Downtown Coeur d' Alene was recently purchased by Dominic Longo. Longo is the owner of Blue Zone Marketing which operates in the same building, and Enrique Barajas, who boasts 13 years of barbering experience. The independently owned location has been refashioned to provide men with a more old-fashioned barbershop experience.

In addition to offering haircuts from straight business cuts to more modern styles for men of all ages, Mavericks offers hot-towel face shaves, beard trims, and head shaves. Discounts are also available for seniors, kids, military and first responders. 

Dominic Longo explains, "So many barber shops these days have no personality or look just like a women's salon. We wanted Mavericks at the Den to be masculine but also comfortable and fun. The wall wrap and decor were chosen to have a nostalgic feel. We think it creates a welcoming environment for the high-tech businesses operating in the building and it’s consistent with the speakeasy vibe of The Lair downstairs."

While the Mavericks brand may be recognizable to some in North Idaho and Eastern Washington, the Mavericks at the Den is independently owned and operated. Mavericks at the Den is located in Downtown Coeur d' Alene at The Innovation Den on the corner of 5th and Lakeside, one block north of Sherman Ave. 

For more on Mavericks at the Den, follow them on social media via Facebook or Instagram

New sandwich shop, Sammies and Hammies opens inside R&R RV in North Spokane

 Looking for a new spot for lunch? A small new restaurant is making up delicious sandwiches, wraps, salads and espresso in North Spokane. The new business is called Sammies and Hammies and it opened recently in a bit of a non-traditional space, inside the R&R RV dealership at 525 E. Francis in North Spokane.

But you don't have to be in the market for a new RV to eat at Sammies & Hammies as the place is open to the public. Take out and some indoor dining space is available, they will also deliver for a fee and are also working on getting their menu available soon on DoorDash and Uber Eats.

Sammies and Hammies is open daily from 10 to 2 with daily specials that change regularly. Also, orders are Mondays are discounted with 20% off of all orders. A look at their menu and more info about the business can be found on their Facebook page .

Chicken Shanty coming to Coeur d' Alene

 Chicken Shanty, a Medford,OR based chain of quick service chicken restaurants is expanding to the Inland Northwest, with their first location opening soon in Coeur d' Alene. The new restaurant will open in the former Sweeto Burrito space at 1423 W. Appleway, nearby Winco.

There isn't a set opening date for the Coeur d' Alene location just yet, but we reached out to the company, and we're told they hope to open there in about two weeks. They are also seeking to open another location in Spokane Valley but don't have space picked out for that store just yet. The chain currently has 17 locations in Oregon and elsewhere in Idaho, starting out as a drive thru food cart just three years ago.

Chicken Shanty points out they are considered craft chicken making most all of their ingredients from scratch using PNW ingredients. Their chicken they tell me comes from Red Bird Farms which are cage free, no antibiotics, steroids or hormones fresh chicken. Their menu consists of chicken baskets, wings, a few sandwich/wrap options and more. And, of course a handful of sauces are also available.

Indoor dining, take away and delivery via DoorDash, Grubhub,etc. will all be available once the business opens. And, for more information on Chicken Shanty including a look their menu visit their website at https://www.thechickenshanty.com

New six-story hotel in the works for Downtown Coeur d' Alene

 A new six-story Marriott hotel might be on the way to a currently vacant lot in Coeur d' Alene. Bozeman,MT based Providence Development Co. is currently in the planning stages to build the new hotel on the southeast side of the Sherman Ave & Sixth intersection in the Downtown area. Today the lot is mostly unoccupied being used for occasional Downtown festivals and events. 

Rendering of the completed hotel by Richardson Design Partners

The City of Coeur d' Alene allowed the project to move forward recently by giving an ok at their most recent design review commission meeting but building permits have yet to be applied for. In fact, we're told actual construction is still a few months away with the developer hoping to start construction in July 2024 with a projected opening during the Summer of 2026.

Once built the new hotel will take on the AC Hotel branding, which is a growing brand by Marriott that as of 2020 already had 188 open locations in several countries worldwide. The new AC Hotel Coeur d' Alene is planned to offer 131 rooms with ground floor lobby bar / limited restaurant for hotel guests, fitness center, rooftop bar/lounge with covered outdoor patio for lake views and 3 levels of underground parking.

No general contractor has been announced as of yet, but the architectural work is being done by Richardson Design Partnership of Salt Lake City. This will be Providence Development's first Coeur d' Alene project, however they are also the developer of the soon to be open SpringHill Suites hotel set to open soon in Ponderay,ID.

New 4-story apartment building planned behind Garland Theater

 A few weeks ago it was the talk of the town about the new owners at Spokane's Garland Theater. Local Developer Jordan Tampien and investors took over the theater and plan to continue operating it as a theater. The new owners are planning events and from what I've been told some pretty exciting things in the near future. For more on what's happening with that project follow the Garland Theater's new Facebook page .

Courtesy image of Press Architecture's rendering.

But, there is also some exciting changes coming to parcel the theater sits on as Tampien and investors are also planning a new 4-story apartment building directly behind the theater building. Construction could start around July of this year for the new building, which is to offer 44 new apartments with studio, 1- and 2-bedroom floor plans. TW Clark will be the general contractor with architectural work being done by Press Architecture.

Building permits have not been applied for as the development remains to in pre-development stage at the moment. The plans call for the new building to rise over a portion of what is currently a surface parking lot directly behind the Garland Theater. A courtyard is planned to be added in-between the two.

We will continue to keep an eye on this project as it develops.

Recent Real Estate Transactions - Belated Jan 2024 Edition

This will act as the January real estate transactions post, albeit slightly late given its now Feb 1st. This is a feature of recent commercial real estate transactions in the Spokane and Coeur d' Alene area as they we're reported to me.

Note: it is not all transactions just what I know of and as always, a huge thank you to those of you who've sent them to me. If you are involved in CRE in the area and have a transaction to report, feel free to send it to me anytime at matt.behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com 

Clayton Mcfarland of Goodale & Barbieri handled the lease of 1,100 square feet of office space, located at 327 W. 3rd Ave. in Spokane to American Family Insurance.

Daines Capital reports the lease of 12,000 square feet at 1245 N. Innovation Way in Post Falls to Superior Contents. Steven Daines & Seth Peterson with Daines Capital represented the tenant/landlord and Bruce Barker of Lee & Associates represented the subtenant.

Daines Capital reports the lease renewal for Pine Grove Academy at 510 S. Clearwater Loop in Post Falls. PGA will expand an additional 4,200 SF to a total of 15,400 square feet. Daines Capital represented PGA with the landlord being Jacklin Land Company.

Daines Capital reports to lease of 8222 N Regal St. in Spokane to McCroskey Ranches,LLC. . A 10 year lease on a 7,200 square foot warehouse on 3 acres. Daines Capital represented both the tenant and the landlord.

Daines Capital reports the sale of 12808 E. Indiana Ave in Spokane Valley to Taylor'd Containers. A 14,000 square foot building sold for $1.9 million. Daines Capital represented the buyers and Lawerence Wilson of Extent Investments represented the seller.

Daines Capital reports the lease of 5,000 square feet of office space at 9016 E. Indiana Ave in Spokane Valley to Conversion Concepts.