Five Below and Box Lunch coming to the Northtown area

 Two national retail brands that already have locations in Spokane Valley are evidently investing even more in the Inland Northwest with new building permit applications for new stores in the Northtown Mall area of North Spokane. Those stores are...

Box Lunch

California based Box Lunch is a pop culture gift, memorabilia and fast fashion retailer that recently applied with the City of Spokane to develop a new store within Northtown Mall in suite 2200 on the second floor of the mall. This is going off of public building permit data so there is no opening date listed. However, the store will take 2,570 square feet of space with an estimated remodeling project worth of $180,000.

Box Lunch also already has a location on the ground floor of Spokane Valley Mall. The company is a division of Hot Topic which also owns Hot Topic itself and Torrid, both of which are also already located in Spokane Valley and Northtown Malls. For more information on Box Lunch, visit https://www.boxlunch.com

Five Below

The Pennsylvania based Five Below brand of discount retail stores officially opened their first Spokane area location just a couple of months ago, located in the Evergreen Crossing shopping center by the corner of Evergreen & Indiana in Spokane Valley. But now Five Below is also coming soon to Spokane proper.

Five Below recently applied for a building permit to remodel and build out a store at 4727 N. Division, while not listing a suite number this would be located at the Northtown Square shopping center across N. Division from Northtown Mall. Also, there is no opening date for this new Spokane Five Below store but on building permit data it is noted as an 8,645 square foot store with an estimated remodeling project worth of $170,000

Five Below is a discount retailer with most of their merchandise marked at $5 or below. Except one department of each store selling items, like electronics, above $5 but still discounted. For more information on Five Below, visit their website at https://fivebelow.com

Unique new local grocery store coming to North Spokane

 

After a few revisions, and possibly a delay or two, construction is now underway for a new $200 million-dollar mixed use project called The Village at Midway at the junction of US 395 and Hatch Rd. just north of the City of Spokane. One day the project will be home to several new, yet to be announced restaurants and businesses. In addition to a new 665-unit apartment community called The Gem at Midway.

But first is a new grocery store and fuel station that's already under construction on the site. The new store will be locally owned and operated and called Midway Market. We're told the new store will be an 18,000 square foot retail store with gas pumps outside and is currently planned to open sometime during the summer of 2026. Hiring will start later this year, with information on jobs on their website (linked below).

Once open Midway Market will be a boutique style grocery store that includes a contemporary bistro and espresso bar, meat department, produce, bakery, beer & wine, on-site coffee roaster and more. They also plan to carry many natural and/or locally produced products and say they plan the new store to be "upscale, but competitive". The owners are actively working with URM Stores,INC. to develop and stock the store.

Keep an eye on Inland Northwest Business Watch as we plan to keep an eye on the planned opening of this and other stores at The Village at Midway. For more information now on Midway Market visit their website at https://shopmidwaymarket.com/ and like them on Facebook

Jefe's Tacos & Tequlia coming to Post Falls

 

Jefe's Tacos & Tequilia, a new locally owned and operated Mexican restaurant from the same owner as El Jefe's Grill in Coeur d' Alene is coming soon to Post Falls. Jefe's will be located in the building that was last The Bullet Bar & Grill along Idaho St, across from the Super 1 Grocery Store.

The opening date of Jefe's hasn't been announced just yet but is expected in the coming weeks and will be announced on their social media pages. Jefe's Tacos and Tequlia will have some of the same menu items as El Jefe's Grill but they will also add new items like ancho chipotle pasta with steak, scratch made empanadas, as well as an expansive dessert menu with scratch made churros, flan and even a horchata hot chocolate. 

There isn't a website for Jefe's yet but for some idea visit the website of El Jefe's Grill in Coeur d' Alene (or visit them in person at 405 W. Best Ave. #104 Coeur d' Alene,ID) at https://www.eljefesgrill.com/

Hyatt Place hotel now open in Post Falls

 

Hyatt Place Post Falls / Coeur d' Alene, the first Hyatt branded hotel in North Idaho is now open, officially opening their doors in the middle of December. The new hotel is located within the Millworx mixed use development area at 1213 E. 4th Ave in Post Falls. The hotel offers the brand's signature intuitive design, casual atmosphere, and practical amenities, including complimentary WiFi, a 24/7 dining menu, and thoughtfully designed social spaces. The property is managed by Northwest x Southern Hospitality, who is a leading hotel management company based in both Washington and Tennessee.

With easy access to I-90, the hotel is just 30 minutes away from Spokane International Airport, making it simple for guests to get there and explore everything the area has to offer. "As Post Falls,ID continues to grow and thrive economically, we are excited to add to the momentum by welcoming the first Hyatt Place hotel to the area" said General Manager DeShaun Mizner. "With our smartly designed social space and guest rooms with separate work and sleep areas, our multitasking guests can easily accomplish what they need to do while on the road."

Hyatt Place Post Falls / Coeur d' Alene features:

-151 spacious guestrooms with separate spaces to sleep, work and play, as well as a cozy corner sofa-sleeper.

-The Market serving freshly prepared meals anytime, day or night.

-The Bar featuring specialty coffees and premium beers, as well as wines and cocktails.

-Necessities program for forgotten items that guests can buy, borrow or enjoy for free.

-Free WiFi throughout the hotel and guestrooms.

-Event spaces with 2,256 square feet of flexible, high-tech meeting/function spaces

-Fitness center featuring cardio equipment with LCD touchscreens along with a Peloton.

"Post Falls is a vibrant city, filled with friendly people, great neighborhoods, and an ever-expanding list of great places to visit and things to do or see" said Danitiza Smith, Director of Sales at the Hyatt Place "Our hotel is central to all of them, and we are confident that the Hyatt Place Post Falls Coeur d' Alene will exceed guest expectations and provide them with everything they need while visiting our area."

For more information on the new hotel and how to book a room, visit their website at https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-place/en-US/gegzp-hyatt-place-post-falls-coeur-dalene

Work starting to renovate former North Spokane Petco into multiple businesses

Courtesy photo

A vacant building in a high traffic north side location is about to get a new look and soon some new businesses will call it home as well. Work is starting on the former Petco store at 6302 N. Division, at the corner of N. Division and Francis to update the facade and divide the building into sperate suites for a variety of new business to open there in the near future. Petco itself moved out of the building in 2022 and is now in the Northtown Square shopping center, a few blocks south of this site on N. Division.

The development is a project of the building's owner and local developer David Black and naturally leasing of the spaces there will be done by his company, NAI Black. I'm told there has been interest in the building already but it's too early to release any exact names of businesses that might open there. Per the City of Spokane's building permit portal there has in fact already been one tenant improvement building permit applied for at the building's address. 

The building's entire footprint is 12,000 square feet and marketing documents from NAI Black show the space divided into up to five separate spaces. After the renovations each will have separate entrances with on-site parking in the front and back of the building. For information on leasing space there contact NAI Black via their website http://naiblack.com

Yost Gallaher Construction is the general contractor for the current construction project at the building with Mercier Architecture & Planning in charge of architectural design work.

Furniture Now to open in former Tuesday Morning space in Coeur d' Alene

 

A new locally owned and operated furniture business is taking over the space recently vacated by Tuesday Morning at 2267 W. Appleway in Coeur d' Alene, next door to Miller Paint. The new store will be called Furniture Now and will be owned and operated by the same people as behind Hayden Furniture Depot but will be a separate business focusing on value-priced furniture options, something they feel is underserved in this area.

Site of the new Furniture Now store- Courtesy photo.

Under their current plan, Furniture Now should open on or around February 1st, 2026. They say the new 8,000 square foot store will have a variety of value-oriented furniture selections carefully curated for living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms.

A new website and social media pages for Furniture Now are coming soon, I plan to share / post them when they are available.

Construction underway for new cinema in Liberty Lake

 

Courtesy photo- NoLL / Greenstone Homes

The movies are coming to Liberty Lake! Locally based development firm, Greenstone Homes recently announced they plan to add a new cinema to their NoLL mixed use development by the corner of Harvard Rd. and Indiana on the north side of the city of the Liberty Lake.

Construction work has already started on the new project which will be locally owned and a small cinema experience "unlike anything else nearby". In the project renderings it's shown as being named New River Theater but that's not confirmed to be the final name. Plans call for four more intimate theaters with only 45 plush, reclined seats inside each of them.

They say the space could also be used for special screenings that highlight local filmmakers and artists. The building will include new leasable commercial spaces however I'm told it's too early to speculate on what will open there and when. There also isn't an opening date available for the new cinema but keep an eye here and on the NoLL website (linked below) for updates. NoLL is growing in other ways too with two mixed use buildings under construction in the development with apartments, a real estate office and a new locally owned and operated bookstore called Pages and Paragraphs all confirmed to be coming soon to the exciting development.

For more information on NoLL visit https://visitnoll.com/

New traditional fish & chip shop coming soon in Spokane

Early next year, Spokane will be home to a new traditional style fish and chip shop. Local resident Mark Twigg, who grew up in Manchester, England will open the new shop with the help of his family. The new restaurant will be named Twiggy's Fish and Chips and will be located in small building that was once a car dealership at 1505 N. Ash St, northwest of Downtown Spokane.

The new Twiggy's Fish and Chips is currently planned to open around Feb of March of 2026. The menu will consist of cod and chips made with homemade batter, hand cut chips, sausages, traditional mushy peas, curry sauce and more. Currently there is no website or social media pages for this new business, but we'll watch for more as they progress.

Construction starts for new Home2 Suites near Mirabeau Park in Spokane Valley

Courtesy photo- GL8 Hospitality

After years of planning, construction has officially commenced for a brand-new hotel, at 13515 E. Carlisle Ave in Spokane Valley, which will be branded as Home2 Suites. The official groundbreaking is planned for January at the hotel's site, which in itself is a selling point for the new hotel with nature areas nearby like Mirabeau Park, Centennial Trail and the Spokane River adjacent. The Spokane Valley Mall and even the new Dave & Buster's are also only a short distance away from this new Home2 Suites Hotel.

According to current plans the new hotel should open sometime around the second quarter of 2027. Some of the rooms at this hotel will even include river view balcony's, a feature that surprisingly no other Spokane Valley hotels offer. Otherwise, the property will have 4 stories and 109 suites, all with full kitchens. Amenities, include a fitness center, business center, indoor heated pool, on-site guest laundry, meeting room, complimentary breakfast, outdoor BBQ area, multiple outdoor firepits, EV charging stations and more. 

Plans also call for over 250 rooftop solar panels to help reduce the properties dependance on the energy grid. In fact, the Home2 Suites hotel brand is a multi-year winner of the J.D. Power North American Guest Satisfaction Index Study. Home2 Suites is a brand of the much larger Hilton hotels, and the new Spokane Valley Home2 Suites is a project of the locally owned GL8 Hospitality which also already operates the Spokane Valley Tru by Hilton that's only a short distance south of the new hotel's site at the corner of Mirabeau Pkwy. and Mansfield.

Baker Construction, also of Spokane is the general contractor for the new hotel. Website and social media will likely be coming as the property's construction progresses.

New 123 Laundry doing free laundry for opening of Spokane Valley location

Courtesy photo

A new laundromat is opening their doors in a couple of days in Spokane Valley, called 123 Laundry the new place is located at 110 S. Pines Rd., just south of the Sprague and Pines junction and is the second location for 123 Laundry as they also operate a location in Deer Park. To help celebrate the opening the business is planning on giving away free laundry for the first two days of operation. This will include two free loads, and they will also be doubling their customers money on the laundry cards.

This will only be on the first two days with the new business opening on Sunday, December 21st with hours from 9am-7pm. The business tells me they will also have a kids literacy area, free WiFi and the "best machines".

Atlas Building Group plans new flex space development in Coeur d' Alene

Courtesy photo- Atlas Building Group

The Coeur d' Alene based custom home builder Atlas Building Group is in the planning stages for a new flex space development in Coeur d' Alene. The company says they are working on the planning of the project now with actual construction possible in the Spring of 2026. They also indicated they haven't opened the spaces up for leasing just yet but are taking interest by contacting Atlas directly.

The development will be located on Schrieber Way in Coeur d' Alene and will offer six separate spaces, with one planned to be used directly by Atlas Building Group. The spaces will be located in two separate buildings and will offer approximately 2,000 to 2,300 square feet of space with the majority being shop space and a small office area in each unit.

For more information, reach out to Atlas Building Group directly via their website http://atlasbuildinggroup.com

New Club Pilates studio to open in Post Falls

 

Club Pilates, the World's largest premium boutique Pilates brand recently announced the opening of its newest studio in Post Falls,ID on Friday, January 2nd 2026. An international brand designed with the vision of making Pilates more accessible and welcoming to everyone. Club Pilates is a low-impact, effective fitness modality loved by people of all backgrounds and ages. The full-body workouts strengthen muscles, improve posture, and correct muscle imbalances, helping members feel their best while offering a low-impact workout that can accommodate everyone.

The new Post Falls Club Pilates is located at 900 N. ID Hwy 41 Suite 8 in the River City Center shopping center. In anticipation the new studio opening they are currently offering 20% off the first three months of membership and no enrollment fee for their new members. For members that join now before the studio opens, they will also have early access to complimentary member and guest classes from December 20-31, 2025. The new studio will then celebrate its soft opening on January 2nd and 3rd, 2026 and an official grand opening on February 13th and 14th, 2026.

The new Post Falls Club Pilates studio is locally owned and operated by Salubre,LLC which also owns Club Pilates South Spokane, North Spokane, Spokane Valley and Hayden. The bright studio will welcome member into an inclusive and supportive atmosphere where they can choose a class type designed for every body. From high-intensity and strength training to mobility and recovery.

For more information on the new Post Falls Club Pilates studio visit their website at http://clubpilates.com/postfalls or call 208-626-2163