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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Spokane based, Linc Foods leases small distribution center on Nevada

Linc Foods, a small but growing local food co-op has taken a big step forward with their recent lease of space for their first distribution center. Linc offers foods from dozens of farmers and producers in Eastern Washington and provides them via a wholesale program to commercial enterprises and institutions and to the general public via a CSA ( community supported agriculture ) program. Because of the proximity of Linc Foods to the growers some of the produce is available for sale the same day it's picked!

The company's new distribution center will be operational shortly after the first of the year in a 2,100 square foot facility at 3012 N. Nevada, just north of North Foothills Dr. .

In addition to the new distribution center Linc Foods also operates a craft malting business in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park in Spokane Valley. That business is called Palouse Pint and has gather much praise for the quality of the their malt's. Palouse Pint offers several different malt options for breweries , distillers and bakers. Local home brewing enthusiasts can even get Palouse Pint's malt via Nu Home Brew & Bottles at 14109 E. Sprague # 8 in Spokane Valley

For more information on Linc Foods, visit-

http://lincfoods.com


Continuum Office Enivroments opens in Spokane Valley

A new office furniture store is now open near the Fairgrounds in Spokane Valley. The store which goes by the name Continuum Office Environments opened in Mid-December and now occupies the former Apollo Spa's store at 720 N. Fancher Rd .

The store itself is a brand new business but it was founded by Israel Guerrero who has over 30 years in the industry. To start they'll have a small staff selling a hand picked selection of gently used and new office furniture with a showroom on site for local sales and the ability to ship merchandise from their store here to anywhere in the nation.

Continuum Office Environments carries many new products from well known brands like Hon, Maverik , Steelcase and more. Products can be found in their store for most any kind of office space from the medical industry to government to really anyone. As of now they are open Mon-Fri 8:30a - 5p and are easy to find on Fancher just south of E. Broadway.

For more information visit-

http://www.coespokane.com

Monday, December 26, 2016

A few new restaurants in the works in Downtown Spokane

As we look forward to the new year, we're seeing a few new restaurants that will likely be coming to Downtown Spokane in the first half of 2017. Because most these are still being planned all the details are not yet available, this post is mostly intended to give readers an overview. Here is what to watch for-

Inland Pacific Kitchen and it's partner bar Hogwash Whiskey Den

Both of these new Downtown restaurants are new ventures of Jeremy & Kate Hansen, who are already well established in the growing Spokane culinary scene with their popular Sante' restaurant in the Liberty Building also Downtown and others. Hogwash Whiskey Den is actually already open and can be found in the basement of the historic Washington Cracker Building at 304 W. Pacific.

As the name implies Hogwash Whiskey Den is a whiskey driven bar with many amazing craft cocktails and fine whiskeys. Hogwash does also have a medium sized food menu of mostly small bites and sandwiches but a few dessert items also. An exciting side note on the menu it mentions bacon and / or a fried egg can be added to any item on the menu, including the sweets!

Above, Hogwash Whiskey Den will very soon be Inland Pacific Kitchen , this new more upscale restaurant will also be within the Washington Cracker Building and is currently undergoing a series of test kitchen events before officially opening. Inland Pacific Kitchen will push the envelope of dining for Spokane. They are described as a progressive , food minded, chef driven open kitchen. And, they may even have some guest chefs in the future!

Inland Pacific Kitchen's menus will be based on world cultures, stories , seasons and all types of food that fully change about every four to eight weeks. Inland will also have a full liquor license for unique cocktails , wine and beers featured from around the world.

We'll probably post more about both Inland Pacific Kitchen and Hogwash Whiskey Den in the future once they get going.

Texas True BBQ coming to S. Monroe, Downtown

In case you haven't heard Brooklyn Deli relocated recently just down the street to a newly renovated space on the ground floor of the Montvale Hotel . That left their former storefront empty, but looks like not for long.

That's because a new locally owned and operated restaurant has already started renovating that space ( 122 S. Monroe #100 ) for their new restaurant. They are a BBQ establishment called Texas True BBQ which will be operated by a Texan who moved to Spokane to be closer to family. They'll be open from the lunch rush thru the late night crowd.

Texas True BBQ should be opening sometime in January and we might post about them then too, also watch our Facebook page as we regularly share businesses posts.

Sushi Sakai to come to Downtown Spokane?

Looks like it! This however we know very little about yet and don't have a way to contact their management just yet.

Sushi Sakai started sometime ago in Spokane Valley before moving to the Clementine Square building at Boone & Hamilton nearby Gonzaga's campus. Since then they have also re-opened a second location back in Spokane Valley at 11420 E. Sprague. This looks to be a third location in the works but due to it's proximity to the location on Boone it could be a move too.

The information we have is that Sushi Sakai has filed for a liquor license for an address in the heart of Downtown Spokane only a couple of blocks away from both River Park Square and the STA Plaza at 818 W. Riverside. Which on the surface makes it appear like Sushi Sakai will be in the former Mackenzie River Pizza space, until you notice the suite number listed is on the third floor exactly where Goodale & Barbari's real estate office is?

So even though I haven't deciphered their plans yet it does look like Sushi Sakai will probably be in the former pizza space's site and likely within a couple or so months. Keep watching for more....

Time to get excited... The Viking is returning!

Not technically Downtown Spokane but still close enough, The Viking a popular bar at 1221 N. Stevens is being renovated to be re-opened. We don't have the details on the re-opening other then they are shooting for a mid-February opening and will be mostly like the former Viking. But we hope to have more soon and keep an eye on our Facebook page as we intend to share their updates as well.


Know of a new restaurant opening Downtown or really anywhere in Spokane? Try a new restaurant you want recognized on Inland Northwest Business Watch? Volunteers are standing by the answer your emails at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com your pledge... I mean tips are very important to us!

Thursday, December 22, 2016

New fast food options now open in Spokane, opening soon in Airway Heights

The national fast food chains continue to increase the amount of locations they operate in our area. And, in addition to their local expansions a locally owned and operated retro burger joint is also nearing opening in Airway Heights.

That business is the new Airway Heights location of Wolffy's Burgers at 12807 W. 14th Ave. There is no set opening date as of today but they have informed us that despite some delays in construction they will be opening very soon, perhaps in the week after Christmas. This will be Wolffy's second location in addition to the location on N. Hamilton nearby the Gonzaga University campus. This location will be a bit bigger then that one in fact and will have about 2200 square feet of space in a former Taco Time.

Also in Airway Heights the Minneapolis based Dairy Queen chain has franchise restaurant under construction on W. US 2 . The site was a vacant lot immediately to the east of the O' Reilly Auto Parts store. The new Airway Heights Dairy Queen will be an 1,886 square foot restaurant with both dine in and drive though. The new restaurant will also follow their Grill & Chill concept meaning they serve both their ice cream / dessert items and burgers / sandwiches just like most of their stores. There is no set opening date for the new Dairy Queen but this date will likely be within the next couple of months as construction work has moved indoors and hiring has started with jobs posted on snagajob.com .

In Spokane the first of two new Carl's Jr. locations just opened for business at 1230 N. Division in the University District. They are both franchise locations of CJ Star,LLC of Boise. This new Carl's Jr is a 2400 square foot restaurant with both dine in and drive though. Another Carl's Jr is also in the works on the Northwest side at 1617 W. Northwest Blvd.

And, a growing favorite Sweeto Burrito is completing their most recent phase of new local locations. The chain of more unique burrito restaurants opened for the first time in our area at Spokane Valley, out front of the Broadway Wal Mart store. But, now Sweeto Burrito has added locations at 9602 N. Newport Hwy and 1839 N. Ruby , both of these are now open for business . They also are building a new Sweeto Burrito along Appleway in Coeur D' Alene and it is about open, already.

We're always hearing news on new fast food restaurants, we're also hearing a new Starbucks is going into  into the new renovating Target store by the intersection of Sprague and Evergreen in Spokane Valley. And, the Taco Time across from the Kennedy Apartments on N. Ruby will also become a new Starbucks.

And, we expect more news soon so keep watching this site!

Monday, December 19, 2016

Cost Less Carpet to open in former Ciena data center in Spokane Valley

Personally the Ciena offices / data center at 115 N. Sullivan Rd ( just north of the Sprague / Sullivan junction ) has always looked like more of a store location then it's actual use. But now Ciena has moved out, relocated to a new office space along Mirabeau Pkwy and the building on Sullivan is becoming a retail business more like the way it appears.

The space is set to become a new larger location of Cost Less Carpet chain which operates stores in Washington , Oregon , Idaho and Montana. Cost Less Carpet is actually already open in Spokane Valley at 15310 E Marietta Suite 5/6 but that location is smaller and will close when this new store opens.

The new Cost Less Carpet store will use the entire building meaning the store will have just under 30,000 square feet of space split between a retail sales area, offices and backroom areas. Currently the company plans to open in the new building around February.

Cost Less Carpet is a full service flooring store with carpeting, hardwood flooring , laminate flooring and more in stock. The store will also sell counter tops with Granite, Quartz, tile and more available for sale. Their merchandise is already discounted and they beat any competitor's written price on identical products.

For more information on Cost Less Carpet, visit-

http://costlesscarpetspokane.com

* As of now, their original store location is remaining open despite it closing after the Sullivan Rd. store opens.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Advance Auto Parts opens it's first Coeur d' Alene location

Although Coeur d' Alene's Sunset Motors is out of business, it's building is remaining in the automotive industry. As this week the building, which stands at 320 W. Kathleen Ave. , re-opened after a interior remodel as a retail location of Advance Auto Parts.


The store is a full service auto parts retailer who will employ 10 and serve both the public and company accounts . The company says they chose this site because of it's close proximity to several commercial garages, It also offers the company lots of exposure as the building and it's signage can be seen easily from both Kathleen Ave. and US 95.


Advance Auto Parts is a Roanoke,VA based company and is the largest retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the US . Chain wide they boast 5200 company owned stores and 1300 independently owned locations. While this is the first location under the Advance Auto Parts branding to open in Coeur d' Alene, the chain is not new to the Inland Northwest. Advance Auto Parts is also open at 110 S Sherman St in Spokane and 110 S. Pines in Spokane Valley .

And for more information on Advance Auto Parts visit their website at-

http://advanceautoparts.com




Thursday, December 15, 2016

Frontier Behavioral Health breaks ground on new facility on E. Sprague

The Spokane based Frontier Behavioral Health is growing will soon occupy a newly constructed building on E. Sprague in addition to it's other clinics around our area. A ground breaking ceremony was held for the new building just last week. The new Frontier center will house their intensive outpatient program which is currently in smaller quarters Downtown.

The new Frontier Behavioral Health facility will be a 2 story, 15,000 square foot structure at 2128 E. Sprague and is positioned well with The Evergreen Club being next door as that club is a non profit that assists patents with mental health recovery. Frontier Behavioral Health provides a full range of mental health care services from psychiatric / psychological services, inpatient evaluation, elder services and more.

Frontier will occupy the entire building but it's outpatient program will only occupy a portion of the building, the remainder will be yet to determined offices and program spaces. All of which will be completed around the end of 2017 and employ about 40. Most services offered by Frontier at it's other clinics will remain there also as this an expansion.

For more information on Frontier Behavioral Health, visit-

http://fbhwa.org



Wednesday, December 14, 2016

SCE Fitness to open in Downtown Spokane

A new locally owned and operated fitness center is in the works near the entrance to Downtown Spokane. And that new fitness center is a bit unique as business owners K. Jay Davis and Heather Davis will use obstacle training to get their customers fit and healthy.

The new business will be called SCE Fitness and should open on New Years Eve. It will be located in about 14,000 square feet of space at the former CSL Plasma center at 104 W. 3rd Ave. , corner of 3rd and Browne.

SCE Fitness will offer equipment that is similar to American Ninja Warrior and Spartan Races, both of which involve obstacle courses. The owner is experienced with the Spartan Race format and is even becoming a Spartan SGX coach, in addition to many other certifications like being a certified BioMechanics personal coach. Services will be offered in group classes , Spartan training and one on one personal training.

For more information on SCE Fitness, visit-

http://change4lifesce.com

Or, find them on Facebook ( with info on their grand opening... ) at-

http://www.facebook.com/scefitness

Dry Fly Distillery plans new tasting room on Trent , opens space in the Arena

With several awards under it's belt it's safe to say the Spokane based Dry Fly Distilling is a success. And, now just one year shy of their 10th anniversary in business they are expanding their local presence.

Dry Fly is currently working on opening a new tasting room in a former coffee shop space at the Riverwalk complex, 1003 E. Trent. The new Dry Fly tasting room is in the same building as their production facility and will offer about 1,200 square feet of space for product tastings and even classes, the new space will likely also be made available for private event rental. It is to open for business sometime early next year.

The distillery also just last month opened a new bar highlighting their products and other local alcohol vendors within the Spokane Arena. That venue is only open to ticketed guests of the Arena during events. It bears the Dry Fly name and signage but is being called the Locally Crafted Neighborhood.

The new Dry Fly space inside the Spokane Arena features the whole line of Dry Fly Distilling's products in addition to beers from Iron Goat Brewing and wines from Townshend Cellars. A food menu is also available at the new space with that menu being provided from the Arena's food service vendor, Centerplate.

Dry Fly Distilling also continues to grow it's product reach with items for sale in many liquor and grocery stores throughout the region. The company uses almost entirely locally sourced ingredients and distills their product in famous Christian Carl pot stills manufactured in Germany. They produce vodka, gin and even 11 different styles of whiskey.

For more information on Dry Fly Distilling , visit their website at-

http://www.dryflydistilling.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

DaVita,Inc. renovating space by Video Only for new dialysis & kidney clinic

While my recent travels have me way behind on emails ( sorry you will get a reply just be patient ) , but in those emails people have been asking what is going in to the space that's in the same building as Video Only at 7701 N. Division in North Spokane. Will it be a new retail store? a new restaurant? the answer is no and no.

The space is being remodeled by the Denver based healthcare company DaVita,Inc. for a new dialysis and kidney care clinic. The new DaVita clinic will replace a much smaller clinic the company already operates a short distance north in the Ironwood Center office building.

This new DaVita dialysis clinic will be a little over 10,000 square feet with 16 treatment rooms and some other office space. The company will transfer over all of their existing 15 North Spokane employees to the new site. This location is just one of three clinic's owned by the company in the Spokane area with other locations remaining open and unaffected by this move. Their other locations are in a office building at 601 W. 5th Ave Downtown and at 12610 E. Mirabeau Pkwy. #100 in Spokane Valley.

DaVita,Inc. operates over 2300 clinics in 12 countries including the United States, they claim over 200,000 customers have been served by the company in the US alone. They also employ 65,000 company wide and are continuing to grow. The company has even been listed on Fortune Magazine's World Most Admired Companies and was once named one of the " best places to work " by the Denver Business Journal ( although they we're likely referring to the corporate office ).

For more information on DaVita,Inc. and their kidney care services visit-

http://www.davita.com

Monday, December 12, 2016

Liberty Lake a hot bed of new commercial development

Liberty Lake is going full steam ahead into new business and development. Comcast is getting settled into their new call center in the Meadowwood Technology Park. Also many, many new homes and condos are also on the rise in the small city's subdivisions including two entirely new developments. Those are Trutina, a large 55 and over community north of I-90 off of Harvard Rd which will include some rentals and a swim club building which in under construction now and the Villages at Stonehill on the city's eastern side which will likely even include a new commercial development as early as 2018.

Also, underway is...

Christian Brothers Automotive -
A franchised auto repair company which is coming along rapidly off of Appleway by the Huntwood factory. We have previously written about this, simply search the business name in the box in the upper left.

Mckenzie Business Park's new building
Located along Mckenzie Ln. near I-90 and the new Telect factory is the second phase of building for the business park which leases small units to small business / manufacturing and warehousing companies. The new building is now under construction and is located directly across the street from the 1st building which is now almost entirely leased.

Legacy Villas Apartments
Under construction now along E. Country Vista Blvd. nearby the Yoke's grocery store is another new large apartment complex which will have 258 apartments and a clubhouse / leasing office once completed.

" Country Vista retail building "
We're still kind of waiting for more news on a purposed new commercial development planned for the corner of Country Vista & Whitman Ln. nearby the Liberty Lake Home Depot store. What we do know so far is it will be a 12,395 square foot building with about half of the building used for a restaurant but no confirmed restaurant named to be knowledge just yet. The other half will be a retail strip mall like center. It is being developed by a Seattle based business called Kunpeng,LLC

Cannabis & Glass
Given Liberty Lake's proximity to the Idaho border we figured it was only a matter of time till an I-502 marijuana business showed interest in building in the city. And while construction hasn't started yet a retailer with a location already open on Francis Ave in North Spokane has purchased a parcel on E. Appleway visible from I-90 for a future marijuana retail store, no word on when it might open and the project is still being discussed as it is controversial and will need approval.

Another big tenant at Meadowwood Technology Campus?
There is no name attached but we have uncovered some plans for another new office building in the campus off of Molter Rd. that Comcast and a couple other large employers call home. Given the nature of past development at Greenstone owned campus they usually don't build or consider moving forward before they have a company in mind for the space. Who it may be is completely unknown and to avoid scaring that company away I won't speculate but still I think we may have another big story at Meadowwood in the coming weeks or months.

Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse & Bar coming to Liberty Lake
This may be the restaurant tenant of the new retail building I mentioned above or it might not as I'm still sorting out which lot which will be on . Either way this mini chain of hibachi grill style restaurant is confirmed to be planning a location in Liberty Lake nearby the Home Depot store. They are based out of Silverdale,Wa and are also currently developing a location down in Pullman.
Currently we have emailed the company for more info and we are just waiting for more info.



Some of these projects listed above will likely be put on this site in separate future posts so stay tuned!





Sunday, December 4, 2016

Donut Parade has closed for good!

It's been a rumor and the landmark donut shop on N. Hamilton has admitted they were struggling but tonight's announcement on Facebook caught us off guard...

" It is with deep sadness, we here at the Donut Parade are forced to say good bye Spokane, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are officially CLOSED for good. "

I'm traveling right now so I'll have more as I learn it...

Friday, December 2, 2016

Anthony's Beach Cafe also closes it's South Hill location

Just days after the announcement that Café Rio Mexican Grill was shutting down it's South Hill restaurant, news of  second restaurant closure in the same development has come forward. This time it's actually right next door at Anthony's Beach Café who's last day of business will actually be tonight ( Dec. 2nd ) .

Anthony's Beach Café was one of the original tenants of the Target anchored Regal Plaza shopping center. The Western Washington based chain of seafood restaurants operated this location under a newer business concept , a more fast casual take on their larger and fancier Anthony's Restaurants. It is also important to note that this is the only Anthony's location closing and their Anthony's at Spokane Falls in Downtown Spokane and the Anthony's in Coeur d' Alene's Riverstone development remain open for business. In fact employees of Anthony's Beach Café will be offered as many open positions at the other 2 restaurants as possible.

Anthony's president and founder Budd Gould said " This was a very difficult decision to close the café " . He also admits their attempt to take their signature seafood to a casual restaurant off the water did not succeed, implying sales we're slow at the site.

While this closure does leave now two empty eatery spaces in the plaza, the shopping center is otherwise full with the recent move in of Spokane's first Mattress Depot store. Mod Pizza, Jersey Mike's , Starbucks and Ezell's Famous Chicken all remain in the development for diners and a new Asian / Sushi restaurant is in the works just a few blocks north of here in the Regal Pond shopping center.  The closure also has a positive side as it opens up another space for another new exciting business to open in, perhaps another new to our area concept. What would you like to see open on the South Hill ? Tell us in the comments to this article on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/inlandnorthwestbusinesswatch

Cafe Rio Mexican Grill abruptly closes South Hill restaurant

Open for only about a year and a half the South Hill location of the Café Rio Mexican Grill chain has closed. With little announcement the restaurant is already out of business with it's last day being last week on Tuesday.

The restaurant was located in the Regal Plaza shopping center at 4911 S. Regal St. , where it was one of the first tenants of the new Target anchored plaza. This is actually the second Café Rio closure for Eastern Washington as the Wenatchee location closed early in November. The restaurant closure is due in part because sales we're slower then expected with another location just a few miles away in Spokane Valley, which also attracted some customers from other parts of Spokane.

The Spokane Valley Café Rio location will remain open for business, just west of the Spokane Valley Mall at 13920 E. Indiana Ave. ( Evergreen Crossing Shopping Center ) . The chain is a Utah based company with 85 locations serving a menu of Mexican dishes inspired by the Rio Grande region of Northern Mexico. Burritos, enchilada's and much more are served with choice of meats and some fillings. Items are available to go or in the restaurant's indoor dining area. Another Café Rio in our area at Coeur d' Alene also appears to be staying open in the same building as Fred Meyer on Kathleen Ave.

For more information on Café Rio , including a look at their menu and online ordering, visit-

http://www.caferio.com

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

YMCA to add South Hill location, and soon...

Just a couple of months ago we learned via a Spokane Journal of Business article that the YMCA of the Inland Northwest intended to open a third Y location somewhere on South Hill. At the time of that article however it indicated no sure location and the assumption was, while it was planned, it would take some time. But, all that has gone out the window with yesterday's surprise announcement from the YMCA. 

The YMCA of the Inland Northwest has acquired the South Hill Gold's Gym location at 2921 E. 57th ( near 57th & Regal ) . The YMCA will convert the Gold's Gym into a new full Y , the conversion will be relatively quick with the changes and new name to take effect sometime around the middle of December. Member's of the Gold's Gym will also be welcomed into the YMCA with new memberships.

The new location will actually remain open during the switch with YMCA management adding $250,000 worth of new fitness equipment. The new South Hill YMCA will also offer several new programs like the LiveStrong program for cancer survivors, a diabetes prevention program and a summer day camp . Plans also call for a new family activity area.

The YMCA of the Inland Northwest has been a part of the Spokane community for over 130 years. The organization also operates two other locations, one just north of Downtown Spokane and another in North Spokane. For more info on the local YMCA visit their website at-

http://ymcaspokane.org




Monday, November 28, 2016

Spike Aerospace might bring their jet aircraft manufacturing facility to Spokane

Ok, so I don't usually post links to Spokesman Review articles but tonight they broke the news big business news and I just don't have enough info on this to post about this myself just yet. So a link to the article is located lower in this post.

Looks like Spokane is in the running for an exciting new aerospace manufacturing facility. Spokane is one of 3 cities in Washington to potential get the new plant from Boston based jet aircraft start-up Spike Aerospace . The company is developing a new jet that can travel from NYC to LA in just over 3 hours!

Interestingly enough the article hints of a land sale for a 300,000+ sq foot building that may or may not be for this company. It also indicates another smaller aerospace company might also be eyeing land here for some sort of facility. Both of those sites are on the West Plains near the Spokane International Airport.

Here is the story:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/nov/28/supersonic-jet-startup-spike-aerospace-eyeing-spok/

HDG / Propaganda Creative & Others to join a newly re-developed Carr'sCorner building Downtown

Construction work has already begun on what is probably the coolest building re-development in Downtown Spokane for sometime. The project involves basically a complete re-build of the building that formerly housed the Carr's Corner bar at the corner of 3rd & Washington on the south side of Downtown Spokane.


HDG Property Holdings, with financing from Numerica, is replacing the exterior, HVAC , windows ( switching to energy efficient windows ) , roofing , polishing stucco in jet black and more to convert the building for multiple tenants. Two of those tenants are from the owners themselves , both HDG Hissong + Hurtado Design Group and Propaganda Creative will relocate their offices to the building from another site near the Ridpath elsewhere in Downtown. Together they will occupy about 3800 sq. feet of space directly at the corner in the building.

In addition to these two companies some smaller storefronts will be re-built and occupied by other business. These businesses include Paradigm Skate Shop, Raven Tattoo and a new tenant Right Mind Printing a growing apparel printing company.


In addition the all new look the existing large billboards will be completely removed and an existing small parking lot in the back is being turned into a park for all who occupy the building. The re-development project is estimated to be completed sometime just after Christmas. The building owners also plan on renovating more buildings as often as possible so keep watching as we're confidant we'll see more exciting projects from them in future.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Boot Barn to have grand opening for it's new Spokane Valley store in early Dec.

The Boot Barn , an Irvine ,Ca based chain of boot and western wear retail stores has made it's way to our area with the recent opening of a new location in Spokane Valley. The store is already open for business and the chain will host an official grand opening from December 2nd - 4th . Many items will go on sale during the grand opening like $20 off regularly priced boots over $100 and $5 off all jeans.

The new Spokane Valley Boot Barn is located in a 10,887 square foot space at 5605 E. Sprague Ave, nearby the Valley Costco store and in the same small plaza as Dollar Tree and The Country Store. The store like most Boot Barn locations sells boots, lots of boots in fact. But in addition to the boot selection customers will also find jeans, hats, shirts , belts , protective work wear and other accessories for western and work. Some western themed gifts, toys and home décor items might even be found at the store.

Customers of the new Boot Barn will also find some popular brand names in the store with such brands as Wrangler, Justin , Carhartt, Miss Me, Keen, Timberland Pro and many more. The chain also carries some exclusive brands like Cody James , Shyanne and even Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley a line of contemporary boots, apparel and accessories.

Boot Barn has been in business since 1978 , now operating over 200 stores in several states. The company is the official western wear retailer of the PRCA, NFR , PBR , and they are the official sponsor of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The new Spokane Valley store looks to be the only location planned for the Spokane market at this time and is an answer for the many Spokane are residents who would shop at the company's other out of area stores. Until now the chain's closest stores we're in Kalispel & Missoula,MT .

For more information on The Boot Barn, visit their website at-

http://www.bootbarn.com

Bedrosians / Oregon Tile & Marble starts construction on large new facility in Spokane Valley

California based Bedrosians Tile & Marble is investing in the Spokane Valley with an all new warehouse & showroom building along 1-90 near the Barker Rd. exit . Bedrosians acquired Oregon Tile & Marble recently and decided to move forward with Oregon Tile's long standing plan to open at the site which sits at 19119 E. Broadway in between Barker Rd & Country Vista Blvd. . The new building will replace the company's current leased space in the Spokane Business & Industrial Park.

Plans call for Bedrosians to construct a 41,000 square foot building there with 13,000 square feet set aside as Tile & Marble retail showroom and sales offices. In the middle of the building will sit a 19,000 square foot warehouse, bringing the company's new location to 32,000 square feet nearing in on triple the amount of space they had in the Business & Industrial Park. The remaining 9,000 square feet , which will likely face Broadway itself , will be leased out to another business that has yet to be named.

Bedrosians Tile & Marble has been in business since 1948 with locations in 8 states and their products in such high profile projects as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas . They offer over 5000 stone products and work with you on both commercial and residential construction projects. The new location is expected to open sometime in the Spring.

For more information on Bedrosians Tile & Marble / Oregon Tile & Marble visit-

http://www.bedrosians.com

Additionally of note a second large construction site is also underway about 2 doors to the east of the Bedrosians site. It is not affiliated with this project and instead appears to be a new building for Kidds Dental , which is currently not far away in Liberty Lake. We'll have more on the separately as we are still waiting to hear back from the dental practice.


Monday, November 21, 2016

Shadle Park Mod Pizza opens today, second Spokane location to open this month

Example photo, photo is not of a Spokane area location

Mod Pizza is taking Spokane by storm! the Bellevue,WA based chain of made to order personal pizzas opened their first location in Spokane in 2015 at the South Hill's Regal Plaza development. Since then they've opened in Coeur d' Alene and even one right in the heart of Downtown Spokane.

But November 2016 has been a big month for the growing company as they have added 2 new stores in the Spokane area this month. And, although we know of no additional locations planned we can only assume there are more locations on the horizon.

Today is the opening day for the second new Mod Pizza which is now open for business in the Shadle Park Shopping Center at 2503 W. Wellesley Ave Ste. A it opened today at noon. Earlier this month the new Mod Pizza at the Hertiage North Shopping Center in North Spokane, it is one of three new tenants in the completely re-built shopping plaza at 9405 N. Newport Hwy in between The Y and the Northpointe Shopping Center.

Mod Pizza is among the fastest growing restaurant chains right now with the company itself only being founded 8 years ago in Seattle. Today the company has over 150 restaurants with locations in both the US and the UK . It's name is an acronym for " Made on Demand " which is how they make their pizza's . Mod Pizza uses a similar concept to Subway in that customer choose their pizzas and then they are ran through a 800 degree oven for about 3 minutes allowing for a fresh custom personal sized pizza.

Both new local locations will employ around 30 - 40 and are open seven days a week. For more information on Mod Pizza visit their website at-

http://www.modpizza.com


Washington Health Plan Finder opens storefront location in Spokane

With the open enrollment period underway for health insurance under the Washington State Health Benefit Exchange ( also operating as Washington Healthplanfinder ) many are finding themselves confused. With so many plans, so many different prices it can be hard to figure out what works best for you.

And while Washington Health Plan Finder provides a website to compare plans and sign up ( link below ) and a phone number manned by friendly voices in a Spokane Valley call center to assist you sometimes it can help to sit down face to face with someone who can answer all your questions. Hence the reasoning behind Washington Healthplanfinder opening 2 new brick & mortar storefront offices.

One of these locations opened recently at 2001 N. Division north of Downtown Spokane , the other is in Vancouver on NE Vancouver Mall Dr. The exchange explains the reason for choosing Spokane & Vancouver for their first store front offices is because both cities are located in counties with a high percentage of uninsured residents.

The Spokane Washington Healthplanfinder storefront occupies the front half a recently renovated office building. The space is a little over 5000 square feet and is fully staffed by experts Mon - Fri 10a - 6p , Sat. 10a - 2p and closed Sunday . The Spokane location uses the Washington Healthplanfinder name but is managed by Better Health Together.

For more information on signing up for health insurance, stop in at 2001 N. Division or visit-

http://wahealthplanfinder.org

Friday, November 18, 2016

Parrish & Grove opens Saturday in Saranac Commons

The unique Saranac Commons building in Downtown Spokane ( 19 W. Main ) is growing by one with this weekend's opening of yet another awesome locally owned and operated retail shop in the building.

That business is Parrish & Grove Botanicals which will be in suite 2b and while the space is small it is a plant and flower lovers dream come true. Parrish & Grove describes themselves as " your local purveyor of botanical curiosities " . Customers can create their own unique bouquets of flowers  , purchase exotic house plants and even build a miniature ecosystem with something completely new to Spokane , a terrarium bar .The business plans on offering workshops soon and even a floral subscription delivery option in the near future.


Saturday, Nov. 19th will be Parrish & Grove's first day of business , which they will kick off with a grand opening celebration. The grand opening will be from 10 - 7 with prizes , specials and the first 20 customers at the business will receive a mini bouquet compliments of Numerica Credit Union.

And, what's even better? while your at the Parrish & Grove grand opening you can also stop by the other shops & eateries that make up the Saranac Commons building, a unique hidden gem on the eastern edge of Downtown. In addition to Parrish & Grove the building is also home to Caffe Affogato , Mediterrano ( Mediterranean restaurant ), Common Crumb Bakery , Black Label Brewing Co .  and Sun People Bed & Bath , with many more unique local shops also in the same block.

For more information on Parrish & Grove, check them out at-

http://www.parrishandgrove.com

Or, on Facebook at-

http://facebook.com/parrishandgrove


Thursday, November 17, 2016

Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice coming to Coeur d' Alene

Many in Coeur d' Alene already travel into Spokane to take advantage of the 2 Spokane area locations of Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice ( 211 S. McKinnon in Spokane Valley & 7630 N. Division in Spokane). But in the coming months the Lake City will have a location of their very own.

Although an opening date and even a timeline for construction have not yet been confirmed the company is planning to build a store just a couple of blocks north of I-90 in Coeur d' Alene. Plans are for a 20,000 square foot store to be built at 208 E. Best Ave. on the vacant parcel behind Wendy's & Atiliano's .

The company's Cash & Carry stores are primarily geared towards business customers like coffee stands and restaurants with a more of a bulk item / large quantity sales method. Despite the sales being geared towards businesses , the stores are open to individuals as well.  All of their stores are open seven days a week and include name brand groceries, meats , produce, catering supplies , janitorial supplies and much more.


Cash & Carry Smart Foodservice is chain of 50+ stores throughout the Northwest & Nevada. It's headquarters is in Portland although it is a part of the larger Smart & Final company which is California based and operates multiple brands of similar stores.

We'll keep an eye out for when we might see the Coeur d' Alene store open for business. And, in the mean time check out the chain's website at-

http://www.smartfoodservice.com

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

OZ 95.7 FM , launches as new Spokane based classic rock station

Spokane has a new radio station, this one claiming to play the " legends of rock " with a format that includes legendary classic rock artists like Jimi Hendrix, Foreigner , Styx and many more. The station has a relatively weak signal but should be able to be heard in all corners of Spokane.

The station operates as OZ 95.7 FM with the call sign KYOZ . It is a locally owned and operated radio station , with the owner Radio Station KMJY,LLC operating it and another station out of space in the Northtown Office Building at 4407 N. Division . Oz's sister station is 104.5 Hank FM , which has a similar format concept, except it plays legends of country and other classic country songs.

OZ 95.7 is heard on 95.7 FM as stated by the name, however 95.7 is actually a translator station of the main station on 1330 am. Radio Station KMJY,LLC acquired the station at 1330 am from the Moody Bible Institute back in October. Before the transition to the new format the 1330 station had been playing religious programming in Spanish and was the only station in Spokane to broadcast solely in Spanish.

For more information on OZ 95.7 FM , visit their website at-

http://oz957.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/oz-957-fm-1686187545038257

Garco Building Systems to shutter Airway Heights factory

Garco Building Systems, a manufacturer of steel buildings with a large facility in Airway Heights has announced they plan to close that plant immediately. At the time of closure Garco employed 112, all of which will be laid off. An additional 50 who hold positions in the company's offices ( at the same site ) will stay on board however.

The closure is unexpected despite what they report as a recent slow down in the demand for their company's buildings. Garco Building Systems is owned by the Houston based NCI Group who will likely shift what orders we're being done in Airway Heights to other NCI Group facilities. Garco Building Systems does bear the same name as popular local construction company Garco Construction, and while that Garco was originally a part of Garco Building Systems the two are actually two separate company's and have been for sometime.

The move to close the Airway Heights facility is unexpected due in part to Garco being in a similar industry to Seaport Steel who has been in growth mode. The Seattle based Seaport Steel recently built an all new 60,000 square foot at 2634 S. Hayden Rd only a short distance away from Garco. No word from Seaport Steel if the company has any current job openings in our area however.

Garco Building Systems facility is located on the southern side of the City of Airway Heights at 2714 S. Garfield Rd . It is not confirmed but believed the building will go up for sale or lease in coming months.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Wellness Bar opens location in Post Falls

Open for only a few years now at their original location in Downtown Coeur d' Alene , The Wellness Bar is an obvious success with the recent opening of a third location in Post Falls. The new Post Falls Wellness Bar is located at 900 N. Hwy 41 in the River City Plaza shopping center which also is home to a Anytime Fitness.

This location is the third location for the business after they also opened a location in the Hayden Creek Plaza ( 8110 N. Government Way ) about a year ago.  The business is locally owned and operated and offers fresh pressed juices, smoothies , espresso and teas in a wide variety flavors . Health friendly food items are also available like acai bowls and quinoa salads.

The Post Falls store offers both an indoor dining area and a convenient drive up window similar to their location in Hayden. All three locations are open seven days a week and for more info on the business, visit their website at-

http://niwellnessbar.com

And, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/northidahowellness

Friday, November 11, 2016

Trovato Interiors moving to larger home on E. Sprague

Trovato Interiors is perhaps one of the lesser known home goods and furniture stores in Spokane. This is possibly because the locally owned and operated business is in small storefront behind a Pawn 1 in Spokane Valley ( 18 S. Union Rd. ) . But the business is growing and soon will be a space that's not only more prominent to commuters but also significantly larger.

The business recently announced they will be relocating to a 7500 square foot building 9919 E. Sprague which will give the business more sales space and more parking. The new store building is the long vacant former home of World Wide Travel in the U City area of Spokane Valley. They hope to be open for business there sometime shortly after Thanksgiving.



Trovato Interiors sells custom order Norwalk Furniture in addition to home décor accents & accessories , wall art and even some antique and vintage pieces for the home. Design services are also available upon request.

For more information on Trovato Interiors , find them on Facebook at-\

http://www.facebook.com/trovatointeriors




Thursday, November 10, 2016

New restaurants in Hayden & Coeur d' Alene's north side

The new Panera Bread at US 95 & Prairie Ave in Hayden has been open for almost 2 months now. And Junior's Barbeque in the same development earning positive reviews from Spokane How's Business after only a few months in business ( that article here- http://www.spokanehowsbusiness.com/news/archiveStory.asp?theArticle=4531 ) . But these two new restaurants are apparently only the start of some new places to eat for the suburban felling city just north of Coeur d' Alene.

Here is what's opening soon, more details will be coming soon....


On the far northern side of Coeur d' Alene at 327 W. Hanley Ave. has sat a vacant fast food restaurant since it's tenant Skipper's made the long move across the parking lot to inside the Silver Lake Mall. But as is evident in the photo above work crews have descended on the building and judging by the view through the open back door the space has been mostly gutted.

Plans are for the former Skipper's building to be remodeled and converted to a location of the Dickey's Barbeque Pit chain. This will be the company's first location in North Idaho, however it is the same chain that operates two stores in Spokane, one in the Wandermere area and a relatively new location on Sprague in Spokane Valley.


A few years after Papa John's made an abrupt exit from both Coeur d' Alene and Spokane, the pizza chain is making it's return to the North Idaho pizza market with a new franchise opening soon in Hayden ( Papa John's returned to Spokane well before North Idaho, and now several locations operate there ) .

The new Hayden Papa John's is in the same shopping center as the Hayden Super 1 grocery store in the space that was a short lived restaurant called Lava Dog. We don't have an opening date yet but it should open within the next few weeks and will deliver.


Just north of the city limits of the City of Hayden at the corner of US 95 & Lancaster Rd. is a construction site for a new gas station / travel plaza. That business will be called Lancaster Market and once completed it will house a San Francisco Sourdough Eatery location. Both the San Francisco Sourdough & the gas station are too open sometime in January.

Also... To the south of Hayden, further into Coeur d' Alene we're seeing a couple more new restaurants which we will likely share in another post. One of which being Gross Donuts ( is that really the best name they could find? ) in the former Freedom Burrito building at US 95 & Cherry Ln. .There is a rumor that Gross Donuts is a branch off of The Donut House in Hayden, given that Gross is that business owner's last name but they recently cleared that up, that they are not affiliated but hinted that Gross Donuts is owned by a family member of there's.

Some construction work has also started for Cosmic Cowboy Grill which will occupy the front building at the Appleway Square shopping center ( US 95 & Haycraft Ave. ) . We're honestly not sure of exactly what the menu will be like at Cosmic Cowboy but they are doing a full remodel of the small building that used to house Wigs & Things and a picture framing business.

And, on a positive note the area's only sushi food truck Rawdeadfish should return to service this weekend in the Best Food Court food truck pod after a fire heavily damaged their truck a couple of months ago. Please keep them in mind as I'm sure the down time had to hurt with them being a small business...


Garland Animal Clinic to move / renovate the former Garland Liquor Store for new vet clinic

With 50 years of operation under their belt, the Garland Animal Clinic ,currently located at 623 W. Garland Ave., has built a reputation as one of the best veterinary clinics in the Spokane area. But the positive reputation has made the business grow to the point that it is now outgrowing it's current home.

Garland Animal Clinic is remedying this with the recent announcement that the clinic is relocating, but still staying in the Garland District, just in a larger and more prominent location. Renovation work is already under way to covert the former Garland Liquor Store building at 1022 W. Garland into the new home of the Garland Animal Clinic.


The new location will offer the vet clinic 6500 square feet of space, up from the 2500 they previously had. The more floor space will also allow for 2 more exam rooms, giving them a total of 5. They also will be able to add dental x-rays and perhaps other new services. There is no exact completion date for the remodel / move of the business but they tell me if all goes as planned the work phase should take about 3 months, meaning an opening at the new location sometime in first half of 2017.

Garland Animal Clinic is made up of 5 experienced Veterinarian's who provide quality care most any pet. Their clinic is a full service vet's office with comprehensive medical , surgical and dental care.

For more information on the Garland Animal Clinic, visit-

http://garlandanimalclinic.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/garlandanimalclinic

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

What's going in out front the Post Falls Wal Mart?

I've been getting a few questions asking what is going in the front half of the Post Falls Wal Mart store ( the one on E. Mullan Ave.) . A large block of the parking lot has been dug up and construction fencing surrounds the mystery site. So, just what is the reason behind all this new construction?


The answer... a new gas station. The gas station will be among the first group of Wal Mart owned and branded gas stations. In the past Wal Mart has partnered with other gas station operators to lease gas stations on the their stores properties, but a few months back the Arkansas based mega retailer made the decision to end this tradition and brand their own gas stations. In addition to the decision to convert to Wal Mart branding the company also announced they plan to aggressively expand the gas station concept, meaning perhaps Post Falls won't be the only Wal Mart gas station location in our area?

The Post Falls Wal Mart gas station should be open by the end of the year but no specific opening date has been set just yet. Exact plans aren't available but many of the other Wal Mart gas station locations have included a small convenience store or at the very least a small building to pay at.

Having a gas station at Wal Mart is nothing new for Post Falls, just not in recent years. The site that is now occupied by a Burger King was once a gas station leased by Wal Mart to Tesoro which operated under the Mirastar gas station branding. That gas station however was demolished and eventually converted to the site of the fast food restaurant that stands there today.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

What we're working on... 11/3/16

For the last month or so it's been a bit slow in finding stories about new businesses in the Spokane & Coeur d' Alene area to post about on this site. But, don't think that because there is a couple of days in-between posts that I'm not hard at work finding out your answers to the question " Hey, what's going in there? "

I have numerous sources I check regularly to gather info, and have a few contacts in key fields that I rely on for other info. Even now I have 60+ possible story leads and I don't post it till I have enough info and it is confirmed to be actually happening.

With that said I figured I'd share some of the possible business news items you may see on Inland Northwest Business Watch in the coming weeks. It is important to remember, these items are not sure things, some may be early in planning and just never even start construction. Others are further along I just don't have enough info to write a post yet...

Here is some of what we are working on...

- A possible new Sonic restaurant on Newport Hwy.

- Both a new Dairy Queen & Ace Hardware along US 2 in Airway Heights 

- A new La Quinta Inn just south of Spokane International Airport

- A new restaurant called Cosmic Cowboy Grill in the former Wings & Things space at 95 & Haycraft in Coeur d' Alene

- Possible new building ( meaning a new big tenant? ) at a office park in the Spokane Valley / Liberty Lake area ( I'm keeping the name of the office park off of this to avoid jeopardizing any confidentiality agreements that may exist )

- New retail / restaurant building at the corner of Newport Hwy & Holland, north of the Sherwin Williams Paint Store  

- 2 new Dutch Bros. Coffee places coming to Spokane Valley

- Advance Auto Parts to be where Sunset Auto Sales once was in Coeur d' Alene

- New location of Insurance Auto Auction in Spokane Valley

- A new Papa John's in Hayden

- Two new restaurants in the works in the South Perry District...

- Izumi Sushi & Asian Bistro coming to the Regal Pond development on the South Hill

- The former McKinley School building being converted into a " McMinnamin's " style development with a brewery and couple other venues.

- At least one new tenant at Downtown Spokane's Saranac Commons building

- A new Boot Barn store near Costco in Spokane Valley


And, there is still more I'm watching. If there is something you've heard that you'd like added to the list e-mail me at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com . If have info about any of these ( or another new local business ) also e-mail me!

And, for those of you who may have e-mailed in info on your business and I didn't post it, I apologize. I get a lot of e-mails about new home based businesses, websites, apps ,etc... I simply don't have enough time to share all of these.

Lastly, don't forget one of the best ways to keep up to date on even more businesses then what makes it to the blog is to follow Inland Northwest Business Watch on Facebook. In addition to the blog posts there you'll also find shared info from other new businesses in our area! Check that out at-

http://www.facebook.com/inlandnorthwestbusinesswatch


Large automotive centered development planned in Airway Heights

Site work has already begun and coming soon signs have been posted in the dirt for a large new multi-tenant commercial development planned along Hayford Rd in Airway Heights. The development will be mostly geared towards businesses in the automotive and racing industry and will be developed by local business man George Lawerence who is perhaps best known as the cowboy hat wearing spokesperson in the TV ad's for Consumer Auto Liquidators.

The site itself also bods well for just such a project, that's because the development is adjacent to Spokane Raceway Park and will surely also benefit from being just north of Northern Quest Resort & Casino . This might be part of the reason why the project isn't even built yet and already a handful of  businesses are already locked in to open their businesses there.

Here is who is planned to take space there as of right now-

Garagetown USA
A franchise of the Coeur d' Alene based Garagetown USA chain which features garage/shop space leased out for storage or work space. Garagetown is a mostly a storage condo concept meaning more room and accessibility then it's smaller counterparts in mini storage.

An RV Park
Starting with just 20 RV spaces on opening day I'd assume we'll see an expansion of this soon as the demand will surely be very high. The spaces will both power and water hookups.

Spokane Racing School
An auto racing school. Hopefully we'll have more on this soon...

Spokane Exotic Car Sales
A lack of upscale auto sales businesses in the Spokane area is one of the main reasons behind the plans to for Spokane Exotic Car Sales. The dealership will specialize in pre-owned upscale cars like Ferrari , muscle cars, etc...

Also in the works in an auto repair facility specializing in the race cars where drivers can actually just drive off of the course at Spokane Raceway Park and into the shop for service.

All of the development is currently planned to open sometime in 2017. George Lawrence is also a co-developer behind the new Bighorn Industrial Park just north of Post Falls. That development is still in the works with a couple of the lots now spoken for and many more still up for sale.

For more information on Mr. Lawerence's Airway Heights development call 509-808-2207

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

New shopping center to be part of Granite Point Apartments expansion in Spokane Valley

Another phase of building has been underway for a few weeks now to add another 190+ apartments onto the already large Granite Point Apartments development just west of the YMCA in Spokane Valley. But unlike past building at the site this phase of development won't be entirely residential with plans calling for an un-named retail shopping center to be built at 12930 E. Mansfield Ave right in front of the apartment buildings.


The commercial building will be a little over 7,000 square feet and dividable for up to five separate businesses. The building is off the main roads of the area ( Pines & Indiana ) but perfectly positioned for the many residents that live in the area. In fact, with the area being largely populated by apartment complexes there are over 1000 residential units just within a half a mile of the site, making the site a dream come true for restaurants, coffee shops, banks, really any neighborhood type of business.

Footings are already in for the new shopping center but the developers are kind of in a temporary holding pattern while they wait on businesses to lease space there. Leasing is being managed by SDS Realty,Inc. who says they do already have a few prospective tenants interested but no one actually lined up to move in just yet. Space in the shopping center is leasing at $12 per square foot and a tenant improvement allowance is available.

The building will have on site surface parking provided and there is potential for a drive through at a couple of the units. We'll keep an eye out for when we might see businesses move in here and who they may be. If you are interested in leasing space contact Levi McCormick ( 509-462-9306 / levi@sdsrealty.com ) or Charlie Wolff ( 509-953-7034 / charlie@sdsrealty.com ) .

Friday, October 28, 2016

More details on Popeye's Louisana Kitchen's new location in Post Falls , the first in the Inland Northwest.

While we haven't seen any physical construction work occur just yet for the future Popeye's Chicken location in Post Falls, rest assured the plan has not gone away and Post Falls will still be getting a Popeye's . In fact this week we received some, I guess you could say, "leaked documents" explaining the plans for the restaurant and showing that the bid date for subcontractors on the project has just closed meaning we'll likely see the building coming up sooner rather then later.

Here is what we now know-

- The construction phase is estimated to be + / - 3 months from start to opening .

- It will be built on the northeast corner of Hwy 41 & Neufeld Ln. ( 767 N. Neufeld will be it's address ) . This is directly across from Wendy's and immediately south of the plaza with State Farm .

- It will have both an indoor dining area with seating for 62 and a drive through

- It will be 3149 square feet which my research has concluded is a common size compared to most other recently opened Popeye's locations.

- Vandervert Construction of Spokane will construct the restaurant and Norcal Cajun Foods of Concord,CA will in fact be the franchise owner.  

While it seems like the Post Falls location will likely be the first location of Popeye's to open in our area it is important to note that another Popeye's Lousiana Kitchen location is in the works in North Spokane. That location will be at 6720 N. Division and it is also still coming but since we don't have as much details on that project just yet we will likely post about it at a later date here on inlandnwbusiness.com . We also are still waiting to see project renderings / finished product example photos for both sites and will likely also post those later, as we get ( or find... ) them.

At the present rate both Post Falls and Spokane will have Popeye's locations that are open for business in the first part of 2017. For those who are not aware here are some details on Popeye's Lousiana Kitchen the company itself-

- Based in Arabi, Louisana , the company started originally as " Chicken on the Run " when it was founded in 1972

- The company has over 2500 locations and continues to grow. The company has recently had our general region on it's radar with several new locations planned / now open for business in Montana.

- Popeye's is the second largest quick service chicken restaurant by number of locations. In addition to having locations in much of the US, Popeye's also has locations in 30 countries from Canada to Vietnam.

And, for even more info on Popeye's Lousiana Kitchen ( including a look at their menu ) , visit their website at-







Thursday, October 27, 2016

Reckless Boutique joins the N. Monroe St corridor

Reckless Boutique may be one of the newest businesses to open in the N. Monroe St. corridor but it's owners are far from new to the business. That's because Reckless Boutique is from the same owner and in the same building as the established Buffalo Girls Vintage store at 3103 N. Monroe St.

The business will occupy the ground floor of the building and Buffalo Girls Vintage will occupy the second floor, both complimenting each other nicely. Reckless is already open and is described as " a retail boutique with carefully curated clothing , jewelry and gift brands for men and women ( and their fashionable pups ) " . 

The store has a Western type of style and is not huge but still they have managed to pack it full of unique merchandise. Also in the shop is a new location of the Junky Munky , a very small candy shop ran by 11 year old Dylan Lyons which some might remember from this story on KHQ last year- http://www.khq.com/story/28191367/little-money-maker-has-sweet-success-at-the-junky-munkey

For more information on Reckless Boutique , check them out of Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/recklessboutiquespokane



 

Vintage boutique 1889 Salvage Co. opens on N. Monroe

Love shopping at Spokane's many locally owned and operated boutiques? Always have an eye out for a cool new vintage piece for your home? Then you'll want to the pay a visit to 1889 Salvage Co, a new vintage goods retailer that opened in September at 2209 N. Monroe.

The name 1889 pays respect the Great Spokane Fire of that same year and the store is packed full of exciting finds. They have everything from small items like vintage handbags and boots all the way up to larger items like coffee tables and more to decorate a home or business. And, new inventory items are always being added.

The business is good sized , in a 1800 square foot storefront that is surrounded by many other awesome small businesses that dot this stretch of N. Monroe in the blocks just north of Downtown. Big things a surely in store here...

For more information on 1889 Salvage Co. find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/1889salvageco




Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Young Chefs Academy coming to Hayden

A new up and coming chain of children's cooking schools has a new location in the works for a site in Hayden to serve the Coeur d' Alene area. The location will be a franchise and will open for business sometime early next year in the former Mother's Cupboard Nutrition store in the Prairie Shopping Center by the corner of Prairie & US 95 .

Young Chefs Academy describes itself as unique culinary experience which offers cooking classes to children in a safe environment that encourages discovery and creativity. The location will have weekly classes and workshops in addition to more special events like birthday parties and camps.

The chain is a Texas based company who lets kids cook for real and build their skills early in life. The business might even inspire some of the future chefs opening restaurants written about on this very site. They currently have about 20 locations with 2 locations other then Coeur d' Alene / Hayden that are also opening for business soon.

For more information on the new local Young Chefs Academy, visit-

http://coeurdaleneid.youngchefsacademy.com


Tuesday, October 25, 2016

New Restaurant Openings - Oct. 24th 2016

Bruncheonette opens near Courthouse

The Couple of Chefs food truck has officially opened the next phase of their culinary empire, and while Couple of Chefs is still operating they have also branched out with their first brick & mortar restaurant. That restaurant is Bruncheonette and it opened last week at 1011 W. Broadway , a couple of blocks from the Courthouse & Kendall Yards.

Bruncheonette is a breakfast & lunch establishment that's a bit unique with items like a tamale waffle , healthy Elvis chocolate & banana protein pancakes, verde hash and much more. More common breakfast items can also be found at Bruncheonette like biscuits & gravy and so much more. Keeping with the brunch concept some sandwiches and salads are also on the menu. Also coffee is available with locally produced Roast House Coffee being brewed fresh.

They also allow event space rental for groups with catering service also still available.

Tecate Grill re-opens on Northwest Blvd.

Re-opening after closing down their last location in the Spring is Tecate Grill. The business anticipates to open soon, while there is no opening date set yet they will likely be ready for customers in early November. The new Tecate Grill will be in their own building at 2610 W. Northwest Blvd. . For the most part the new location will have the same menu of Mexican dishes with lunch & dinner available.

The chain restaurants are adding new locations around Spokane...

Below are each chain listed above with an address to their new stores listed below. Most are still coming soon and not open yet....

MOD Pizza
2503 W. Wellesley Ave. Suite A Spokane  ( Shadle Park Shopping Center )
9405 N. Newport Hwy  Spokane  ( in the newly re-built Heritage North Shopping Center )

Costa Vida
9412 N. Newport Hwy. Spokane
10 N. Sullivan Rd. Spokane Valley  ( under development in the same plaza as Five Guys & Petco at Sprague & Sullivan )

Carl's Jr.
1230 N. Division Spokane
1617 W. Northwest Blvd. Spokane  ( planned for a pad site at the old Albertson's building, which is becoming a Goodwill store & Planet Fitness gym location )

Sweeto Burrito
9602 N. Newport Hwy. Spokane  ( now open for business )
1839 N. Ruby Spokane
W. Appleway out front of Winco in Coeur d' Alene

Also, watch for some exciting news about the two new Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen locations coming soon to Spokane and Post Falls. It looks like both will open around the same time as each other and that will now probably be sooner rather then later...






Thursday, October 20, 2016

It's opening day for Urban Outfitters Spokane!

What began as a rumored " mystery retailer " coming to River Park Square in the Spring of 2015 is now a reality. The Philadelphia based Urban Outfitters chain will officially swing open the doors to the their first store in Spokane this morning at 10 am. Today may be the first day in business for Spokane's Urban Outfitters but there main grand opening celebration will be held on Saturday ( Oct. 22nd ) with local vendors during the day and live music later on in the event.

Urban Outfitters is in a newly constructed building at the corner of Main & Wall connected to River Park Square in Downtown Spokane. The building is at the site of the former Saad Building and will the store will eventually be joined by STCU and Rocket Bakery in occupying space in the new modern looking commercial building.

The Urban Outfitters company also has a handful of other retail store brands under it's banner, which they have / are also bringing to Spokane. The company has opened a Anthropologie store a couple of blocks west on Main Ave and will soon bring a Free People retail store not far from Anthropologie also on W. Main. All nearby River Park Square and on properties owned by Cowles Co.'s real estate arm Centennial Properties who owns River Park Square

Urban Outfitters offers clothing , accessories, footwear, houseware items & more . The chain has a bit of a cult following with a younger crowd like college students, hipsters and similar. The company now boasts over 400 retail stores around the world and a significant online presence.

The new store takes up most of the new 10,000 square foot two story building and is just one part of the transformation happening in the area as Wall St has been completely re-built from W. Main north to Spokane Falls Blvd. which is now more of pedestrian friendly plaza that the City says will act as a gateway into the newly re-done Riverfront Park once that project starts to wrap up in the coming months and years. A grand re-opening celebration for N. Wall St is also being held by the City of Spokane on Friday at 11:30a - 1:30p with a ceremony, food trucks and contests to win shopping sprees from Runners Soul , Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters.

For more information on Urban Outfitters, visit their website at-

http://urbanoutfitters.com

Friday, October 14, 2016

Great Harvest Bread Co. to re-open on the South Hill

Once a favorite bakery with locations in Spokane, Liberty Lake & Coeur d' Alene , Great Harvest Bread Co. has been completely gone from our area since their last local location abruptly closed. That was back in early August, but fans of the Montana based chain won't need to mourn too much longer as Great Harvest Bread chain is returning to Spokane.

They have found a new franchise owner and will actually re-open in the old store location on the South Hill at 2530 E. 29th Ave. The new owners say they have done a lot of cleaning and have been busy putting in some new walls and floors in the space but will still re-open with mostly the same menu as before. Hiring is underway now and they plan on opening there by Oct. 21st.


Great Harvest Bread Co. has been operating since the mid 1970's with the first location being in Great Falls,MT . Today, Great Harvest Bread Co. boasts over 200 locations in multiple states including Alaska & Hawaii. And, of course as the name would imply the company bases much of their success on their bread , breads that they make from scratch everyday using carefully selected wheat grown in Montana's " Golden Triangle ".

Great Harvest Bread Co. sells all of their delicious breads in store, but also puts them to go use with fresh made sandwiches & paninis with sides like chips & cookies making Great Harvest Bread Co. a perfect spot for a quick lunch. In addition to the sandwiches Great Harvest also offers scones, cake breads , muffins and much more. Catering service is also available, as is larger bread orders for holidays and events.

For more information on Great Harvest Bread Co. in Spokane, visit the South Hill location's website at-

http://spokane.greatharvestbread.com

Or, find them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/greatharvest.spokane

Thursday, October 13, 2016

The Buzz Coffeehouse, Bar & Lounge opening on Thor

The latest buzz around the Spokane coffee shop scene is a new place setting up shop inside the former ReBoot Coffee Bar & Tech Services building, nearby Fred Meyer on Thor ( 501 S. Thor ). I'm told the Computer Services side of the business will be relocating elsewhere allowing the coffee business to take over the entire building, along with some exciting new additions.


The new business will be called The Buzz Coffeehouse, Bar & Lounge and as the name would imply they also will become a full service bar in addition to selling coffee drinks.  While the business has already made the switch to the new name the full bar side is still in the works as liquor licenses can take time in Washington. They plan to host a full grand opening celebration once all the pieces of the new business come together, keep watching for more on that...

They also will have some small plate food items and do plan to continue selling their coffee / espresso drinks using coffee roasted locally by Roast House Coffee . The business will remain open during the entire transition as will the on site drive up window.

For more information on The Buzz Coffeehouse, Bar & Lounge , like them on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/thebuzzspokane


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Local businesses to be first tenants of new office building on N. Division


Rising from the dirt at 11909 N. Division in North Spokane ( across from the Pine Hill Par 3 Golf Course ) , is a new building that will provide both office and clinic space to three local companies. Construction is already underway on a new 14,000 square feet structure that will be the new home to:

Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic

The Academy of Sports Performance

and...

Inland Oral Surgery

The new spaces they say will be an innovative way to keep you healthy with joints, muscles and facial surgery all under one roof . The complex promises to be state of the art with clinics for chiropractic and soft tissue modalities including: Active Release Techniques , Gastron Technique and massage.

Local athletes will want to make note of the new space in The Academy of Sports Performance section as it will also offer a full weight room , fitness studios , batting cages and a giant indoor turf area suitable for all kinds of teams and athletes.


This is an exciting partnership between these 3 locally owned and operated businesses . All three are currently already operating elsewhere in Spokane presently. And, as per a recent article in the Spokane Journal of Business , the businesses that plan to open there will likely move in around Feb or March of 2017.

For more information on Spokane Chiropractic and Sports Injury Clinic visit-


For more information on The Academy of Sports Performance visit-


And, for more information on Inland Oral Surgery visit-


Christian Brothers Autmotive chain to open in Liberty Lake

Christian Brothers Automotive, an already well known automotive repair business in other parts of the country is heading our way. A local franchise of the Texas based chain has been established and construction on the first Spokane area location is already under way.

The new Christian Brothers Automotive will be located in a new construction stand alone building in Liberty Lake at 23819 E. Appleway , across from Huntwood and in front of the Valley Young People's Clinic. The new auto repair business will have 5215 square feet of space and will surely create some new jobs. Exact details beyond this however, including opening date are vague as Christian Brothers Automotive corporate didn't want to comment at this time.


( Seen above is an example of a Christian Brother Automotive location, this is not the Liberty Lake location although it will likely be similar )

Christian Brothers Automotive as a full service auto repair business with over 100 locations already open and many more planned to open in the future. The company was founded in 1982 based on what they feel was a void in the industry with " customer service and honest, genuine auto repair was tough to find " they say. And, today they still follow that same business concept that they started with more then 30 years ago.

All locations of Christian Brothers Automotive provide full service auto care, from basic oil changes all the way up engine replacements, etc. Online appointment booking is available as is a free courtesy shuttle . The company's locations feature more then average service bays to get the job done faster and a clean, convenient on site waiting area.

To our knowledge the Liberty Lake Christian Brothers location will be the only on in our area for now. Most of the company's locations fall in Texas and the Midwest but they have slowly been creeping this way with locations already open in Billings & Meridian,ID . Liberty Lake however will be furthest Northwest the company has come to date.

For more information on Christian Brothers Automotive, visit their website at-

http://cbac.com

Or, on Facebook at-

http://www.facebook.com/christianbrotherauto