Stanton Optical expands to open first store in Spokane

 Stanton Optical, a rapidly growing Florida based chain of optical clinics is growing into the Spokane area with the recent grand opening of a new location at 9501 N. Newport Hwy. in North Spokane. Using the tagline "convenient eye care for less" the new Spokane is just one of over 280 Stanton Optical locations nationwide.

Courtesy photo by Stanton Optical

"We're thrilled to introduce Stanton Optical to the Spokane community, providing accessible and budget-friendly eye care options for the whole family. For 18 years, Stanton Optical has been committed to making eye care easy and affordable for everyone, especially in these challenging economic times. By working directly with manufacturers, we ensure our customers receive the best prices on eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses without sacrificing quality. Recognizing that not all our customers have vision insurance, we strive to provide options that fit every budget" said David Stanton, founder and CEO of Stanton Optical.

Stanton Optical locations boast an on-site optical lab where customers can walk-in, get an eye exam, and get single-vision glasses made the same-day, in as fast as 30 minutes. The Spokane Stanton Optical location will be open Mon-Fri 9a-7p and Sat. 9a-6p.

For more information or to make an appointment at Stanton Optical, visit their website at https://www.stantonoptical.com

Famous Coffee opens in Airway Heights

 A new coffee shop is now open in Airway Heights. The ownership behind Patron Mexican Restaurant on the South Hill recently acquired the shop, which formerly operated as Boba Cafe at 12924 W. Sunset Hwy Suite 1 and have rebranded the business as Famous Coffee.

However, the boba tea drinks that the Boba Cafe was known for aren't going away as the new business, Famous Coffee will continue to offer boba made with products and powders imported from Thailand and all of Boba Cafe's original menu. The new owners have also retained the staff members from Boba Cafe.

Additionally, Famous Coffee offers energy drinks and syrups from Tiki Breeze, a Seattle based company that uses natural ingredients and coffee drinks with roasts from different countries like Ethiopian, Mexican, Peru, Columbia, etc., mostly from Indaba and other local coffee roasters.

Smoothies, a few sandwiches and treats are also available with a new breakfast menu also coming soon. The business is open daily from 6a-8p, for more information on Famous Coffee check them out on social media via Instagram

4AM to open at River Park Square this Saturday

 Trendsetting retailer, 4AM is bringing an upscale fashion experience to Downtown Spokane with their grand opening this weekend in River Park Square. This strategic move marks a significant milestone for the brand, expanding its reach and offering a broader audience access to its detective blend of style and sustainability.

Established in 2022, 4AM has rapidly gained a following online and in-store. Founded by local entrepreneur Christian Jones, the store specializes in buying, selling, and trading new and pre-loved clothing items as well as sought-after, hard-to-find footwear. The store's name, 4AM, was inspired by early morning jogs with Christian's father and brother during his childhood. The drive and motivation behind those runs helped shape his entrepreneurship today.

4AM had been located in a store front along N. Washington Ave. nearby the Spokane Arena prior to relocating to River Park Square. To launch this new chapter, 4AM will host a special grand opening on Saturday, September 14th, starting at 10am. The new store can be found at the top of the escalators on the second floor of the Downtown mall.

For more information on 4AM, follow them on social media via Instagram

Half Baked & A Lil Fruity bake shop & smoothies to open soon in Northtown Mall

 An exciting new business with a selection of goodies is coming soon to Northtown Mall. Work is starting on Half Baked & A Little Fruity in the former Wetzel's Pretzels space at the mall in North Spokane. The new place is a sister business to the popular local bakery Bake My Day but will be independently managed.

Some of the items at Half Baked will be similar to those at Bake My Day but likely with a twist or new flavor, in addition to things one can't find at the current bakery. The new place will also have some healthier options like real fruit smoothies and salads.

Bake My Day's breakfast menu won't be available at Half Baked & A Little Fruity, but the new business will have kolaches, cakes, pies, cake pops, cookies, salads and smoothies. They plan to open sometime later this month (Sept. 2024), but exact details on their opening date will be available on their social media pages.

For more information on Half Baked & A Little Fruity, visit their website at https://halfbakedspokane.com and follow them on social media via Facebook or Instagram

Big City Art to open new gallery near Hotel Indigo in Downtown Spokane

 Recently local artist Dylan Lipsker celebrated the 1st anniversary of his business, Big City Art Studio & Gallery at 164 S. Washington Suite 500 in Downtown Spokane. But the business which he calls as "making the world a little more colorful" in its social media bio is growing with a new gallery space coming soon on the western edge of Downtown Spokane.

The new space will be known as Big City Art Gallery and will likely open sometime in October or November in the former Pink Fern space at 1107 W. 1st Ave. on the ground floor of the Hotel Indigo. The new location on first will act as an art gallery allowing Lipsker to repurpose the original location on Washington into a larger studio and creation space.

For more information on Big City Art, check out their website at https://dlipart.com or follow along via Instagram . Exact opening dates will be announced there in the near future and be sure to check out his interesting backstory on the website.

Marcus & Millichap arranges $10.175 million sale of duel-branded hotel near Spokane

 Marcus & Millichap (NYSE: MMI) a leading commercial real estate brokage firm specializing in investment sales, financing, research and advisory services recently announced the sale of duel-branded hotels, Sleep Inn and Mainstay Suites in Spokane. The hotels sold for $10,175,000 and is located on 7.26 acres at 3809 S. Geiger Blvd., the property offers 87 rooms across both Sleep Inn and Mainstay Suites accommodations.

Courtesy photo- Marcus & Millichap

"This was a rare asset to come to market as an almost brand-new hotel in an excellent location near the airport with extended stay options" said Jared Plamann, senior associate. "There continues to be added inventory and upscale conversions in the area, and the new owner will benefit from more development to come"

Plamann, Jake Erickson, Jon Ruzicka and Joseph Ferguson, investment specialists in Marcus & Millichap's Minneapolis office, had the executive listing to market the property on behalf of the seller, H&H Hospitality Spokane, LLC. Joel Deis, Broker of Record in Washington, assisted in closing the transaction.

Leaven Bakery & Patisserie now open in Deer Park

 An exciting new small-batch scratch bakery is now open for business in Downtown Deer Park, located 7 S. Main Unit B within The Olsen Building. The business is called Leaven Bakery & Patisserie and will focus on Viennoiserie style items with the goal of one day having the best croissants outside of France.

Courtesy photos provided by Leaven Bakery & Patisserie

They plan to carry many local bakery favorites as well as sourdough bread selections. In addition to delicious baked goods Leaven will also offer locally roasted coffee focusing on quality, taking the time to make each latte, cappuccino and affogato special.

For more information on Leaven Bakery & Patisserie follow them on social media via Instagram or Facebook

NWOS opens new orthopedic surgery center in Spokane Valley

 Northwest Orthopedic Specialists (NWOS) recently opened their second Orthopedic Surgery Center in Spokane Valley, located on the lower level of the NWOS Spokane Valley location at 12410 E. Sinto Ave. Suite LL101. The new state-of-the-art facility will expand the availability of specialized orthopedic and interventional pain services to the Spokane Valley community.

Courtesy photo- NWOS

The new ambulatory surgery center is AAAHC accredited and will offer a comprehensive range of interventional pain management procedures performed by Dr. Ryan Burklund, and WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet), hand and wrist procedures by Dr. Anthony Sestero.

NWOS is dedicated to serving the Greater Spokane area with exceptional orthopedic care. At their Spokane Valley location, NWOS also houses an orthopedic clinic, Express walk-in clinic, physical & hand therapy clinic, and an MRI, offering a full spectrum of services of under one roof. 

For more information on NWOS visit their website at https://www.nwos-spokane.com

Spokane Postal opens in Shadle Park Shopping Center

 

A new locally owned and operated pack & ship store, called Spokane Postal opened earlier this month in the Shadle Park Shopping Center at 2225 W. Wellesley Ave Ste #103. The new business offers many shipping options wither the item is needed to be shipped overnight, ground, international, etc. they can likely do it with services offered from UPS, Fedex and the Postal Service.

In addition to shipping services, Spokane Postal also offers printing services with document finishing, mailbox rental with 24/7 access, shredding, notary and direct mail services. For more information on Spokane Postal, visit their website at https://spokanepostal.com or follow them on Facebook

SNAP developing Broadway Senior Housing in Spokane Valley

 SNAP is currently in the development phase of a project tentatively named Broadway Senior Housing, a new affordable housing development for senior citizens at 6001 E. Broadway Ave. in Spokane Valley. The development will offer 60 units of affordable housing for residents aged 62 and older in a state-of-the-art new construction 4-story building with elevator.

Of the sixty apartments, 57 will be one-bedroom units with 3 two-bedroom units. All units will be fully accessible with additional features for residents with vision and hearing impairments. The apartments are designed for individuals at or below 60% of the area median income. The Spokane Housing Authority will provide rental subsidies for up to half of the units, ensuring residents pay no more than 30% of their adjusted gross income on rent.

Photo credit- ZBA Architecture

In addition to senior housing the Broadway Senior Housing project will also offer supportive services with a service coordinator on staff to help residents connect with essential community resources, enhancing their ability to age in place.

The estimated budget for the Broadway Senior Housing project is $22 million with 90% of the capital funding being secured by a variety of sources, including Spokane Valley, Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, Washington State Legislative Capital, Washington State Housing Trust Fund, Spokane County and Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP).

General contractor selection will be done through an open RFP/RFQ process in approximately six months. SNAP will provide a more detailed estimated construction timeline in the coming months, architectural work for the project is being done by ZBA Architecture. For more information on this and other SNAP projects visit their website at- https://snapwa.org

New restaurant opens in Downtown Cheney serving wings, Korean fried chicken and bulgogi bowls.

 A new quick service restaurant called Wings Pan is opening at 401 1st St in Downtown Cheney serving hand crafted buffalo wings, Korean Fried Chicken and Bulgogi Bowls among other items. They even will have homemade Kimchi.

The new restaurant is being started by a Korean-American family who relocated to the Inland Northwest to start the business after regulation's caused the refusal of their once planned food truck in Puyallup. The restaurant has a selection of several flavors of chicken wings, tenders, bowls and a couple of Korean plate meals. Some "munchies" and imported drinks are even included on the menu.

Wings Pan is open Mon-Thurs 11-8, Fri-Sat 11-9 and closed on Sunday. For more information visit their website at https://www.wingspaneats.com or give them a follow-on Instagram

New restaurants coming to Spokane! [Page Update]

 Did you know Inland Northwest Business Watch maintains a list of all the known new restaurants coming to Spokane? Truth be told you might not as I failed to keep it up to date. But fear no more as I am happy to announce that have just completed a full update of the page ( http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/p/restaurants-coming-soon.html )

As always, we welcome tips on new places and even questions about the ones on the list (contact me directly at matt.behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com). I make every effort to keep the page up to date but unfortunately time doesn't always allow for this and I'm sorry. But today's update does include info on places like- 

Tamale Box Liberty Lake

Hitter's Liberty Lake

Bruchi's

The Milkshake Parlor / Souza's Take and Bake

Indicana

Maharaja Taste of India

Tawney's Sandwich Shop

Al Bacha 

Rasing Cane's

Dave's Hot Chicken

Torra Tea 

Uno Mas Taco Shop

City Brix

Dave & Buster's

The Griffin's Tavern

Old European Breakfast House South Hill

Brew Peddler

Seng's Asian BBQ House

The Human Bean

Tastea Coffee & Boba

Cafe Buenos Aires

Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe

Kindred Public House

Atiliano's 

Pizza Rita South Hill

Sirinya's Thai Downtown

Houston Hot Chicken North Spokane

Check it all out now on the "New Restaurants in Spokane" page at http://www.inlandnwbusiness.com/p/restaurants-coming-soon.html

Walls rise for large new warehouse at McFarlane Commerce Park in Airway Heights

 More warehouse space is on its way to West Plains as construction is progressing for the third warehouse in the McFarlane Commerce Park project, located along McFarlane Rd. west of Hayford Rd. in Airway Heights.

Courtesy photo provided by AT Industrial

The new building is being developed by AT Industrial Co. and once complete will offer 202,800 SF of total space with tenants able to demise the spaces down to 15,560 SF depending on their individual needs. The developers say they are in negations with at least one tenant, but nothing is set in stone just yet.  The second building at the McFarlane Commerce Park was completed just a few months ago and is already home to five tenants. 

The first building was completed awhile ago and is currently fully leased by an Amazon Delivery Station. More development may also come to the McFarlane Commerce Park project in the future as there could be one or two additional warehouses there, although the third building is the only one currently under construction. The construction of the third building will also include 4.2 acres of land that will be used as industrial outdoor storage or trailer parking. Divcon,Inc. is the general contractor for the project with the building shell planned to be complete in October 2024 with stabilization in approx. Feb. of 2026.

Doma Coffee Roasting opening new cafe in Coeur d' Alene this week

 Doma Coffee Roasting Company has been roasting coffee for many area coffee shops in the Northwest since 2000 from a facility located along Seltice Way on the edge of Post Falls. But now the coffee roaster is opening their own coffee shop on the former Atlas Mill site in Coeur d' Alene.

Located at 3091 N. Atlas Rd. the new Doma Cafe will open on Thurs. Aug 15th., the cafe is located on the ground floor of a building in the Bo Apartment community and features a great view of the Spokane River being located directly along the river's banks. 

In addition to the coffee and espresso menu the new Doma will also offer a menu of pastries, bagels, toasts and similar items. The items will even be made using ingredients from local vendors such as Boots Bakery, Locos, The Grain Shed and Back Pocket. The cafe will be open seven days a week from 7a-2p.

For more information on Doma Coffee Roasting Company, visit their website at https://domacoffee.com

Rebel Hart Co. finds a new home on North Monroe

 Rebel Hart Co. is joining the growing roster of new businesses on the North Monroe Street Corridor. Rebel Hart recently announced their plans to open a new store at 2218 N. Monroe. The store will have a grand opening ceremony on Aug. 31st from 11a-7p at the new location.

Courtesy photo of Kodie Hartin, owner of Rebel Hart Co.

The grand opening will feature a first look at their fall collection. Guests will also enjoy bites and beverages, a custom-hat bar, permanent jewelry, music and special discounts storewide. The new space features everything people love about Rebel Hart Co. including their size-inclusive appearel ,custom hat bar and signature "Hype Hunnies" wall to continue to let women leave compliments for each other. This new location will also have an outdoor patio to host various events.

"We are so excited and proud of this expansion" said Kodie Hartin, owner of Rebel Hart Co.. "This new location will allow us to offer a one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Our goal was to walk in and create an empowering environment that changes the way boutiques are looked at while bringing the community together. We can't wait for the Inland Northwest to see what we've built."

The new location was formerly The Gilded Lily for nearly two decades. For more information on Rebel Hart Co. visit their website at https://rebelhartco.com and follow them on social media @shoprebelhart

Kindred Public House to open in new building on N. Monroe

 A new restaurant and bar is coming soon to the North Monroe business district. The locally owned and operated establishment is planned to be called Kindred Public House and will be from the same owners as the Cascadia Public House restaurant in North Spokane.

Courtesy photo of the planned new building at 2901 N. Monroe

Kindred Public House will be the tenant of a new building on a vacant lot at 2901 N. Monroe, by the corner of Monroe and Cleveland. Plans call for a new 2800 square foot stand-alone building that is now under construction on the site. Halme-Cascade is the general contractor for the project and Mercier Architecture is the architecture and design firm for the project.

We're told Kindred Public House will be a gastropub and somewhat of a sister restaurant to Cascadia with a similar menu theme and atmosphere but still unique itself. Exact details like the menu, website and assoiated social media pages are still a work in progress but pending construction delays they do hope to open Kindred around the Spring of 2025.

Cafe Buenos Aires coming soon to Browne's Addition

 Foodies in Spokane will likely remember Tarascon Empanadas, an Argentinian empanada restaurant that was a causality of the Covid pandemic in 2020. But those empanadas are returning with a lot more at a new locally owned and operated restaurant called Cafe Buenos Aires planned to open in the former Browne's Bistro space at 1924 W. Pacific.

Courtesy photo

An exact opening date hasn't been set just yet for Cafe Buenos Aires as the owners are working on the space and permitting at the moment. However, a banner sign is already hanging on the building announcing the new restaurant. In addition to the Tarascon Empanadas the new restaurant's menu will also include Argentian style coffee with house made Argentian pastries and they plan to include even more new dishes as the business evolves.

Social media pages and a new website for Cafe Buenos Aires are currently also a work in progress. Once built more info on the place will be available at https://cafe-buenos-aires.com

Barre3 Spokane University District coming soon on Trent

 Fitness business Spokane Barre is growing and making some big changes. The business is becoming part of the Barre3 chain and will move from their current space on Division St in Downtown Spokane to a space in the Riverwalk building in the University District. They will renovate the space first and operate under the Barre3 Spokane University District.

Courtesy photo of the planned new Barre3 Spokane University District location

They plan to do updates on the construction progress and grand opening announcements on their own social media pages (linked below). Barre3 will be located at 1007 E. Trent in the same building as No-Li Brewing but at the opposite end. The new Barre3 fitness studio will occupy 2300 SF with childcare, a lobby for socializing and retail. 

The space also offers large windows overlooking the Trent Bridge and the Spokane River meaning lots of natural light and high ceilings in the studio itself. Until the new space opens, they will remain open and offering classes at their existing location at 204 N. Division. Another Barre3 location also already exists in North Spokane at 11921 N. Division.

For more information Barre3 Spokane University District visit their website at https://online.barre3.com/studio-locations/spokane-university-district or give them a follow on Instagram

Sierra planning locations in Coeur d’ Alene & Spokane Valley

 Sierra Trading Post, which normally does business under the name Sierra is coming soon to the Inland Northwest. Sierra is a brand of the much larger TJX Companies which operates other popular brands like TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls. Sierra has a similar business model to those stores but with merchandise geared towards outdoor recreation, fitness and adventure gear. The stores also offer apparel along with footwear.

The Coeur d' Alene Sierra store is already under construction and will take the place of the new closed Bed, Bath & Beyond store at 440 W. Wilbur Ave, along US 95. In Spokane Valley a Sierra store is also planned to be coming soon but isn't quite as far along with a new building planned for the store there. A pre-development application was filed at the end of July for the planned new Sierra store which would join the Evergreen Crossing shopping center by building in one of the last in-line tenant spots there, with an address of 13814 E. Indiana Ave. 

We reached out to the media contact for Sierra for more information about when the new local stores might open but have yet to receive a response. As of October of 2023, Sierra reported having 90 locations, but the chain is actively growing. For more information on the company or to shop their online store visit their website at https://www.sierra.com

Bru Coffee Hause opening in North Spokane

 Bru Coffee Hause, a very unique looking new coffee stand is opening in North Spokane, tomorrow Aug 3rd. Located at 9803 N. Division by the corner of Division and Westview, Bru stands out to passersby due to its unique silo style design. 

Courtesy photos- Bru Coffee Hause

The owner tells me the silo design is because she wanted the place to be different in every way and the silo is round and circles bring happiness to people's eyes. She also mentions that Bru is about staying positive and being your own biggest fan. 

In addition to coffee drinks, Bru will have an original energy drink called the Bru Booster. which comes from green coffee and has bcaa, vitamins and amino acids, a healthier version of Lotus or Red Bull. They also plan to offer ice cream shakes and ice cream drinks. Food wise Bru will have in house baked items like churros, beignets, and waffles as well as sandwiches.

For more info on Bru Coffee Hause, give them a follow on their https://www.instagram.com/brucoffeehause

BECU planning new financial service center on the South Hill

 Spokane's South Hill will soon be getting a new BECU location as the credit union is expanding their member-focused financial services in the area. This will be BECU's fourth neighborhood financial center in the Spokane area with the new location planned to open in the first quarter of 2025.

"BECU has been a proud partner to the Spokane community for nearly two decades and expanded that commitment with our first financial center in 2016" said Jason Rudman, BECU's executive vice president and chief member and digital experience officer. "We are delighted to strengthen our presence in Spokane that gives us an opportunity to further understand and act on the community's unique and evolving needs as we strive to empower our members on their journeys to financial freedom"

Situated at the corner of Southeast Blvd. and E. 29th Ave., the Spokane South Hill BECU NFC will in an existing building and will be nearly 4,000 square feet. In addition to teller services, BECU employees at the Spokane South Hill NFC will provide members with financial advice and expertise, and one-on-one support for opening accounts and transactions.  Members will also have access to services such as mortgages and loans, business banking, trusts and investments.

BECU (Boeing Employees' Credit Union) is Washington's largest credit union that operates as not-for-profit co-op. The credit union is federally insured by NCUA and is a Equal Housing Opportunity Lender. For more information, visit their website at - https://www.becu.org

Blue Beacon Truck Wash chain to open a location on the West Plains.

 Based in Salina,KS. the Blue Beacon Truck Wash chain is coming to the Spokane area with a new location planned at 10414 W. Geiger Blvd. , nearby the Amazon GEG1 fulfillment center on the West Plains.

The plans for the new facility show a 10,639 square foot building valued at approximately $3 million per building permit public data. The general contractor for the public is listed as Walker Construction of Spokane.

Like all other Blue Beacon Truck Wash facilities, the new Spokane location will be open 24 hours a day providing two bays with truck washing services, RV washing, motorcoach washing and even exterior horse trailer washing. There is no mention of an opening date for new location as of yet.  Blue Beacon Truck Wash began in Kansas in 1973 and today the company has over 110 locations nationwide and is still growing.

For more information on Blue Beacon Truck Wash, visit their website at https://bluebeacon.com

Cheney Market to open tomorrow

 A new locally owned convenience store called Cheney Market is planned to open, tomorrow July 30th at 1902 1st Ave. (corner of 1st and Cheney-Spokane Rd.)  in Cheney. 

Courtesy photo

Going forward the store will be open 24 hours a day selling beer, wine, Icee's, grocery items, cigarettes, disposable vape and lottery tickets.

BTS look at what we’re working on!

 As the writer of a semi-successful business news blog I consider this to be one of my prize possessions, my blog reference book. In it I keep lists of all the area construction projects, new restaurants, people I need to follow up with for information and even projects / new places that I've heard of but need more info before confirming / creating a blog post on. 

Today I decided to deviate from my usual posting style and let my readers know some of the projects in it that I'm keeping track of. It's important to note this is a list of projects that seem to be early in the development process so some might not come to fruition. But, here we go...

- More places are likely coming to the already busy Pointe at Post Falls development. Nom Nom, Discount Tire, a Tru by Hilton hotel and Freddy's Steakburgers have all filed for pre-development meetings with the City of Post Falls in recent weeks.

- Speaking of Post Falls, Houston Hot Chicken is likely going to build a new restaurant near the corner of Hwy. 41 and Mullan Ave.

- Up at the corner of Hwy. 41 and Prairie Ave. in Post Falls work is progressing on a large new commercial development. The first place, a new Peak Fitness is under construction now but Metro Express car wash, Human Bean, McDonald's and an indoor trampoline park business are also likely.

-In Coeur d' Alene development is planned at the corner of US 95 and Neider by the At Home store. Marketing flyers show a building with Chipotle and a Sleep Number store going in there. There is also a big tenant I've heard of going there also but don't want to mention publicly yet.

-A predevelopment meeting was filed in the city center area of Post Falls for a project called "Horn Mixed Use" that would replace the former French Cleaners building on Spokane St. with a new 4 story mixed use building.

- A new Les Schwab tire store and a liquor store anchored strip mall are possible by the corner of Hwy. 41 and Poleline Ave. in Post Falls.

-Heading over to the Spokane area now, the abandoned former Lowe's store in the 6000 block of N. Division looks to be planned to be divided into three separate store spaces. Maybe something is finally coming there? A Floor & Decor store was planned there once but I've seen no movement on that for some time.

- Noticed the Premera Blue Cross office campus on E. Sprague is showing back up as for sale. This might mean we'll see actual construction happening on their large new replacement building in Kendall Yards soonish?

-In the same area as the existing Premera office campus is a filing for a new grocery store. Located at 3907 E. Sprague the new store would be 14,000 SF but little is known about a name or much more.

-The Northeast Spokane PDA has plans to construct a 40-unit apartment building with an on site daycare and PDA office space.

-A large mid-rise mixed-use building is being considered by Greenstone to go into the Kendall Yards business district. While not a full high rise it would be the largest building in the project to date.

-Greenstone is also planning a new mixed-use building coming soon to their NoLL development in Liberty Lake. I've heard it is in the design phase as of the moment.

-Speaking of Liberty Lake, it's basically all but confirmed that a new Costco and TopGolf are being planned to be built on the western edge of the city nearby the I-90 freeway.

-A new 65,000 SF warehouse and possibly a 100 room hotel is being developed near the corner of Country Vista Blvd and Liberty Lake Rd. , next door to the Liberty Lake Business Park development.

-Not far west of the City of Liberty Lake, predevelopment plans have been filed with the City of Spokane Valley for what appears to be a new food truck court called the "Barker Gourmet Hub". The site would be along Barker Rd. south of the I-90 freeway.

-A new Take 5 Oil Change / coffee shop combo similar the one at the corner of Sullivan and Broadway is likely coming to 4603 E. Sprague. The coffee shop name is not mentioned in the plan filings.

-A new 5 story 63 +/- unit apartment building is likely coming nearby the WSU Spokane campus at 643 N. Riverpoint Blvd. . If built it likely won't break ground until next year.

-After many delays The Falls, a 12 story building that will now be all condos is now set to break ground within the next month. This project is along Lincoln, south of the Spokane Arena.

-A project called The Depot at Millenium Monroe is being considered towards the back half of the new Millenium Monroe development in the 2000 block of N. Monroe St. . Plans show it similar to a food hall with 5000 SF and spaces for a few vendors.

-Speaking of the Millenium Monroe development, Uno Mas Taco Shop appears to be planning to open a new restaurant there also.

-Adams Tractor is considering a new $6 million dollar dealership on the West Plains at 8217 W. US 2

And, there's actually more but some I'm not going to mention on here as I will have enough info soon on those to do their own posts. I'm also always looking for tips on these items and any things I don't know about yet. Feel free to reach out to me anytime via email at matt.behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com and I do always respect requests to remain anonymous.

Tastea Coffee & Boba Lounge coming soon on Grand

 A new coffee shop and boba place is coming soon at 1314 S. Grand Blvd. #3 on the South Hill. The new locally owned and operated business will be called Tastea Coffee & Boba Lounge and is expected to open within the next few weeks and is owned by the same people as Gloss Nail Lounge which is adjacent to new place.

Coffee will be from a local roaster, and they will have a good selection of boba drinks on the menu. Additionally, they plan to sell small treats from other locally owned businesses, charcuterie boards, small sandwiches, yogurt parfaits and pastries. Affagato's served with local creamery ice cream and Vietnamese coffee will also be available.

For more info on Tastea Coffee & Boba Lounge, include to updates on their opening date give them a follow on social media via Instagram .

Emran Restaurant opens in Coeur d' Alene

 Emran was the first Afghan restaurant in Spokane when they opened Emran Restaurant & Market at 1817 N. Division earlier this year. But now they have also become the first Afghan restaurant to open in Coeur d' Alene with a new Emran Restaurant now open for business at 309 E. Lakeside Ave. in Downtown Coeur d' Alene.

The Coeur d' Alene location of Emran Restuarant serves the same menu as the Spokane location with a selection of delicious Middle Eastern dishes. A few curry dishes, kababs and a lot more, they are also working on being able to serve beer and wine in the Coeur d' Alene location but as of my writing this, have not yet been able to offer these.

Indoor dining and carry out orders are available. For more information on Emran Restaurant Coeur d' Alene visit their website at https://emranrestaurantcda.com and give them on a follow on social media via Instagram or Facebook

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience opens at new Exhibition Hub Art Center

 An exciting new immersive art exhibit is now open at a new venue in Spokane. The Exhibition Hub Art Center Spokane Art Center, located at 808 N. Ruby is one of several new art centers opened by the company across the country. And their first show Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience opened to the public just yesterday.

Courtesy photo by Jennifer IG :@spokanecurious

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience is a 360-degree digital art exhibition that invites you to step into the universe of the Dutch genius, Vincent Van Gogh. The captivating experience, a previous winner of USA Today's 10 Best Readers Choice award is brought by the organizers of a collection of widely successful exhibitions presented in cities across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Courtesy photos by Exhibition Hub.

Featured is a one-of-a-kind VR experience: travel through 8 works and their source of inspiration in "A Day in the life of the artist in Arles, France" (small additional fee). Digitial displays, sound effects, projection mapping and much more!

Inland Northwest Business Watch was able to check out the media preview of the Van Gogh experience and we're very impressed. The event and new venue will likely prove to be an asset to the Spokane community as the Exhibition Hub will likely also be home to future art events by the same company in the future. "When we open an art center we tend to stick around" said John Zaller, Executive producer for Exhibition Hub.

"Spokane is a growing market, very vibrant, in terms of its support of the arts" said Zaller when speaking on why to choose Spokane for the opening of the show and venue. "So, we knew there would be a good market for an art exhibition and immersive art experience"  

Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience will also be a boon for the Spokane economy. Zaller noted " We get people from two, three, four hours away who are coming to Downtown Spokane. They're going to come to Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience as their destination. But, they're going to stay in a hotel. They're going to go to the restaurants, they're going to go to the bars, they're going go to the symphony or the Art Museum, as well. They're going to make it an overnight event. They're going to make a weekend of it" 

Exhibition Hub Art Center Spokane is open Mon & Thurs. 10-7, Friday 10-8, Sat. 9-8 and Sun. 9-6. Ticket prices are shown in the image below, with the group price being shown as per person. The facility also does offer ample free parking.

Courtesy photo by Jennifer IG: @spokanecurious

For more information on Exhibition Hub Art Center Spokane, visit their website at https://www.exhibitionhub.com or https://vangoghexpo.com/spokane also follow the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience show's social media pages via Instagram , X or Facebook

Also, a huge thank to you to Jennifer of the @spokanecurious page on Instagram for your help in covering and contributing to this article. Be sure, to also give her page a follow via https://www.instagram.com/spokanecurious

New businesses join Mode Campus in Liberty Lake

 Spaces continue to fill up at the new Mode Campus in Liberty Lake. Located within the former Meadowwood Office Complex at 2110 N. Molter Rd. Mode opened in April and is intended to be a revolutionary community campus drawing off of creator Luke Kjar's Danish roots. The first part of Mode called Mode Work is a contemporary coworking space, after that a yoga business, Dance studio, a coffee shop called Grit & Grind and others have since joined the large campus. But now even more businesses are joining the new facility, including...

BioProformance Institute (BPi) joined the Mode Campus recently furthering its mission to empower individuals to live their best lives through innovative health and wellness services. BPi was founded in 1968 as North Idaho Physical Therapy and rebranded to BPi in 2020.

DT Training Systems opened their new location at the Mode Campus at the beginning of July. The fitness and performance center offers cutting edge facilities and diverse fitness offerings. Including a wide range of strength, conditioning and cardio sessions, including Crossfit.

Rock School NW moving from Coeur d' Alene the North Idaho Rock School has rebranded to Rock School NW and moved to the Mode Campus. Rock School NW offers music lessons and instruction.

More is still likely in store coming soon to Mode, with the facility also hosting several regular and special events. For more information, including links to the events and places there visit their website at https://findyourmode.com

West Plains Brewing to open in Airway Heights

 A new brewery will open soon in Airway Heights, called West Plains Brewing the business will open in a 3,600 square foot space at 12622 W. Sunset Hwy. Suite D, next to Domino's Pizza. The brewery is planning to open towards the end of July.

Courtesy photo of the new West Plains Brewing tap room in Airway Heights

Business owners recently told our colleges at the Spokane Journal of Business (J.O.B. article here) that they will have 14 taps with 10 of which being a rotating selection of beers brewed on site. A food menu will be coming in the future but as of opening day they will be limited to packaged snack items and free popcorn.

For more information on West Plains Brewing, visit their website at https://westplainsbrewing.com

Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe opening soon in Downtown Spokane

 An exciting new combination bookstore and coffee shop is coming soon to a storefront in Downtown Spokane. Called Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe the store is planning to open sometime in the 4th quarter of this year. But an exact date will be announced by the business later as the space is still under construction.

Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe will be located in the historic Wharton Building at 411 W. 1st. Ave. The bookstore portion of the business will be specialize in mystery, sci-fi and fantasy genres. The cafe side of the business will offer coffee, tea, beer, wine and likely will have a simple coffee shop type fare. 

For more information on Jupiter's Eye Book Cafe, check out their website at https://www.jupiterseyebookcafe.com/ (also still a work in progress) or give them a follow on Instagram

Discount Days coming soon to Post Falls

 Every day will likely be a discount day at a new store opening soon in Post Falls called Discount Days. Planned to open towards the end of July, Discount Days will be a bin/ retail store that will sell returned or overstock items from different stores. The store will be located within the Tedder Business Center (former North Idaho Outlets complex) along Riversbend Ave.

Discount Days is a family-owned business that will offer household items, electronics, toys, clothing, and any other items that come in on the truck loads. Item prices will change depending on the day, on Fri., everything is $14, Sat. $8, Sun $4, Mon $2, and Tuesday 2 for $1. The store will also have a retail section of more expensive items where everything is 30-60% off of the retail price.

For more information on Discount Days, including posts about their official opening follow their social media pages via Instagram or Facebook

Torra Tea to open in Spokane Valley

 A new restaurant is coming soon in Spokane Valley, where the Uno Mas Taco Shop once was at 11205 E. Dishman-Mica Rd Suite 104C, by Barney's Harvest Foods grocery store. The new place will be called Torra Tea and will have a large menu, which is tea and whiskey forward.

The tea menu will include extensive black, green, white and yellow loose-leaf teas as well as a wide assortment of herbals to sip hot or iced and tea infused lemonade, mocktails and cocktails. Offerings will include whiskeys and bourbons from the US, Canada, Ireland and Japan and scotch from Scotland.

Torra Tea will offer tea, spirits and bites with overtures of Scotland woven into everything. The nod comes from the business owner's Scottish heritage that she and her husband both share. Torra Tea will be part tea house with elements of traditional tea service but will also offer some unexpected tea services such as their night cap tea and Scottish High Tea, which is a supper and more of a 3-course offering. They will offer small bites for tea and appetizers specializing in savory pies and galettes (savory slab pies). Other entrees will also be available like bourbon maple beef short ribs and lighter meals like soups and salads.

Eventually Torra Tea also plans to host some events such as character teas for the younger crowd, educational evenings on topics like tea/whiskey with food parings, cultural tea classes and the like. The tell me they intend to make Torra Tea a social hub, a place to relax and unwind with friends and family. The space will offer sit down dining with wait staff as well as take out dining options through online ordering a drive up select menu.

As of my writing this, Torra Tea's website and social media pages are still coming soon. But watch the Inland Northwest Business Watch social media pages as I'll likely share some of their info as their new place progresses. Currently the new business is hoping to open sometime in July.

Konala planning new restaurant in Coeur d' Alene, more to come...

 Konala, a local quick service restaurant with healthy options of protein packed poke bowls, teriyaki bowls, salads and more is growing. The company's first eatery is located in small building behind the Bunker Bar, off of Spokane St in Post Falls. And now they are working on a new location coming soon to Coeur d' Alene.

The new Coeur d' Alene Konala will be located in the former Carl's Jr. building at 106 E. Appleway. They plan to open there in early August with the location having the same menu as the original location in Post Falls. This location will be larger so it will include an indoor order counter and small indoor dining area with a portion of the building will be used as office space for the growing company as they plan to begin franchising. 

Both locations are open daily from 10am-9pm and offer a drive thru and delivery via the DoorDash and GrubHub. Additionally, Konala say they are working on opening two locations in Spokane but it is too early to realese where those locations will be and when they will open.

For more information on Konala, visit their website at https://www.konala.com

Big Red's Barn back open in Coeur d' Alene

 Many loyal customers were sad when Big Red's Barn, a popular indoor petting zoo attraction closed back in May in Coeur d' Alene. But since then, the business has come under new ownership and recently re-opened and is now a family-owned operation.

Courtesy photos

Big Red's Barn is located at 7397 N. Government Way in Coeur d' Alene. The new owners (the Harris family) advertise the business as a place to step into a world of furry friends and fascinating creatures at a family-oriented indoor petting zoo. The petting zoo is home to several animals including goats, sloths, reptiles and more. The business' goal in to provide education in a fun setting.

Additionally, Big Red's Barn also offers a private party room that was crowned the best kid's birthday party venue by North Idaho's Business Journal in 2024. Admission is $15 per person, with special discounts given to military, first responders and seniors. The business is open Thursday through Sunday from 10:30a-5:30p.

For more information on Big Red's Barn, visit their website at- https://www.bigredsbarn.com

Phoenix Cafe opening soon in Downtown Spokane

 Spokane based Revival Tea is planning some major upcoming expansions, the company was recently highlighted in an article by our friends over at the Spokane Journal of Business as they hope to become the "Starbucks of tea" with the goal of creating a nationwide presence for the local company. 

But, today we're looking one change the company is making to one of their local operations. Revival Tea is the operator of Spokane Boba Bar in the 400 block of W. Main in Downtown Spokane. And, while they plan to keep being a purveyor of boba they are planning to rebrand the space, adding many items and giving it an all new name.

The storefront will soon be re-opened as Phoenix Cafe, with a new full coffee menu including espresso, as well as acai-tea bowls, and toasts. The goal is to include these new items when they open new locations, with Revival's location in Coeur d' Alene also adding these items. Revival Tea also will continue to operate their separate tasting room operation, also located in the 400 block of W. Main.

For more information on Revival Tea Company, check out their website at https://www.revivalteacompany.com