Wing Stop planning location in Downtown Spokane

 

Wing Stop, the Texas based chain of Chicken Wing restaurants is expanding it's presence in the Spokane market with a new franchise location coming soon to Downtown Spokane. This will be the chain's fifth restaurant in Spokane County, with another location also open in Coeur d' Alene. We reached out to the Utah based franchise owner and we're told they also are hoping to open more locations in our area but as of now the Downtown location is the only one in development locally.

The new Downtown Spokane Wing Stop will be located in the Gateway to Spokane building at 2 W. Third Ave Suite 104, which was formerly a locally owned home decor store. Plans call for a remodel of the space before opening with the general contractor still listed as TBD on building permit documents. The space is a little shy of 1500 square feet with the remodeling project estimated to cost $300,000. The space will include a small indoor dining area but like other Wing Stop restaurants orders will be available for carry out or delivery.

No opening date is set for the new location but is estimated to be sometime this Winter. Wing Stop was founded in 1994 and today has over 2500 locations with stores in 14 different countries. Their menu consists primarily of chicken wings and chicken tenders. For more information on Wing Stop visit their website at https://www.wingstop.com

New strip mall planned near Poleline & Hwy 41 in Post Falls

 

Courtesy photo

The Highway 41 corridor on the eastern edge of Post Falls continues to be white hot with new businesses and development projects. Located in the heart of this area is the North Point development from Hayden based Corhaven Properties on the northeast side of the Hwy. 41 and Poleline Rd. intersection.

Earlier new stand-alone 7-11 and Grocery Outlet stores opened there and just a few weeks ago they also announced the upcoming construction of a McDonald's fast-food restaurant with dual drive through lanes. But next up will be a new construction strip mall with 4 bays that should start construction in the Spring of 2026 on the vacant lot in-between the new McDonald's and Grocery Outlet.

They are currently planning to have the new strip mall complete sometime during the Fall of 2026 with four versatile retail units, with one including a drive-thru window. There are no tenants that can be announced for the project as actual construction hasn't even commenced yet but pre-leasing for the site now underway and there is already interest. For information on leasing space in this new development and growing part of Post Falls contact Jeff Ottmar with NAI Black at 509-385-8889 . The development site also has two more pad sites available, so we expect more new business announcements from this site in the future so stay tuned.

Gena's Mexican Kitchen coming soon on the South Hill

 

A new restaurant is coming soon to Spokane's South Hill as the locally owned and operated Gena's Mexican Kitchen is working on their new location at 501 E. 30th Ave., the place is a little under a block west of the Manito Shopping Center and might be a recognizable address for some as the place was formerly the long running Gordy's Sichwan Cafe, that recently closed down.

The new restaurant is hoping to open sometime within the next few weeks, but doesn't have an opening date set yet as they are still working and waiting on health department approval. Gena's Mexican Kitchen say they will have authentic Mexican food with a full bar with items for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Their website appears to still be under construction as of my writing this but watch https://genasmexicankitchen.com/ and give them a follow-on social media via Facebook

Jampod opens in Spokane

 

Courtesy photo- JamPod

Spokane's musicians might want to make note of a new business now open, just east of Downtown at 2012 E. Sprague. That new business is JamPod and is a locally owned and operated establishment offering premium, fully equipped music rehearsal rooms for bands and artists alike.  

JamPod currently offer four rooms (aka pods) available for bands or musicians to rehearse or collaborate. As before mentioned the rooms are fully equipped, meaning the musician only needs to bring their own sticks and instruments and then prepare to rock out (or whatever type of music you preform). JamPod also has three silent rehearsal rooms that even have the capacity to record within them. The new business also plans to have some retail merchandise as well, featuring local guitar builders over the major brands like Fender and Gibson.

In the future the owners of JamPod intend to add things like open mic and jam nights, with more plans to grow and add to their offerings. For more information and to see what's going on a JamPod, visit their website at https://thejampod.com and give them a follow on social media via Facebook or Instagram

Big Flipper, pinball bar coming to Coeur d' Alene

 

Courtesy photo- Big Flipper

There's something cool and new coming to Coeur d' Alene. Big Flipper is opening soon and is already hosting soft opening events in their new place at 312 E. Annie Ave., in-between 3rd and 4th, nearby Thai Bamboo in Midtown Coeur d' Alene. The new locally owned and operated business is small pinball forward bar with over 20 different pinball machines spanning five decades, including a few rare gems!

In addition to pinball, Big Flipper also offers classic arcade games and two Skee-Ball lanes. Pinball tournaments and leagues will also be coming soon, as well as private event rentals. In addition to all the games at Big Flipper the new business will also have beer, wine, canned cocktails and what they describe as a "tasty, curated menu". Their goal is "your new favorite hangout" and in a time where so called Third Places are missing this will likely be a welcomed addition to Coeur d' Alene.

For more information, and to watch for their upcoming grand opening, give Big Flipper a follow-on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/bigflippercda/

Supa! Authentic Japanese Kitchen planning new location in Downtown Spokane

 

Courtesy photo by Supa! Authentic Japanese Kitchen.

Locally owned and operated, Supa! Authentic Japanese Kitchen is working on their new third location. This time they will open their doors in Downtown Spokane, taking over the storefront that was last Soulful Soups and Spirits at 117 N. Howard St. . Soulful Soups recently re-opened under new ownership at 111 S. Madison, still remaining in the Downtown area. 

Supa! also operates locations in Cheney at 321 First and in Post Falls at 3904 E. Mullan Ave. Suite K.  They haven't released an opening date for the new Downtown restaurant, but it should open within the next few weeks. Supa! serves sushi, poke bowls, ramen and various boba teas. At opening they plan to also offer beer as an option in addition their standard non-alcoholic beverages. They also indicated to me that one day they hope to have bar or something similar on the rooftop of the building, although that won't be at the opening.

The restaurant's menu is available for indoor dining, take away or delivery via DoorDash. For more information on Supa! Authentic Japanese Kitchen, visit their website at http://lovesupa.com

VOA to celebrate grand opening of new Crosswalk Youth Shelter

 Volunteers of America Eastern Washington (VOA) will celebrate the grand opening of the new Crosswalk Youth Shelter at the new shelter on Thursday, August 28th from 1-3pm with remarks and dedication of Crosswalk Youth Shelter and Cannon Hall at 1pm. 

Courtesy photo- VOA

Since 1985, Crosswalk has been more than just a shelter it's been a lifeline says VOA but as Spokane has grown and changed so have the challenges faced by its youth. The Downtown shelter at 525 W. 2nd Ave. had become a place that did not meet the needs of the youth and could no longer support the full range of services youth need to thrive. When invited to help design their future shelter, youth described a fresh start - "a home in a neighborhood away from the stress of downtown, surrounded by green spaces and close to schools." The new facility is bright, modern, and filled with natural light, was designed with the youth it serves, offering not just safety, but dignity and belonging.

The new Crosswalk Youth Shelter stands next to Spokane Community College, Chief Garry Park, CHAS Health, and VOA Young Adult Shelter at 1440 N. Haven. The new Crosswalk Shelter features a welcoming shelter space on the first floor, the second floor is named Cannon Hall and hosts dorm style rooms for youth enrolled in education or employment programs. And the third floor is home to the VOA administration team.

The grand opening event will take place inside the new building with a ribbon cutting ceremony, and tours and refreshments available to all after the ceremony. To learn more about the works of VOA, visit their local website at http://voaspokane.com

Wings Pan to open new location in North Spokane

 

Courtesy photo- Wings Pan

Las Vegas has "The Strip" with numerous Casinos and other entertainment venues, while we in Spokane have "The Chicken Strip" and area of North Spokane where multiple chain chicken restaurants have set up shop. And the Chicken Strip is now expanding southward but also gaining a locally owned and operated chicken option. One that actually does have a somewhat different spin compared to what's there. I know I for one would love to see the crowds Chick-fil-a or Rasing Cane's bring at a new local restaurant.

That new local restaurant is Wings Pan and currently has its original restaurant at 401 1st St. in Cheney, which will also remain open as this will be their second store. The new location will be at 7115 N. Division Suite A, the space formerly occupied by Jalisco's Mexican Restaurant. Wings Pan is owned and operated by a Korean-American family and serves hand crafted Buffalo Wings, Korean Fried Chicken and Bulgogi Bowls. 

Currently Wings Pan is planning to open the North Spokane location sometime in September after they complete some renovations. In coming months, they also plan to build out a patio area for use once the warm weather returns next year. Some new menu items will likely also be added with the new location, and they will continue to be all gluten free.

For more information on Wings Pan, pay them a visit at their original location in Cheney, visit their website at https://wingspaneats.com/ , and give them a follow-on social media via Instagram or Facebook

Active & outdoor retailer Sierra opening Spokane Valley store this weekend

 

Courtesy photo- Sierra

Part of the TJ Maxx family of brands, Sierra, the off-price retailer known for offering high quality active and outside products at low prices will open their newest store at Evergreen Crossing Shopping Center in Spokane Valley on Saturday, August 23rd. The store is within a 19,000 square foot space at 13814 E. Indiana Ave, and is the second Sierra store in the Inland Northwest as another opened earlier this year near the corner of US 95 and Wilbur Ave. in Coeur d' Alene.

The new Spokane Valley Sierra store will open its doors with a grand opening celebration Saturday starting at 8:00 am, including music from a local DJ, Sierra branded giveaways, and a hidden tag activity offering shoppers a chance to win a Sierra gift card. The store will offer a wide selection of active and outside apparel, footwear, and gear - all from top-tier brands at prices the fit every budget. To support the local community in Spokane Valley, Sierra has made a $10,000 donation to the non-profit organization, Our Place Spokane .

"We're excited to be returning to Washington, bringing Sierra's off-price shopping experience to the residents of Spokane Valley,"  said Amanda Johnson, Assistant Vice President, Marketing Director with Sierra. "Our goal at Sierra is to support and active lifestyle for everyone by providing access to premium apparel, footwear and gear. We're committed to helping people find everything they need to stay moving year-round, doing the activates they love the most."

Sierra was founded in 1986 and is part of TJX Companies,Inc. the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the US and worldwide. The brand reports currently having 132 stores and also sells via its website https://sierra.com

New Planet Fitness coming soon to North Spokane

 

The national fitness club chain, Planet Fitness is expanding and adding to their Inland Northwest presence with a new location now in the permitting phase in North Spokane. The company, operating under Fit SpokNorth,LLC filed for a change of use permit for a new location at 9534 N. Newport Hwy. This will be located in the southern end of the building that was once a Shopko store, just north of The Y in North Spokane. This will be the last vacant space in the building as the other spaces are already occupied by a Ross and HomeGoods stores.

Building plans included in the permit filing show the new Planet Fitness will take a 24,501 square feet space for a gym, storage area, tanning/massage and locker rooms/showers. As the information for this new location is coming from a source other than Planet Fitness or its franchise holder no opening date is available just yet. The tenant improvement project is expected to cost $1.2 million and while the general contractor is shown as TBD, the architect on the project is DKMullin Architects of Moscow,ID.

This will be the fourth Planet Fitness location in Spokane and Kootenai County as others are already open at 1617 W. Northwest Blvd in Spokane, 13112 E. Sprague Ave. in Spokane Valley and 200 W. Hanley in Coeur d' Alene. Planet Fitness is a New Hampshire based company with around 2800 locations in North America, Australia and the Dominican Republic, for more information, visit their website at http://planetfitness.com

You read us, now help us!

 

Nice to meet you! I'm Matt Behringer, writer, editor, CEO and all-around good guy at Inland Northwest Business Watch.

Inland Northwest Business Watch is not a large company with a newsroom, agenda, big high paid staff or really much more than a 40-year guy with an a somewhat unusual obsession with finding and supporting new local businesses. But now that I've built this site many in the Spokane and Kootenai County area do turn to me to find out what's going in there. Sure, I miss a bit, and I misspell somethings or use bad grammar occasionally (and you all love to call me out on those!) but I still love what this site has become. But, despite its small size it's not free to run so it's that time I get to join the crowd of people asking for a bit of your money as a thank you or as a tip.

Donating to Inland Northwest Business Watch is not now, nor will it ever be required but it does help pay the bills that lately have been increasing. For those of you familiar with me , Matt Behringer, that 40-year guy who runs this site you know I relocated at the end of 2023 to Ohio but do the site remotely and with the assistance of Spokane based connections. But my goal is to return to the area more frequently to meet in person with local business owners and those making a difference in the Inland Northwest and donations do assist in this. I want to tell more businesses stories!

Donations will always be available by clicking the "Support us" link at the top of the page. But I also recently added a "Buy Me a Coffee" link as well at the URL listed below. Want to give $2 as a thank you? You're awesome and thank you. Have I helped you find leads and want to make sure this site doesn't go anywhere and toss a larger monthly amount my way? You're also awesome and thank you. Just can't give anything but want to keep checking the site periodically because you want to impress your friends with knowing when a new restaurant is coming to Spokane? You're awesome too and thank you!

Donate via Buy Me a Coffee-

https://buymeacoffee.com/inlandnwbusiness

Photos and leads are welcome!

Another way to support Inland Northwest Business Watch is by being our boots on the ground. As I mentioned, I now live in a small town north of Columbus,OH and do this site remotely from there. I plan to make frequent visits to the Lilac City and might end up living there again in the future but for now this can be a site partially ran by the community. If you know of something opening, even if it's your own business, send me an email and tell me what you know. 

See construction starting somewhere, snap a picture and email it to me! I can and will give you credit, unless you don't want it. 

My email (which I also have to pay for!)-

Matt.Behringer@inlandnwbusiness.com

Thank you for your time! 

New Rum & Tapas Bar coming soon to Downtown Spokane

 

Work and licensing is under way for a new Rum & Tapas bar that is coming soon to Downtown Spokane. Local business owner Brian Harkey, who owns Cease and Desist, also in Downtown Spokane is planning to open a new business called Plunder which will be located at 108 N. Washington Suite 105. The space was last used a long running business called Left Bank Wine Bar.

Plunder doesn't have an opening date as of yet, but they do hope to open with the next couple of months. The place is described as a Rum/Taquila/Mezcal bar with tapas style bites. Food items will be from Latin America with things like Ceviche, Cubano sliders, Empanadas' and similar with many exciting drink options.

A website and social media for Plunder are also coming soon. Keep and eye on the Inland Northwest Business Watch social media in lieu as I plan to include updates as this exciting new eatery progresses.