New Residents Have Big Appetite For Good Food Poll Reveals Demand For Gourmet Delis, More Health-Conscious Restaurants
How many ex-Californians does it take to support a California-style restaurant?
This isn’t the start of a bad California-bashing joke. It could be the million-dollar entrepreneurial question in the Inland Northwest.
In the past few years, thousands of Californians have moved to the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area. Spokane Chamber of Commerce communications director Michael Archer estimates some 12,000 people have moved to the area from California just since 1993.
Many of these transplants say they fled pollution and crowds but miss California comforts such as gourmet delis and an eclectic array of health-conscious restaurants.
“People want out of the crime-ridden Los Angeleses of the world, but they still want to see some of their favorite businesses after they move,” said Archer, an ex-Californian himself.
Although the infusion of Californians makes some native Northwest residents scorn, local entrepreneurs would be foolish to ignore them, Archer said.
The influence of these new residents was dominant in The Spokesman-Review’s third annual reader poll soliciting ideas for new businesses.
California transplants accounted for onequarter of the 20 CityLine callers, requesting health food chains, ethnic spice stores and Spokane franchises of California-based chains.
Carol May, a Los Angeles native who moved to Spokane two years ago, called to lament the lack of a Trader Joe’s franchise.
The natural food store ubiquitous in greater Los Angeles specializes in healthy, preservative-free items, along with housebrand microbrews and frozen dinners. “And there’s nothing in the ingredients that you can’t pronounce,” May said.
She predicted the store, revered by Southern Californians, would become a smash hit with Washington and Idaho natives, too.
“Prices are incredibly reasonable. They have everything from lasagne to oddball microbrews, and it’s pretty cheap,” May said. “Ask anyone from California, and they’ll say how much they love it.”
But no matter how numerous exCalifornians may seem, experts warn would-be entrepreneurs against the notion that what works there would also work here.
It’s a good idea for a business to try to attract newcomers. It’s not as wise to start a business exclusively for transplants.
“Spokane’s just different. Whatever business you’ve seen somewhere else and you think might work here doesn’t, at least not always,” said Mary Alice Brown, department chair for the School of Business and Management at Community Colleges of Spokane.
“We in Spokane lead an entirely different lifestyle and what we value may be different from what people in California value,” said Brown, who moved here from Denver 15 years ago.
Brown was doubtful that any business could thrive if it relied exclusively on ex-Californian patronage. In order to become successful, California businesses would have to appeal at least in part to Spokane natives, and that’s no easy feat, Brown said.
“In a California-based restaurant or that kind of thing, the owners would have to have a wonderful marketing strategy. Spokane people seem to me to be pretty loyal to Spokane businesses, so it could be an uphill battle for a foreigner,” she said.
In fact, other CityLine callers backed up Brown’s sketch of the loyal local.
A few weeks ago while he was petting his dog, South Hill resident Lowell Lehman noticed that the dog’s identification tags had “made in San Francisco” printed on the back. This outraged the Spokane native, who wants to see more locally made products.
“It seems like somewhere in Spokane County, some business could be making the money that’s going to California,” he said.
He was particularly disgruntled by the tags because they were issued by Spokane County, he said.
“If it were individuals buying outof-the-county products, it’d be different. But the county itself is going out of the county for its business!” Lowell shouted.
So why doesn’t Lowell take on the dog-eat-dog world of small business ownership and make the tags himself?
“Maybe after I retire in two-and-ahalf years I’ll do something like that,” said the 50-year-old who works at SuperValu in the Valley. “Now, though, I’ve got too much time invested in my current job. I’m not in a position to start a new career.”
Despite (or maybe because of) The Spokesman-Review’s pleas for suggestions other than restaurants, about half of the callers implored local entrepreneurs to open more eateries.
Most requested no-fat fast food and restaurants whose menus list calories and cholesterol content - concepts that could whet the appetite of ex-Californians and attract longtime residents as well.
Carla Grytdal didn’t care if exCalifornians or native Spokane folk reaped profits on a health food/fast food restaurant. The Hillyard resident just wants to see someone start it, and to help them out, she’s already fleshed out the prototype with exacting detail.
“It would sell turkey burgers with no-fat cheese and no-fat mayo. Then you could order celery and carrot sticks in the same style box you get for french fries at McDonald’s,” she said.
Grytdal began to conceptualize the restaurant - which she would name “Something Different” - about three years ago when she started trying to diet but was plagued by the seduction of fast food convenience. When she gave birth to a daughter nine months ago, her need for convenience and a weight loss regime intensified.
“Fast food is like death for someone trying to lose weight,” the 34-year-old said. “This would be a great alternative.”
Other food-related requests included upscale bakeries, dinner theaters on Lake Coeur d’Alene and restaurants specializing in baked turkey.
One Coeur d’Alene caller requested a relatively inexpensive fish joint such as Long John Silvers. She also wanted a Jack In The Box because so many North Idaho fast food drive-throughs were jammed at lunch, she said.
About 10 obedient callers did not request food-related businesses. What the Inland Northwest needs, they said, were concierge services, pre-made screen manufacturers, concrete repairers, a decent radio station and more stores catering exclusively to knitters.
xxxx NEWCOMER IDEAS Residents who recently moved here were full of ideas for new businesses. Here are some of the suggestions: Bread bakery specializing in upscale, non-loaf breads: restaurant-quality rolls, bread sticks, buns and pastries. Spokane franchise of Trader Joe’s, a California-based convenience store/deli. Health-conscious fast-food and sitdown restaurants. Dinner theater on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Relocation liaison service. Grocery store specializing in hard-tofind spices for exotic or ethnic cuisine. Source: Spokesman-Review poll