Handle on Business: New German eatery to serve lunch, dinner

A March 1 opening is anticipated for Coeur d’Alene Hofbrau, a German restaurant at 1726 W. Kathleen Ave. (just west of the car wash at the Ramsey Road intersection). The 5,500-square-foot facility will be open for lunch and dinner daily.

Both the food and decor will reflect German taste. The bar will have 12 stools, and the restaurant will hold about 140 customers at booths and tables and in a banquet room. Food will be served like a reverse buffet. Customers will take trays to the food bar where they will order sandwiches or dinners. Sandwiches include beef, turkey, knockwurst, pastrami and ham and can include a choice of 13 salads, soups and drinks. Dinners include roast beef, turkey or ham and come with choices of rice or potatoes, salads, veggies, rolls and beverages. Desserts are extra.

The building has Tudor-style architecture on the outside and plenty of custom wainscoting on the inside. A crown molding will be decorated with old German beer steins. It resembles the Hofbrau restaurant that owners Bill and Roxanne Wagner had in Fresno, Calif.

“The original steins had lids to keep the flies out,” Bill Wagner said in an earlier interview, “Germans like their beer warm, and warm beer attracts flies.”

The beer here, however, will be cold. The Wagners originally are from Pennsylvania and Minnesota. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Hofbrau will have 12 to 15 employees.

2nd Street Deli opens downtown

A relaxing atmosphere and a variety of foods, drinks and services are offered at 2nd Street Deli. The eatery opened Feb. 2 at 403 Second St. between Monster Muscle and the Lakers Tavern in Coeur d’Alene.

Owners Janell Zupan and Jason Tiedeman serve several sandwiches (including meatball subs), nachos, salads, sausages, breakfasts (all day), smoothies, protein shakes, espressos, gourmet coffees and chai tea. They’ll add ice cream in April. The menu has different specials each day.

The place (in the MacArthur Building, dated 1946), has a lounge atmosphere with a plasma TV, leather chairs, a comfy couch and bar-stool tables. They also offer take-out and free downtown delivery.

Zupan came from Kingston and Tiedeman from Hawaii and Las Vegas before they met at the University of Idaho and moved to Coeur d’Alene.

Store hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sundays. Phone 667-3757.

Tidbits have variety this week

“Friday was the last business day for the Doma Coffee Shop at Fifth and Sherman in Coeur d’Alene. Watch for a new “small plate” eatery that will still serve Doma Coffee in the same spot. Details later.

“84 Lumber in Post Falls is adding a Circle 3 Truss Plant to its complex at 6339 W. Integrity Way in Stateline Business Park (take the Pleasant View exit north off I-90). It will be the eighth building on 84 Lumber’s 15-acre parcel.

“Last weekend we had the honor of seeing Michael McGivney give his final performance as a quick-change artist during the vaudeville show at Lake City Playhouse. McGivney has performed the skillful act around the world, learning from his British father who did the act for 50 years before Michael, who still builds theater sets for North Idaho College and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre.

“Hmmm. Attention businesses and public entities (including doctors and dentists on Lincoln Way) – pedestrians, including schoolchildren, still have to walk in the dangerous streets because you haven’t cleared your sidewalks on major arterials.

“Thanks for the kind words of concern for cancer victims who have the availability and care of stores such as the new (detailed in this space last week) Exclusively Wigs shop in Coeur d’Alene.