Bar, grill opening soon at Broadway, Monroe

Hale’s Bar & Grill will open within a few weeks at 1011 W. Broadway, west of Milford’s Fish House. Chris and Cynthia Hale will own and operate the eatery, which will occupy 2,400 square feet of space undergoing extensive renovation. “It’s practically a new building,” Chris Hale said, adding that he plans to add a patio next year for outdoor dining. He said Hale’s will be open for lunch and dinner, serving traditional pub food as well as healthier fare. Hale’s will employ seven people full time, he said. The renovations were undertaken by MGB@GULLC, which purchased the building that includes Milford’s two months ago. Mark Baier said he and partners David Birge and Gavin Swenson liked the location at the corner of Broadway and Monroe. The purchase price was $345,000, he said, and the partnership is paying for some of the improvements to the building. Evans Construction is the contractor. Cheers to that Andy Gardner is ready for his first business. The South Hill Spokane resident will open a neighborhood watering hole called The Hop Shop around Nov. 1. He’s converting a former coin and antique shop at 3803 S. Grand Blvd. into a beer, wine-bar and cheese-plate gathering spot. After working nearly 20 years in the food and restaurant business, Gardner said his South Hill hangout will attempt to be like Cheers but with “really great music.” “I’m modeling what we’ll do after The Lantern,” Gardner said, referring to the popular hangout in the Perry Street neighborhood. The space is not large; its 960 square feet leaves room for a 21-foot bar and a few cozy tables, he said. The shop will operate Tuesdays through Sunday, from 4 p.m. to closing. Because it’s near two schools, Gardner said the Hop Shop will not be open during daytime school hours. New life for Chapter 11 site Spokane Realtor and commercial broker Tom Quigley and two partners are ready to start a retail project at the Mission and Ruby intersection, the near-downtown location of the former Chapter 11 steakhouse, at 105 E. Mission. Work on the four-bay retail project will start after permits are approved, said Quigley. This is the first project for Quigley’s newly named partnership RPIC LLC. Another partner is John Tonani, who has owned several HiCo stores in the area. Interior space will come to just less than 6,000 square feet. One tentative tenant is reviewing lease terms, but could not be identified yet, Quigley said. Its location in the Gonzaga District makes it appealing to potential retailers, he added. Quigley said he expects occupants can get into the building the first quarter of 2010. Bath store name change Washington Bath is changing its name to Luxury Bath of Spokane. The business’s showroom, at 15320 E. Marietta in the Spokane Valley, will sport the new name starting Monday, said local franchise owner Alan Hansen. The change accompanies the company’s introduction of Luxury Bath-brand tubs, showers, wall surrounds, tub-to-shower conversions, roll-in showers and walk-in tubs and showers. The company will host a grand opening at its showroom from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 5. Homes on tour The 5th Fall Festival of Homes, this one featuring 36 homes offered by 21 builders, kicks off the first of two weekends today. Homes ranging in price from $189,000 to $2.2 million will be open for viewing in developments in Liberty Lake, Cheney, Five Mile and points in between. Among the homes are seven Certified Built Green Homes and one that, when sold, will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. The homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Sunday, and Oct. 2-4. The event is free and information packets and maps will be at Eagle Ridge off Highway 195 south of downtown Spokane, River District in Liberty Lake, Crystal Meadows in Cheney, and on Five Mile Heights. More information is available online at www.spokanefestivalofhomes.com. Here’s the Dirt is a weekly report on new developments and business openings, closings or movement in the Inland Northwest. To suggest a topic, send an e-mail to business@spokesman.com or call (509) 459-5528.