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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

The Dirt

Hobby Lobby plans second Spokane store

Nationwide craft retailer Hobby Lobby will open a second Spokane store later this year, the company announced.

It will take over part of the former Hastings store at 7706 N. Division St. It’s spending about $750,000 to convert the building, said Scott Nelson, Hobby Lobby’s assistant vice president of real estate.

The Oklahoma City-based company sells do-it-yourself crafts, hobby supplies and assorted home items. It opened a Spokane Valley store in 2010.

Nelson said the current owner will turn the building over to Hobby Lobby by next month. It will take about four months to get the building ready for business, he said.

It expects to hire 35 to 40 employees, he said.

The business will be a few hundred yards from a North Division Michaels store, a Hobby Lobby competitor. Nelson said the location decision had nothing to do with Michaels. “It’s all about availability (of a building),” he said, adding that Hobby Lobby realized it has customers who didn’t want to drive to the Valley.

Chipotle Mexican Grill to open

Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first Spokane restaurant later this spring, the company said.

It’s going into 922 N. Division St., a former Hollywood Video location near Gonzaga University.

Company spokesman Chris Arnold said the goal is to hire about 25 local workers.

Chris Bell, of NAI Black, brokered the lease for Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Based in Denver, the company has more than 1,100 locations worldwide.