Cda Getting Greek Eatery

Greek cuisine is on its way to downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The Olympia Restaurant has a target opening date of Dec. 28 in the former Heathcliff’s space at Third and Lakeside, said Pete Tsakarestos, son of owners Constantin and Fotini Tsakarestos.

Lunches and dinners, featuring authentic Greek gyros and salads, will be offered 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Prices will be about $5-$6 for lunches and $10-$12 for dinners. Beer and wine will be available. The renovated restaurant will seat about 45.

The Tsakarestos family came to Missoula from Greece 23 years ago. The move to Coeur d’Alene is for the beauty of the area and because Coeur d’Alene needed a Greek restaurant, Pete said. Phone 666-9495.

Claiming a No. 1 national rating by consumers, Papa John’s Pizza opened in Coeur d’Alene last week.

The take-out and delivery store faces Lincoln Way in the space formerly occupied by a subway sandwich shop in the west wing of Ironwood Square.

Franchise owner Mike Carnovali said he plans 27 stores for the region, including eight in Spokane. He opened stores earlier in Moses Lake, his home town, and Pullman and will open stores in January in Moscow and the Spokane Valley.

Now living in Seattle, Carnovali graduated in hotel management from Washington State University and became involved with Papa John’s while living in Savannah, Ga. He said he saw promise in the company and purchased regional franchise rights.

The Northwest is the last area of the country being reached by Louisville-based Papa John’s, which just passed Pizza Hut in popularity, Carnovali said. The 14-year-old company has more than 2,000 stores.

The quality of the product, which features all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, and reasonable pricing have led to Papa John’s success, Carnovali said. The Coeur d’Alene store will have 15 to 30 seasonal employees. Phone 676-9292.

A variety of designer and sculptured rugs is offered at Area Rugs, which opened last week in Fairgrounds Center on Government Way across from the North Idaho Fairgrounds. The 800-square-foot shop formerly housed a collectable-card business.

The rugs measure 6 by 9 feet (for $65) or 3 by 5 feet ($42), and feature Oriental, Southwest and tapestry designs or sculptured designs cut into the rug. Manufactured in Maine and Georgia, the rugs are made of stain-resistant polyolefin.

The business is a subsidiary of M & M Development, a high-end residential construction company owned by Greg and Trish Mertens. They came to North Idaho from Canyon Lake, Calif., after visiting friends here.

Area Rugs is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

The Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau will receive $186,380 in grants to promote regional travel during 1999. The grants are a portion of $2 million generated in Idaho by a fund created by 45 percent of the state’s 2 percent lodging tax. Last summer’s lodging revenues were up 6.6 percent over 1997.

Money will be used for advertising, research and maintaining toll-free visitor information phone lines.

Other grants involving North Idaho entities included: $79,091 to the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, $69,192 to the North Idaho Tourism Alliance, $62,676 to the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association, $31,000 to Kellogg Project Uplift, $30,192 to the Idaho RV Campground Owners Association, $23,655 to the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, $18,700 to Silver Valley Resort Association, $18,160 to the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce, and $7,500 to the Priest River Chamber of Commerce.

The top grants were $408,511 to the Boise Convention & Visitors’ Bureau and $255,000 to the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber of Commerce.

Tidbit:

Next month Idahoans can pay $10 extra for a Ski Idaho license plate with the extra money going toward promoting Idaho ski areas. Makes you wonder where the “Famous Potatoes” money goes.