Leaving A Loyal Following

The numbers and passion bring a fitting conclusion to the final chapter of Mr. Steak in Coeur d’Alene.

The numbers involve both the restaurant and its successor, an addition to the Interlake Medical Building, while the passion belongs to Mr. Steak’s staff and ownership.

Later this month the 17-year-old Mr. Steak building at Lincoln Way and Emma Avenue will be razed to make way for a 34,000-square-foot addition to the Interlake building, which connects to Kootenai Medical Center with a tunnel under Ironwood Drive.

The remodeling will involve adding two stories and an extension eastward to the existing one-level North Idaho Cancer Center. It will also add 55 parking spaces and access from Emma Avenue.

With various offices and services taking new and larger locations within the complex, the cancer center will expand to occupy most of the second floor. Several prospects are being considered for lease space that will be available on all three floors, including 4,000 on both the first and second floors and 12,000 on the third.

Several of the 20 medical practices within the existing building may expand or relocate. Built in 1986 and expanded in 1991, Interlake’s third phase will make it 109,000 square feet, one of the largest buildings in North Idaho. It has about 300 employees.

Owners Charlie Nipp and Stephen Meyer of Parkwood Business Properties hope to bring in new tenants in April.

Coeur d’Alene native Nipp also owns the Mr. Steak building. He is graduate of Coeur d’Alene High School, where he was a guard on the 1963 state championship basketball team. He played at Whitworth College and coached in Lake Oswego, Ore., for 12 years.

After returning to Coeur d’Alene, he started The Landing Restaurant in the space of the current Jimmy D’s Restaurant on Sherman Avenue. Mr. Steak, a pioneer in providing a “no-smoking” area, was built in 1982.

Looking at books in an office filled with numerous photos and commendations, Nipp and Mr. Steak manager Jeff Mallett calculated the following numbers: The business has given away more than 148,000 birthday dinners and 2,000 Thanksgiving dinners for needy people and it has employed 500 people with a payroll of about $4 million.

The success has resulted in a loyal customer and employee base.

“We are overwhelmed with the response to our closing,” said Nipp, 55. “The last week is going to be very hard.”

The business will close with an all-time employee party Sept. 21. Former employees are asked to call Mallett at 666-1537.

Looking over all the hand-made tables and partitions that Nipp and his brother Dave built, Charlie said no plans have been made regarding the restaurant’s furnishing. He hinted that “it’s possible” another restaurant could be in the future.

Meanwhile, Nipp and Mallett have helped 16 of the current 30 employees find jobs. All are staying at Mr. Steak until the final day.

“The loyalty is just a tremendous credit to Jeff,” Nipp said. “It’s been a very moving experience.”

Catering and delivery will be the focus of Idaho Ruby’s Bistro & Catering Co. With the remodeling of its spaces at 206 N. Fourth St. In Coeur d’Alene. Owner Curtis Ellis said the increase in the catering business will allow him to cut expenses by closing the luncheon portion of his business, which he has owned for seven years. Ellis moved from Reno, Nev.

Closing thoughts: Coeur d’Alene needs some organized excitement for the Labor Day weekend. The gloomy weather notwithstanding, we took guests to a quiet downtown. Meanwhile, Spokane’s Riverfront Park area was rocking with Pig Out in the Park.

Spokane’s new AMC Cinema Complex definitely is a winner, with elevated stadium seating and super sound technology. Afternoon ticket prices are affordable, but the concession and parking costs raise your eyebrows. Downtown Coeur d’Alene could benefit by a similar-but-smaller theater facility, though it could harm existing theaters.

Meanwhile, a friend told how his out-of-state plate got him a courtesy “warning” overtime notice on a meter, something CdA should employ.

A source says that many downtown employees use the spaces in front of their businesses after 6 p.m. when the parking cops disappear. Too bad.