Rathdrum Kids Rejoice
The old-timers would never have believed it: a McDonald’s in Rathdrum. Well, it’s true, folks.
If everything goes smoothly, the Mickey D’s in the first capital of Kootenai County will open Friday morning.
Fifty-two employees will work at the restaurant. Customers will have their choice of sitting on any one of 50 chairs, getting take-out from two cashiers or picking up food at the drive-through.
Located at 712 Main St., across from Lakeland High School, the building is 2,975 square feet and will be open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Rather than worrying about which line is faster, customers can use a new single-line service for the next available cashier.
Store owners are Richard and Polly Jeffery, who’ve owned the Newport McDonald’s for six years. A native of Millwood, Wash., Richard has been with McDonald’s for 34 years since he started in Bellevue, Wash. The company, headquartered in Oakbrook, Ill., has about 26,000 stores. The manager in Rathdrum is Jennifer Wagner, who transferred from the Newport store.
Antiques and collectibles stores are becoming a mainstay in Coeur d’Alene as reliable tourists and residents help keep these businesses “safe” yearround.
Traditions is a new shop at 313 Sherman Ave., above the Winecellar. The 1,300-square-foot store features upscale early and Western American items, pottery, china, gifts and Maxfield Parrish prints.
Owners Jeffrey and Tracy Gagnon had a space in the nearby Wiggett Antique Mall, which is owned by Jeffrey’s mother, Willene Gagnon. The couple now leases space to 14 antique dealers in Traditions.
Originally from St. Paul, Minn., Jeffrey came to Coeur d’Alene in 1973 and also is a certified estate appraiser. Tracy originally is from Butte, Mont. Traditions is open at 10 a.m. daily. Phone: 665-7120.
Hoping to take advantage of the stable medical and hospitality businesses in Kootenai County, a uniform and accessories store called Scrubs N’ Stuff has opened at 1801 Lincoln Way, Coeur d’Alene.
Susie Peterson, who worked in the medical services field for 20 years in North Idaho, said she saw a need for a uniform store and started the business with partner Bonnie Zimmerman, who had been a co-worker. Peterson was raised in Coeur d’Alene and resides in Kingston. Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Zimmerman moved to Athol about five years ago.
Scrubs N’ Stuff is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Phone: 676-8159.
Here are a flock of tidbits:
Ah, perhaps the service at local businesses can survive the “sales” at the big box boys. A Coeur d’Alene shopper said she found her husband’s “perfect” desk chair through personal service at The Inkwell - after first searching at the huge, new office supply places.
Unable to find snow blades in large stores in the neighboring city, my family found them in Coeur d’Alene’s new Silver Mountain Sports store.
Oops. Knudtsen Chevrolet’s 800-number advertisement in the GTE Yellow Pages raised more than a few eyebrows. With a mistake in the digits, the number yields an ad for a 900-line phone-sex company, which refused to change its number at GTE’s request. Evidently, the phone company monetarily settled with Knudtsen. This might help the long-established car dealer build a new building in Post Falls this year.
Monday, Skate Plaza celebrated 20 years in Coeur d’Alene with original D.J. King John. Owners Marvin and Pat Miller now are helped by seven family members. The family-style roller rink, which was remodeled in 1997, features an arcade, Perky’s Pizza and screened music.
New recipes of Chinese and Vietnamese foods are offered by Treasa Tran, new owner of the Canton Restaurant, 113 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene. Tran, who came from Vietnam to Spokane in 1992, has three employees and is open for lunch and dinner daily.