Roller Valley Closed For Remodeling, Will Reopen In August

When July’s rainy days force skaters to seek drier venues, they’ll find the doors at Roller Valley conspicuously locked.

“We are updating the building and just kind of bringing it into the 21st century,” said Colleen Bernstein, who owns the business with her husband, Ives.

Construction crews are remodeling and expanding the rink’s snack bar. The renovations will open up more seating in the concessions area.

Bernstein said they are also installing their own pizza oven and adding new munchies to the snack bar menu. The snack bar had served pizza in the past, but it was always ordered in.

In addition to pizza, the new offerings will include hamburgers, french fries, chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks.

Roller Valley, 9415 E. Fourth, also will install more televisions throughout the building so parents who are not skating can watch sports and other programs while they wait for their children kids.

Skaters will notice a bigger, better light show on the rink floor. And starting in the fall, Bernstein said, there will be a dance during what is usually the last hour of skating on Friday nights.

The Bernsteins took over the rink in 1993 from Colleen’s father, Jim Hughes. Originally known as Skatetown, it opened in 1976.

The rink now rents in-line skates as well as traditional roller skates.

The remodeling started this month and Roller Valley will be closed throughout July. A grand re-opening is planned for Aug. 2.

Bernstein said they will also launch a Web site this fall so skaters can check upcoming special events and skating times.

“We just feel we’re finally rounding the corner into the new century,” she said.

Tired of hamburgers?

At Pinocchio’s Italian Express, they’ll serve up Italian meals faster than you can say “eggplant parmigiana.”

Partners Chris Flaig and Sergey Laptev will open their new fast-food Italian restaurant at 11511 E. Sprague on Monday.

Patrons can pair their choice of pasta with any homemade sauce for an entree that is served with bread. The menu also includes sandwiches, soups, and baked pasta favorites such as ziti, lasagna and parmigiana.

“The bread is going to be baked fresh every day,” Flaig said. And the sauces, raviolli, and soup will be made at the eatery.

Flaig, a transplant from Queens, New York, and Laptev, who is originally from Russia, hatched plans for similar restaurants independently. But they started planning to open Pinocchio’s after they met.

For the last month and a half, the men have been cleaning, painting and remodeling the old Taco Johns restaurant building. Diners can eat at the restaurant, order at the drivethru window or have a meal delivered.

Pinocchio’s will have 12 full- and part-time employees. The menu will eventually be expanded to include pizza and calzones.

If the venture is successful, Flaig and Laptev plan to open more locations in Spokane. They also hope Pinocchio’s will become the prototype for a national chain.

“There are too many burger franchises and not enough other choices,” Flaig said.

Furniture store closing

After a little over a year, Oak Mill Furniture has closed its Spokane Valley store.

Owner Zach Ziegler said the shop at 14909 E. Sprague was just too small to offer Valley residents enough choices. The Valley store had about 5,000 square feet, compared to the 20,000 square feet of floor space at the Oak Mill’s store on North Division.

Although Ziegler closed the store last month, he hasn’t given up on the Valley. A database he keeps that tracks customers shows the North Division location just isn’t attracting Valley residents.

He said he is looking for a bigger store, with a nicer showroom area. He hopes to reopen a Valley location in the next year or two.

“We’re still looking for the right price,” he said.