New owners reopen Tony’s Restaurant

A renovated option for nearby lakeview dining opens today. The “new” Tony’s Restaurant will offer dinner tonight and daily on Lakeshore Drive east of Coeur d’Alene.

Offering Italian-inspired cuisine, Tony’s has been completely revamped but retains its original home-style atmosphere – without the cigarette smoke. It seats about 130 customers in the dining room and bar and will add a deck – and probably breakfast and lunch – by next summer.

New owners Paul and Bonnie D’Alessandro came from Sacramento, where they also had a restaurant. Their daughter Cheyenne, who trained at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, N.Y., and in Florence, Italy, will be the head chef.

Although changing daily depending on what’s available and fresh, the menu will include fish, steak, pastas and salads, all emphasizing the use of olive oil and garlic. Beer, wine and a full bar are offered.

The 65-year history of the place is important, according to architect Rann Haight, who with his wife, Samm, persuaded the D’Alessandros to join them from Sacramento. The Haights came here in 1995. The restaurant originally was called Jeanette’s. The permanent name for the place is not certain. The longtime owners were the Tony Carneiro family, some of who planned to attend the “soft opening” Wednesday night.

With its own dock for 20 boats across the road, the restaurant will serve customers from the lake and Centennial Trail. It will be remodeled and redesigned over the winter. A fireplace will be added soon.

For now, it will open at 5:30 p.m. daily. Phone 667-9885.

Best Buy coming soon

Best Buy, the nation’s leading retailer in technology and entertainment products, is coming to Coeur d’Alene. The 20,000-square-foot store with about 50 employees will open next spring on the northwest corner of Highway 95 and Wilbur Avenue.

The 40-year-old company sells name-brand computers, cameras, home appliances, phones, office products and entertainment items such as CDs, movies and games. The company prides itself on having employees who are familiar with the products and are personable with customers.

The North Idaho store will be about half the size of its sister stores in Spokane and Missoula. Construction should start in July on two acres, owned by Parkwood Business Properties, north of the company’s Silverlake-at-95 development that includes Borders Books, PetCo, TJ Maxx, Pier 1 Imports and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Best Buy, which will lease the building from Parkwood, has 614 stores in 48 states. Its headquarters is in Richfield, Minn.

Produce Guys producing

The second store for The Produce Guys is under construction in Coeur d’Alene. The new store will be at 280 E. Kathleen Ave., which is between Government Way and Fourth Street and across from the fairgrounds.

With a mid-August opening planned, the store will offer a full-service deli, bakery and organic items in addition to the fresh produce, fish, wines and the “regular” market items it sells in its original space at 100 W. Prairie Ave., which it will retain.

Owners Greg and Lynne Richmond will increase their number of employees to seven with the new store. The Pasty Depot restaurant may join them at the location.

Franklin’s Hoagies reopens

Franklin’s was forced to close for more than two weeks after disaster struck the morning of June 12 when an elderly woman accidentally drove her Subaru through the restaurant’s windows and wall.

“The two booths inside were toothpicks,” said Larry Anderson, who with his wife, Pauline, has operated the business at 501 N. Fourth St. for 18 years. No one was sitting in the booths, however. The restaurant was closed when the crash happened.

The accident caused $25,000 damage and led to extensive repairs – new walls, a new front door, new booths. But today, Franklin’s offers the same reliable menu when the restaurant reopens for breakfast and lunch.

Xpress Wireless near Subway

Sprint and Verizon cell phones and wireless laptop card sales and service are the specialty of Xpress Wireless, now open at 1500 Northwest Blvd. (beside the new Subway store), Coeur d’Alene.

Owner Mark Vesterby and employee Luke Ruppel emphasize complete knowledge of their products with the ability to explain them in layman’s language. They help determine the customers’ needs to provide them with the correct equipment and service.

Vesterby came to North Idaho from Coos Bay, Ore., and has 15 years’ experience in the electronics business. He also owns Telnetix.com. Xpress Wireless hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Phone 666-9777.