Cold Stone Creamery expanding to South Hill

Mary J. Hansen wants to cover Spokane and the Spokane Valley in cookie dough, graham-cracker pie crust, peanut butter or just about anything that can be smooshed together with ice cream.

Hansen is the owner/manager of the Cold Stone Creamery at 9502 N. Newport Highway. She said “plans are in the works” to open Cold Stone ice cream shops on the South Hill and in the Valley.

If all the pieces fall into place, the South Hill store will be at Regal and 29th. Her choice for the Valley location is near the Spokane Valley Mall in a stand-alone building (much like Krispy Kreme). Hansen said she’s negotiating a lease and securing finances, but the process is taking longer than she expected.

Hansen said the South Hill plan is to move into the Petco Store at 3005 E. 29th Ave. in the Lincoln Heights Shopping Center. Petco is moving into the old Hastings Book, Music & Video store on July 25 in the same shopping center.

Hansen said she would like to have the South Hill Cold Stone up and running by October.

She is uncertain if and when the Valley store will open and if she will get her first choice in locations.

“There is no timetable for the Valley store,” Hansen said. “I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be within a year.”

Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery opened more than 425 shops and opened one a day in August 2003 and September 2003, according to an article in Time magazine. Hansen, a former Boise-Cascade employee, opened her North Side shop in May 2002. On any given night, people line up for Our Strawberry Blonde, Birthday Cake Remix or other Cold Stone signature creations, which are made by mashing various ingredients into ice cream on a cold granite slab.

Downriver Grill adds patio

Downriver Grill’s seating capacity has increased by 40 percent.

The restaurant can now seat 100 people with the addition of an outside patio. The outside patio has 10 tables for four.

Downriver Grill opened in June 2003 and has been a popular spot on the North Side since. It’s been so popular, bartender Nick Pontarono said, he has had to fight a misconception about getting into the restaurant.

“People think they can’t get in,” Pontarono said, “but we only take reservations for one third of the restaurant.”

Pontarono said reservations are not taken for the outside tables. Some walk-ins also are seated inside.

Downriver Grill is at 3315 Northwest Blvd. The phone number is 323-1600.

If all the pieces fall into place, the South Hill store will be at Regal and 29th.