Coeur d’Alene adds new link to an old fast-food chain
Ah, Taco Time. Probably just the second fast-food restaurant this geezer ever knew. Missoula might’ve had Western Montana’s only fast food in the ‘60s; I remember only McDonald’s, Taco Time and A&W. My small hometown of Thompson Falls just recently attracted its only fast-food place, a Subway.
Taco Time was popular with the university students because it was affordable. That hasn’t changed. Although it was one of the earliest chains, it hasn’t grown at the astronomical rate the others have.
Taco Time began in Eugene, Ore., in 1960 after a U of O grad discovered Mexican food in California. He slowly added restaurants. Now there are more than 300 Taco Time locations, almost all of them in Western states and provinces. The headquarters is now in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Oh, what’s the news here? Coeur d’Alene’s second Taco Time just opened in the Goodies Texaco building at Ramsey Road and Appleway just north of Interstate 90. (The first is in Silver Lake Mall.) It took the place of the convenience store’s deli.
This new one, with inside and outside seating – and take-out, of course – is actually a Taco Time Express, with almost the full menu. Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, it employs 15 people. Another is under construction in Liberty Lake, Wash.
Owners Phil and Sandi Goodlander have had Goodies Texaco for five years. He is a Coeur d’Alene native, and she came from Boise.
Centennial Distributing grows
As our population grows, so does our consumption of beer. To satisfy this need, Centennial Distributing is constructing a huge, new building at 701 W. Buckles Road north of Hayden.
The one-level, 56,000-square-foot building on seven acres should be done in the fall as Centennial expands to 32 employees. The company distributes Anheuser-Busch products in Idaho’s five northern counties. Owner Mark Duvall said the company plans to add another 25,000 square feet to the place eventually.
The 55-year-old company is now in a 20,000-square-foot building (for sale) at 500 W. Dalton Ave. Operations manager is Terry Gittel.
New banking at Mountain West
Customer-friendly banking is the emphasis at the renovated Mountain West Bank that will open Monday in Hayden.
An employee will greet you at the door and direct you in the direction to fill your need. The bank is divided into “specialty” areas with tellers to the rear and other areas for business needs, real estate and new machines that do the intake and output of actual money to free the employee to be more personable.
Completely new are a “lounge” with computers for Internet access, a big-screen TV, snacks and coffee, and a retail area where customers can purchase Mountain West products, such as the bank’s own shirts and coffee blend.
The Hayden branch, at 4,248 square feet with 11 employees, is the forerunner of this style. However, many of the bank’s 17 branches in three states will follow. Among them will be the new branch just under construction at the northwest corner of Ramsey Road and Kathleen Avenue. The 5,455-square-foot facility will open next year.
First American to Post Falls
First American Title will open an escrow branch July 18 at 2700 E. Seltice Way, Post Falls. The location is temporary until next July when the company moves into a new building it has planned for the 1700 block of Seltice Way.
The escrow branch is where paperwork is organized and real estate deals close. The Post Falls branch will have four employees.
“We believe in Post Falls,” said Teresa Laird, executive vice president and manager. “That’s why we’re building out there.”
Tidbits
“Here’s the first negative report regarding the new 14-screen Riverstone Cinema: When movies finish concurrently, traffic leaving the one exit from the complex to Northwest Boulevard gets heavily backed up. Those attending public events at North Idaho College can have the same thing happen along the same street. This could be eased if the middle exiting lane had a left turn option.
“Another street problem noted during the July 4 festivities is that no crosswalk is marked under the Coeur d’Alene Resort skybridge on Front Avenue. This has been whined about previously. Since the city won’t mark it, mark my words: Someone’s going to get hurt there.
“Downtown businesses thrived on the holiday. Even Hudson Hamburgers was open. The long line at Rogers Ice Cream included “Princess Bubblegum.” Miss CdA Princess Amanda Washko accidentally mashed the front of her formal into a huge wad of gum on the sidewalk. She was gracious, though, even saying her name could be used.
“Alaska Airlines Magazine featured a color photo of the CdA Resort’s floating green on its index page. The accompanying article rated the 14th hole in its “Dream 18” top golf holes in the West.