Space filled by Galaxy Grind
Nothing takes the dreariness out of a rainy day like drinking a hot cup of java inside a quaint coffee house.
Galaxy Grind opened at 16th Avenue and Pines Road last month on a corner previously occupied by a closed-up gas station.
Heather Click, a consultant who helped open the shop, said owners Steve and Kathy Mather of Spokane Valley had driven past the location for years.
“I think our biggest comment is, ‘It’s a nice change from the old gas station,’ ” Click said.
The “nice change” includes a trendy coffee shop with landscaping that includes a stone fountain, patio seating and an artsy wooden Jeep that doubles as a slide for kids.
Inside, Galaxy Grind has limited but comfortable seating and an eating bar with free Internet access. What the coffee house lacks in size, it makes up for in selection. Menu items include pastries and other goodies freshly baked by Sweetwater Bakery in north Spokane. Customers can get their ice cream fix with soft-serve cones.
Drinks are made with coffee beans roasted by Doma Coffee Roasting Co. in Coeur d’Alene and with Monin natural syrups. Grab bag lunches with a bagel sandwich, chips and fresh-baked cookies cost $4. Kids get a full meal for $2.50.
Click said Galaxy Grind may add live music at night for high school students wanting a place to study.
The shop is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. To phone in orders, call 924-3895.
New Chinese restaurant to open
A family with 25 years of restaurant experience is transforming a former sports bar into a Chinese eatery.
Dragon Inn, 12909 E. Sprague Ave., is expected to open in the next two weeks. It’s owned by Me Cho and Chin Cho, the proprietors of Kay Lon Garden and former owners of China South Restaurant.
The couple is originally from Hong Kong and running restaurants is a tradition shared with aunts, uncles and children, including their son, Steve Cho, who will manage Dragon Inn.
Kung Pao chicken and Mongolian and Korean barbecue beef top the list of menu items. Lunches will range from $5.75 to $7.95. Combination and a la carte dinners will cost $7.95 to $10.95, Me Cho said.
Improvements are going on inside and outside the building to transform the former sports bar into a Chinese restaurant.
“We have an antique dragon on the wall that’s a fountain. It’s pretty cool inside,” she said.
Dragon Inn will operate daily from 11 a.m. till midnight. For information, call 922-3737.
Industrial Park businesses expand
Two companies in Spokane Business and Industrial Park are making changes.
The Mattress Outlet Inc. is moving into an additional 4,000 square feet of space and expanding its mattress distribution operation. The company is in Building 13.
Nelson Brothers Inc. is adding a retail showroom. The 14-year-old company, owned by Rod and Dave Nelson, makes custom displays and fixtures used by grocers and retailers.
The 500-square-foot showroom will house clothing racks, jewelry displays and slate wall and grid wall displays. Slate and grid wall functions are modern substitutions for pegboard. Merchants also can find tags, bags and labels. The business also buys and sells second-hand fixtures.
Many of the products are currently offered in the warehouse, which is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. When the showroom is completed in early November, the business will stay open until 6 p.m. during the week and will open Saturdays from 9 a.m. till noon.
Nelson Brothers Inc. is located in Building 14, southeast.