Pizza parlor owners plan Valley site
Break out the tokens: Chuck E. Cheese’s is expanding to Spokane Valley.
After waiting for a chance to buy another franchise, the owners of the North Spokane location plan to open a family-friendly Valley pizza parlor and arcade in front of Oz Fitness by Nov. 1. The new outlet, 14919 E. Sprague Ave., will feature rides, video games and other attractions similar to the existing store. Building and outfitting the roughly 12,000-square-foot structure is expected to cost $3 million to $4 million, said Sam Thompson, who owns the franchises with his son and daughter-in-law.
“We’re looking forward to coming out there and see a lot of our old friends from our north store that will make a much shorter trip,” Thompson said. “The demographics are very strong in the Valley.”
Thompson purchased the north Spokane franchise in 1990. In 2000, it moved to its present, 11,000-square-foot location at 10007 N. Nevada St.
Old European relocating
The savory aebleskivers, Swedish crepes and German potato pancakes of the Old European Breakfast House in Spokane will move a few blocks away this summer, to a remodeled former Tony Roma’s restaurant on North Division Street.
Owners plan to relocate to the larger space, 7640 N. Division St., in about six weeks to alleviate overcrowding in the current location and provide an updated look. The new, 5,600-square-foot building can seat 185, 45 more than at the current building, said Tami Sevier, who owns the restaurant with her husband, Dave. The leased building has a waiting area for about 40 and will feature an espresso and pastry bar, she said.
“We are out of space on the weekends; we’ll have a line out the door for, like, an hour wait,” she said. “And we’ve had a lot of our customers ask for doing large groups of families and business groups.”
The restaurant employs about 28, and the Seviers expect to hire 10 to 12 more.
“We’re really doing a fresh, new look inside,” including murals depicting the story of Tami Sevier’s grandmother and her Danish ableskievers, or ball-shaped pancakes. “It will not be any hint of Tony Roma’s. That’s our big thing right now. We just want it to feel very Old Country.”
Owners also are planning a South Hill location, but haven’t found one that meets their needs, especially for parking, she said.
“Bottles” aims for the eclectic
Beer and wine aficionados have a new outlet in Millwood, brought to the area by some familiar names from the area’s Rocket Bakery business.
Three local couples earlier this month opened Bottles, 3319 N. Argonne Road, which already offers more than 100 beers and 700 wine labels, said co-owner Brian Kovacich. Owners hope to eventually provide some unusual offerings.
The roughly 1,000-square-foot shop opened May 12, and owners are still building up its selection, Kovacich said.
“The minute we had some shelves up with wine on it, people started knocking on the door,” he said.
Kovacich and his wife, Lynne, own the shop with fellow Rocket Bakery employees Mairann and Gilbert Davis and Rocket Bakery owners Julia and Jeff Postlewait.
Concept Home grand opening
The owner of Spokane furniture store Tin Roof will open a spinoff business in a newly remodeled downtown building next month.
Housed on the street level of a historic building at West First Avenue and South Washington Street, the 5,000-square-foot Concept Home opens June 10.
“Concept Home will specialize in functional contemporary furnishings and décor typically found in bigger cities,” owner Heather Hanley said in a news release. “We’re combining a contemporary look with a vintage feel.”
Hanley and three partners, including her father, Jim, bought the three-story, former Comet Press building in July 2006 for $750,000. The upper floors contain condo lofts.