Rustler’s Roost settles in
Through more than a quarter-century of providing comfort food to a faithful crowd, Rustler’s Roost has been a restaurant as rich in stories as it is in customers.
The Roost, famed for its home-style breakfast and lunch plates that are sure to stretch the pants, has been a staple for many North Idaho families since its inception in a tiny place in the 600 block of Sherman Avenue. Now, after its third move, Rustler’s Roost recently opened in a new home on the northwest corner of Hayden Avenue at Highway 95, just north of the old red building.
“It was time – the old place was just falling apart,” said Woody McEvers, the Coeur d’Alene city councilman who owns the business with his brother, Daren. With the new 3,900-square-foot leased space just yards from the old, McEvers said, “We decided we wanted to stay where we were because people know where we are. If you look at the building, it looks like us.”
The long business strip, which Rustler’s Roost shares with an unoccupied space on the north end, resembles a rustic lodge, with a patio on the south end that will be open during warmer weather. The wood-paneled interior features seating for more than 100, a counter that faces the façade of an old Western town and a kitchen modeled after the last building’s.
While this is the first time the McEvers brothers have moved the business into a newly constructed space, the Roost retains much of its trademark décor.
“We recycled everything,” McEvers said, pointing to the Western items lining the walls, such as a saddle and old pictures. Beyond the old ornaments, the owners saved money by refurbishing most of their equipment: tables and chairs, ovens and a refrigerator.
“Your history is your history, and it’s important to hold on to that,” McEvers said. “We’re in our second, third generation kids now. That’s our future.”
The McEvers brothers moved to North Idaho in 1977 from California. After a few years working at different jobs around town, they decided to buy the Rustler’s Roost in the early ’80s, not long after it opened.
After earning a reputation for well-proportioned plates (such as giant biscuits and generous gravy bowls), friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere, the brothers moved the business to the former home of Sambo’s on Sherman, and then again to its Hayden location in the early 1990s.
After closing for about 20 days to move in, the Roost opened in its new location Oct. 31.
Jacob Livingston
Graffiti ordinance would remove choice
Getting rid of graffiti may soon become a duty in Spokane Valley.
And the cost of various city-issued permits is likely to go up.
The City Council voted unanimously to proceed with a code overhaul that would add graffiti to the list of nuisances property owners are required to correct.
Another vote will be required on Dec. 9 for final approval, but council members liked what they heard Tuesday.
In particular, they were pleased that city staff members had lined up volunteer agencies to help people for whom painting over graffiti is a hardship.
“I think it’s a good system, and it’s going to be a big help to our city,” Councilman Bill Gothmann said.
Councilman Steve Taylor said some people have been afraid to obliterate graffiti, fearing retaliation if the vandalism is gang-related. The new ordinance shifts the blame to the city.
Taylor liked the idea of keeping the city looking “well-rounded” by taking care of little problems before they become big.
The ordinance revision allows city code enforcement officers to order property owners to get rid of graffiti, subject to appeal to the city hearing examiner.
Failure to comply could result in penalties starting at $500, but the council also supported a proposal to reimburse appeal fees, if an appeal is successful.
John Craig