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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Hong Kong Buffet demolition could make way for Olive Garden at Spokane Valley Mall

Olive Garden is moving forward with plans to build a restaurant in Spokane Valley. Plans call for demolishing the existing Hong Kong Buffet near Spokane Valley Mall and replacing it with an Olive Garden. (Courtesy photo)

Could Olive Garden Italian Restaurant be coming to the Spokane Valley Mall? Recently filed site plans with the city point to yes.

California-based RSI Group Inc., a design, development and construction company, filed a preliminary application with the city last week to demolish Hong Kong Buffet at 14742 E. Indiana Ave., to build a more than 7,700-square-foot Olive Garden restaurant.

California-based CRHO Architects is the project designer. The firm has been a project designer for several Olive Garden restaurants nationwide.

Olive Garden did not respond to requests for comment.

Brookfield Properties, the real estate division of Chicago-based Brookfield Property Partners, which owns Spokane Valley Mall, would not comment on the potential for plans to build an Olive Garden.

“While there are exciting things underway at Spokane Valley Mall, we’re not ready to publicly announce anything,” Rachel Wille, a spokeswoman for Brookfield Properties, said in an email.

When reached by phone, Hong Kong Buffet owner Vicky Zheng said she has not yet finalized plans with Brookfield to terminate her lease on the building.

Olive Garden has restaurants in north Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. The Florida-based restaurant chain closed its downtown Spokane location in 2015, stating it wasn’t meeting performance expectations.

Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants, which also owns Longhorn Steakhouse, Yard House and The Capital Grille. It has more than 850 restaurants and 96,000 employees nationwide.