Briefs for Saturday

Aug. 14, 2020 Updated Fri., Aug. 14, 2020 at 7:12 p.m.

Tacoma-based Wooden City completed its expansion to the Spokane area with a new restaurant that opened Friday in the historic Genesee building.

Renovations began in November to transform the space into the 8,000-square foot-restaurant at 819 W. Riverside Ave.

Longtime Seattle restaurant industry veterans Abe Fox and Jon Green founded Wooden City in Tacoma in 2018. Green, who is Wooden City’s chef, previously worked at The French Laundry in Napa, California, and Gramercy Tavern in New York City.Wooden City is open 5-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Patrons can make reservations at woodencityspokane.com, or by calling 509-822-7194. Walk-in customers are also welcome.

US retail sales up 1.2% in July

Retail sales grew a tepid 1.2% in July, following two months of sharp gains, as millions of Americans braced for the expiration of the $600 weekly boost in unemployment benefits.

Consumers pulled back on big-ticket items like cars, building materials and sporting goods, but spent more on food, gasoline, and health and beauty products, according to numbers released Friday by the Commerce Department.

Spending increases were generally modest, with one exception: Electronics and appliance stores got a 23% boost as families stocked up on laptops, headphones and webcams.

The uptick follows two months of surprise growth – retail sales surged a record 18.2.% in May and 8.4% in June.

From staff and wire reports

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