Kraken Coral & Coffee opening in North Spokane

 

Courtesy photo of the Post Falls location.

Locally owned and operated, Kraken Coral & Coffee opened their unique concept of a business at the beginning of the year. And are expanding with a new second location already in the works in North Spokane. Kraken will join the new Premier Pet Mall development at 1028 W. Rosewood, visible for the corner of Monroe and Francis.

Kraken Coral & Coffee plans to open the new Spokane store sometime in May, after construction is done at the storefront. The business combines saltwater coral, fish and aquarium accessory sales with a coffee shop. The coffee side of the business has a menu of coffee, energy drinks such as Red Bull and some quick serve / prepared food items. The original location of Kraken will also remain open and can be found at 868 S. Spokane St. in Post Falls.

For more information on Kraken Coral & Coffee, check out their website at https://krakencoralcoffee.company.site/ or give them a follow-on social media via Facebook

Coeur d' Alene Resort breaks ground on new high-rise Sherman Tower

This week, Hagadone Hospitality held an official groundbreaking ceremony for their latest project, The Sherman Tower, a 139 room expansion of The Coeur d' Alene Resort, which was recently ranked as Newsweek's #1 Waterfront hotel. The new Sherman Tower will be a 15 story tower, rising along Sherman Ave. in-between 1st and 2nd St and directly north of the main original Coeur d' Alene resort facilities.

In addition to adding over 100 new hotel rooms to the resort's room stock, the new building will also offer a cozy "living lobby" featuring plush seating, a grand fireplace and lively energy, anchored by a cafe with artisan coffee, fresh bites and local art. Also, on the ground floor of the Sherman Tower will be a modern Mexican seafood and steakhouse restaurant that will offer live-fire grilled cuisine, and craft cocktails. A rooftop bar will top the new building with Latin-inspired bites, refreshing drinks, and panoramic sunset views. 

All are courtesy photos- provided by Coeur d' Alene Resort / Hagadone Hospitality.

Construction of the new tower will commence this month as site work has already begun, and an office building at the corner of 2nd & Sherman have already been demolished in preparation for construction. The grand opening is currently planned for May 2027. Once complete the Resort will be home to 470 guest rooms, some of which are large suites. According to building permit data on file with the City of Coeur d' Alene the new building will be constructed with Garco Construction as the general contractor, and LTA Architects is doing the architectural designs.

For more information on the Coeur d' Alene Resort, visit their website at https://cdaresort.com

Simple Wildflower opening in River Park Square

 

Simple Wildflower, a locally owned and operated business is relocating into River Park Square from their current Downtown storefront at 112 S. Monroe. Simple Wildflower describes themselves on social media as Spokane's first permanent jewelry charm bar. The business is also a women's clothing and accessory boutique, offering several other permanent jewelry options and more.

Simple Wildflower will occupy suite 205, on the second floor near the center escalators. The boutique plans to open sometime in May 2025, with an exact date still pending. Be sure to follow them directly on social media for event details.

For more information on Simple Wildflower, visit their website at https://simplewildflower.com or via social media on Instagram or Facebook

Lucky Bistro opens in Spokane Valley

 

Looking for a new coffee shop and eatery to check out? Well, it's your lucky day as Lucky Bistro recently open their doors in Spokane Valley with already several rave reviews coming in. The new shop is located in the former home of Casual Friday Donuts at 325 S. Sullivan Rd. Suite C. and features a menu of coffee drinks and more.

There is also a selection of specials and for those not looking for coffee, there is smoothies, hot chocolate, lemonades and ZipFizz Energy Drinks. Some food items are also available at Lucky Bistro such as salads, wraps, paninis, flatbreads and even a few breakfast options. They are also hoping to serve beer and wine soon, with their liquor license currently in pending status as of my writing this (be sure to check with the business directly).

Lucky Bistro is also running a program called the Clover Club where members pay $12 annually and get a 0.50 discount on all drinks they purchase throughout that year. For more information on Lucky Bistro check out their website at https://theluckybistro.com and be sure to follow them on social media via Facebook or Instagram

New Dream Studio combines community with creativity

 

Courtesy photo of business owner Hara Allison.

Local entrepreneur and photographer, Hara Allison recently announced the launch of her new creative hub and photography studio called Dream Studio, opening very soon in Downtown Spokane. The Dream Studio will be located in a 1150 square foot space at 811 W. 2nd Ave. Suite 204 and will have an official grand opening there on Saturday, March 29th 2025, with a celebration and open house from 1-4pm. The celebration will include hors d'oeuvres, refreshments, live music with Daniel Hall, and swag bags for the first 20 guests. Guests can come and take photos in the beautifully designed sets, tour the studio, and mingle with other creatives.

Dream Studio plans to serve as hub for the local creative community, offering events, classes, hourly/daily rentals and residencies. At Dream Studio creatives have access to three natural light rooms with 11 foot ceilings, a dedicated hair and make-up station, an extensive equipment collection including light stands, modifiers, strobes, tripods, back drops and a large prop closet. 

For more information on Dream Studio, including online booking of the studio visit their website at https://www.dreamstudionw.com/ or give them a follow-on social media Instagram or Facebook

Copow Cafe to open in Downtown Coeur d' Alene

Courtesy photo of the new Copow Cafe storefront in Downtown Coeur d' Alene

 Copow Foods is an organic market and prepared meal pick-up / delivery service that opened a storefront in Coeur d' Alene a few years ago, nearby Costco at 3500 N. Government Way suite 108. But the business is already expanding here and will soon open a new Copow Cafe concept in Downtown Coeur d' Alene. Currently scheduled to open for business in May, the new Copow Cafe will occupy the former Wellness Bar storefront at 312 N. 4th St. about three blocks north of Sherman Ave.

The new Copow Cafe will many of the same market/grocery items similar the location on Government Way but will also have space for indoor dining. The menu of the new Downtown location will feature coffee drinks, smoothies, juices and bowls. All with, as they put it, no fake food allowed as the Copow brand uses organic, colorful food with no seed oils. For more information on Copow, check out their website at https://copow.com

New coffee shop and dog supply store opens in Hayden

 A new locally owned and operated business with a unique concept is now open in Hayden. The new business goes by the name The Hound House and is located at 10157 N. Taryne St, within the same building as Guardian Angels Grooming. And as one would expect yes, The Hound House is a pet friendly shop allowing your fur covered friends and family members to come in as well.

Courtesy photo

The new shop sells merchandise like dog toys, dog treats, grooming supplies and other basic supplies like collars/leashes/first aid/etc. They also have a coffee menu that also includes monthly specials, chai, Lotus and Red Bull Energy Drinks and caffeine free options like hot cocoa and Italian Soda's. 

The Hound House is open Mon-Fri 8am-3pm. Delivery is also available via DoorDash, for more information on The Hound House, check out their website https://houndhousenorthidaho.square.site/ and give them a follow-on social media via Instagram or Facebook

The Evergreen Gear Exchange opening soon on Trent

 

Courtesy photo of the new home of The Evergreen Gear Exchange, before they started to move in.

The Evergreen Gear Exchange, a new locally owned and operated consignment shop focused on equipment, apparel and accessories for outdoor adventures is planning to open very soon in a 4,000 square foot space at 1007 E. Trent Ave #105 in the University District neighborhood of Spokane.

The new business is planning to open on March 15th but they are already open to bring in gear to be consigned in the new store once it's fully open. For more information about their opening and what and when they can accept of your merchandise, check their website and social media pages via https://www.evergreengearexchange.com/

Remi's Cafe to open in former Wandermere Shari's building

 Breakfast and lunch options will soon return to the former home of Shari's at 12502 N. Division in the Wandermere area of North Spokane. This as a new locally owned and operated restaurant recently posted their coming soon banner announcing the pending opening of Remi's Cafe in the space.

Planned to open sometime around the late Spring, Remi's Cafe will be open 7-2 Mon-Fri and 7-3 on the weekends. The menu will consist of items for both breakfast and lunch with breakfast available during all open hours. I'm told they will offer tradition breakfast favorites as well as gluten free and vegan options. A bar for mimosas, Bloody Mary's at the like will also be available.

Remi's will offer indoor dining, take out and will be available on delivery platforms. A website and social media pages will also likely be coming for Remi's

New multi-phase 30-acre Prairie Medical Campus planned in Post Falls

 Today, Kootenai Health and MultiCare announced the planned development of a new multi-phase, 30-acre medical campus in Post Falls at the southeast corner of the Hwy. 41 and Prairie Ave. intersection. The new location, named the Prairie Medical Campus, represents one of the largest medical investments in North Idaho. 

Courtesy photo- Kootenai Health.

Phase one of the project will include a micro-hospital with an emergency department, imaging services, and rooms for overnight patient stays. It will also include a large multi-story medical office building that will initially be home to a new ambulatory surgery center, clinic offices, lab services and more to come.  The micro-hospital will include a 12-room emergency department staffed with physicians who are board-certified in emergency medicine.

Development of phase one of is scheduled to begin in 2025, with an anticipated 24 to 36-month timeline for completing the projects in this phase. Parkwood Business Properties, a North Idaho based commercial real estate company will be working alongside Kootenai Health and Multicare Health System as the development partner.

The new Prairie Medical Campus also has space to accommodate future phases, including the planned development of an expanded full-service hospital, as the region's population continues to grow. 

Jersey Mike's planning new location in the Northpointe area of Spokane

 

New Jersey based Jersey Mike's Subs continues to expand their presence in the Inland Northwest. The quick service restaurant chain recently filed for building permits to open their fifth location within Spokane County. Others already exist in Airway Heights, Spokane Valley, the South Hill and nearby NorthTown Mall in Spokane.

The planned new Jersey Mike's will be located nearby the Northpointe Shopping Center in North Spokane at 9502 N. Newport Hwy. Suite 1, which was a Subway restaurant. There is no news yet about when this location is set to open but will occupy 1,615 square feet there with indoor dining and carry out options. The general contractor for the space's tenant improvement is listed as Granvista of Pomona,CA.

For more info on Jersey Mike's Subs, including to start an online order, visit their website at https://www.jerseymikes.com

KYRS to host 2025 Grassroots Radio Conference

 The Grassroots Radio Conference (GRC) continues to grow and Spokane's KYRS Thin Air Community Radio has been selected as the host station for 2025, bringing the event back to the West Coast for the first time since 2018. Following a nationwide survey of community radio participants, KYRS emerged as the top choice for the conference, receiving 48% of the vote.

Beyond location, respondents highlighted the importance of a strong host station with established partnerships, a dedicated team of volunteers, and experience in the event organization. KYRS met these criteria while also serving as a role model within the community radio movement. "We are incredibly excited to bring the GRC to Spokane" the GRC Steering Committee said in a statement. "This is a fantastic opportunity for college and community radio stations to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate grassroots media." 

The 2025 Grassroots Radio Conference promises to be a dynamic event, bringing together broadcasters, activists, and media advocates from across the country. More details about the event, including dates, speakers and events will be announced by KYRS Thin Air Community as planning progresses. 

KYRS Thin Air Community Radio has been serving Eastern Washington since 2003, providing a platform for diverse voices and fostering community engagement through innovative programming. The station is heard on 88.1 and 92.3 FM. For more information on KYRS, including how to donate to their station, visit https://kyrs.org