Three Lake City High School graduates have combined their cleverness into a business that employs 16 people and occupies the entire third floor of the McEuen Terrace building at Front Avenue and Seventh Street.

HubWorks Interactive founders Aaron Gabriel, Rob Berger and Sam Winter develop software for restaurants, bars and nightclubs that allows customers to order and pay from Ipads that are fixed to the table or passed around by the guests. All going different college directions and returning to Coeur d'Alene, the men connected and started the business in 2009 and moved from the Coeur d'Alene North building to 5,200 square feet in McEuen Terrace this summer.

"Our efficiency solutions allow establishments to capitalize on sales that are sometimes missed during peak hours," Gabriel said. "The guests are able to order what they want, when they want and pay at any time. Our system also provides entertainment values such as Facebook, Twitter, weather, sport scores, taxi directory and more to come."

Becoming visible at trade shows, HubWorks is working with some large internationally recognized restaurant chains and outside investors. This past week they were contacted by the Los Angeles Times newspaper for an article about restaurant technology.

"Our company is growing, and we intend to stay in Coeur d'Alene," Gabriel said. "We are working hard to provide more jobs for our community."

HubWorks hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Phone 855-208-5500. Check www.hubworksinteractive.com.

Curtis Orthodontics to Canfield

Dr. Erik Curtis will be expanding his orthodontics practice to 215 W. Canfield Ave. The area being remodeled formerly was occupied by Scoops Ice Cream and Phones Plus. He treats children, teens and adults.

Educated at the University of Utah and the University of Iowa, Curtis and his family came to North Idaho 10 years ago after hearing about the area from friends and family. He will also continue his practice at 602 N. Calgary Court, Post Falls. The combined practices have 10 employees.

Through Oct. 31 the phone is 777-0500 and website www.jaegercurtisortho.com. Starting Nov. 1 the phone is 772-7272 and the website is www.curtisbraces.com.

Tons of tidbits this week!

• National Alpaca Farm Day will be celebrated 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Kelley Valley Alpacas at 5797 N. Valley St. in Dalton Gardens. Joanne and Tom Balme and their daughter Dianne Kelley will show their 26 alpacas as well as spinners making the alpaca fiber into soft yarn for hats, gloves and socks. Free refreshments and photo opportunities will be offered.

• The Island Ski & Board shop at Sherman and Second is closed. So is the Chimney Rock Cafe in Priest River.

• Ah, the differences of they're, their and there. "They're (they are) selling their (possessive) stuff over there (location). Using "there" to begin a sentence wastes space and is boring. "There are three people living here" can be "Three people live here."

• The Greenbriar Inn and its 315 restaurant at 315 Wallace Ave. won the Cd'A Chamber of Commerce award for "Excellence in Service" as well as the "Best Girls' Night Out" from the North Idaho Business Journal and the "Best North Idaho Caterer" by Spokane Living. Check www.greenbriarcatering.com. Phone 667-9660.

• Hmm. More on food. While having a fine Crab Louie salad at Fisherman's Market & Grill on Kathleen Avenue, I wondered where the "Louie" part originated. Wikipedia says it came from Louis Davenport, founder of the Davenport Hotel in Spokane. His recipe from before 1914 used crab meat from Seattle with hard-boiled egg, tomato, asparagus, cucumber, butter or romaine lettuce and thousand island or green goddess dressing, all chilled. Yum!

• Contact Nils Rosdahl at [email protected].