Special options for "burgers" and everything made from scratch are offerings from Roger's Burgers, which will open Monday at 155 W. Neider Ave. It's the former Cafe Chulo site (and originally a Boston Market) in front of K-Mart east of Highway 95.

"Everything is made to order and prepared daily," said Nicole Randolph, who owns Roger's (and Roger's Ice Cream & Burgers at 13th and Sherman) with her husband, Mark. "It's all highest quality with the freshest ingredients."

The menu includes turkey and garden burgers, fries and sauces and ice cream shakes. Check www.rogersburgers.com. The place has inside seating for 64 and a drive-through that was built so the historic catalpa tree there was saved.

The Randolphs came from Seattle in 2009 with both having extensive business experience. She also attended NIC and BSU. They have up to 34 employees between the two locations. Hours at the new Roger's Burgers are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Phone 664-0696.

Thrift store helps schools

Supporting local schools with a portion of its proceeds, the Coeur d'Alene Exchange Thrift Store will open Monday at 849 N. Fourth St. With the basement being added for retail and storage space, the 7,000-square-foot store most recently was Von Nash Interiors (now on Kathleen Avenue).

The inventory includes quality new and used clothes, toys, furniture, art, items made by student woodshops and more. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The grand opening will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 2. The store has fitting rooms and a kids' play area.

School and organizations such as PTAs can hold on-site donation drives with a portion of the sales benefiting classrooms and the school's unmet needs. Exchange Thrift Store owners Steve and Debbie Thompson will send their marked truck for the items. Their sons Luke and Jesse and Kenda Smith all help.

"People can donate gently used items and benefit their schools as portions of the sales fill unmet needs," Debbie said. "We provide printed materials to help with donation drives, and the classroom that donates the most gets a $50 gift card. We also take walk-in donations at the store."

Phone 449-1977. Check www.facebook.com/cdaex.

Paul Bunyan Drive-In turns 60

Probably the first drive-through in Coeur d'Alene, the Paul Bunyan Drive-In at 602 Northwest Blvd. will be 60 years old Friday.

"There were drive-ins and drive-ups, but I believe this was the first drive-through," said owner Robert Ovnicek. They built a new building with inside seating there in 1997 and opened other Paul Bunyans in Hayden in 1992 and Post Falls in 1994. Son Scott and his wife, Tara, now operate those and one they opened in Ponderay in 2010.

The 1952 place was Louie's In and Out owned by Mildred and Lewis Ormesher. The big burgers and T-steak sandwiches were 50 cents. Hot dogs and shakes were 25 cents, and floats were 20 cents. Coffee and milk were a dime. Their son, Gary, changed the name in the early 1960s.

Robert and Sharon Ovnicek bought the drive-through in 1981, and Carla Harris has worked there since 1983.

Hang on for these tidbits:

• The San Francisco Sourdough store on Sherman Avenue is closed for a remodel and will reopen May 1.

• Treaty Rock Realty in Post Falls moved from 111 E. Seltice to 205 E. Seltice with hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and until 3 p.m. Saturdays. Phone 773-1745. Busy Bee's Thrift Store & More will open soon next door.

• American Family Insurance in Post Falls has consolidated with its Cd'A outlet at Third and Locust.

• Same with the Post Falls Carquest now with the Cd'A store on Government Way north of Appleway.

• Butterfly Gardens on Fourth Street is having a going-out-of-business sale.

• Next week - watch for details on the new Moose Creek Neighborhood Pub & Grill in Hayden, Meltz Extreme Cheese and Fu-Ki Japanese Steak House.

• Style note - This is how to spell OK.

• A paraprosdokian is when the latter part of a sentence is unexpected and usually humorous such as "If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong."

• If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

• Contact Nils Rosdahl at [email protected].