Tasty, healthy and friendly describe Soul Soup & Coffee House.

Located in Suite 109 of Harbor Plaza (between Carambola and Brilliant Gold & Silver on Northwest Boulevard), Soul opened in June to serve fresh-daily homemade soups, specialty salads, rolls, pastries (usually scones) and hot and cold espresso drinks, teas and coffees.

The soup (always one vegetarian) and salad "entrees" change daily with chef Susan Coby and sister Sara Bigelow combining their expertise and charm. Originally from Northern Minnesota, they were educated respectively at the Universities of Michigan and Washington (Susan in law) and Eastern Washington University (Sara in developmental psychology) and previously had professional careers.

Soul seats about 20 customers at tables and in a lounge area and outside. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

Avis-Budget moves to Northwest

A combination called Avis-Budget Car & Truck Rental has opened at 800 Northwest Blvd.

Avis has been in Coeur d'Alene about 15 years and moved from 401 N. Fourth St. With Budget added, owners Dustin and Rayann Bounds offer all sizes of cars, SUVs and mini-vans and will add Budget moving trucks this summer.

Dustin has been with Avis five years and came from Yakima, Wash. Rayann helps in the office and also works with student accounts at North Idaho College. The Bounds are joined by employee Katie Plum.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Phone 665-7797 for Avis and 667-9133 for Budget and check www.avis.com for good deals.

Nutrishop opens near Costco

Sports nutrition and weight-loss products, vitamins and (free) samples and meal plans are offered at Nutrishop. The business opened June 19 in the complex at 3415 Government Way at Neider Avenue and across from the Costco parking lot.

Owners Toby and Lisa Schindelbeck have been in the fitness industry since 1998 when he owned a Max Muscle sports nutrition store in Riverside, Calif., at age 20. They later opened a Nutrishop in Chico, Calif., taking it to the company's No. 1 position of 90 stores. They fell in love with North Idaho after visiting relatives here, sold their California stores and moved here.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 to 5 Saturdays. Phone 292-4611. Check www.nutrishop.cda.com.

Smith Communications moves

The sales and installation of telephone systems and data network cabling is the specialty of Smith Communications, which moved to 2005 Ironwood Parkway.

Bill Smith started the business here in 1988 and has been in the industry since 1969. Also helping residences and available daily, he goes to the customer. Originally from north of Seattle, Smith came to Idaho in 1974.

Phone 755-8600

Tidbits

* Two real estate companies will be opening offices in Riverstone.

* Harbor Freight will have a store between Toni & Guy's and the Dollar Store off Highway 95. Details later.

* A cool action was in Wells Fargo outlets this week when the tellers offered customers small water bottles.

* Your writer had a pleasant surprise in visiting a Dalton Gardens residence offering "free rocks" in a classified ad. The residents were Larry and Ann Laws whom I knew as youths in Thompson Falls, Mont., 60 years ago. He wrote a book, "Back Then: Memoirs of a Country Boy" about his rural Montana years.

* Capitalize pronouns such as "mother" when used in place of a name but otherwise lowercase. "I talked to Mother about it" and "Most mothers are females."

* Contact Nils Rosdahl at [email protected].

Rosdahl

Business Bits