Three new locations in Riverstone dominate this week's new business news.

Food and drink places always draw the most attention so we'll lead with Melone's Culinary Public House at 2360 Old Mill Loop (next to Starbucks). The versatile lunch-dinner-beverage-snack-entertainment-sports place seats about 60 customers at booths, tables, an attractive wooden counter and couches around a fireplace. An outdoor area around another fireplace and accessed through a garage door will be added.

The menu includes New York-style burgers, buttermilk and beer-battered fish, saucy flank steaks, kabobs, swordfish, seasonal vegetables, several sliders, street tacos, ham and gouda-filled pretzel sticks and desserts. The bar offers craft beers and boutique wines.

Michael Melone is managing partner with several years of restaurant experience in California. With about 12 employees, Melone's opens at 11 a.m. and closes about 10 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesdays, 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9 p.m. Sundays.

Happy hour is 4 to 6 p.m., live music is Thursdays, and five TVs offer March Madness basketball. Phone 966-4184. On Facebook, visit "Melone's Public House."

Flower Bar offers 'subscriptions': A floral subscription program catering to men and businesses and studio workshops are specialties of Flower Bar. The full-service floral studio is at 2026 N. Beebe Blvd. (behind J. Miller Salon).

"Creating beautiful arrangements is our passion; pretty is our business," said owner and designer Shawn Chamberlain. She was "raised in a garden" in Texas, maintains North Idaho properties and has been featured on national blogs.

"With the subscription program, special dates will be remembered. Clients will receive a reminder via text or email in advance and it's taken care of," she said. Fresh in-season flowers are used with the client's space, style and budget in mind. Workshops include wreaths, arrangements and potting classes with annuals, succulents and herbs.

Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Phone 665-3856. The website is www.flowerbarco.com. Email hellolove@flowerbarco.com.

Pinkerton on the pond: The unique structure under construction on John Loop on the north shore of Riverstone Pond is Pinkerton Retirement Specialists. The 24,500-square-foot brick office and condo is unique with turrets. When complete in October, the business will leave its 5,000-square-foot building on Merritt Creek Loop in Riverstone.

The seven certified financial planners at Pinkerton offer proactive, comprehensive retirement strategies for clients with more than $500,000 in investable assets and 401(k) plans for businesses with more than $1 million in plan assets.

Dan Pinkerton started the firm 28 years ago after graduating from Stanford University. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists serves clients in 30 states and manages $500 million from its national headquarters here. PRS is in the top half of 1 percent of advisers nationwide based on client retention, assets under management, revenues, compliance records and philanthropy.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 3:30 p.m. Fridays. Phone 667-8998 or 800-634-2008. Check www.pinkertonretirement.com.

Now for the Tidbits

• New places to watch for are All Things Art at 7880 Franklin St. (near the Farmers Market), Timber Gastropub in Post Falls and MOD Pizza on Winco-Crossroads.

• Last week I enjoyed teaching journalism sessions and critiquing and judging newspapers at the national College Media convention in New York. More than 1,600 students attended from 130 schools. A new experience for me was the 9-11 World Trade Center Museum. Very awesome. I hadn't realized nearly 3,000 people died there.

• A few buddies and I were asking the origin of some military sayings. It's cool how Google can help. "Jarhead" for Marines comes from the stiff collars on their dress uniforms. "Gung ho" comes from the Chinese "gonghe," meaning "working together," and "squared away" is from the wind filling out all four corners on a ship's sail.

• A real headline: "Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers."

• The dentist and manicurist fought tooth and nail.

• Contact Nils Rosdahl at nrosdahl@cdapress.com.