Eats on Spokane Street aims 'to help small businesses thrive'

POST FALLS — A new food truck court, called Eats on Spokane Street, has created a lot of buzz since its opening in late June.

“The community has been awesome,” said director of operations Josh Melior. “We’ve gotten a lot of ‘thank yous.’"

In addition to a new, open-aired building that houses MelFit Healthy Kitchen and Nachos Cantina, several locally-based food trucks are situated around a grassy open space — often occupied by friendly games of cornhole — and plenty of outdoor seating.

So far, the food truck lineup includes Charcuteria, Angel’s Eats and Treats, Woody’s Smoked Salmon and Taco Works.

There are three spaces remaining for additional food trucks.

“We’re very particular,” Melior said. “We want to offer a variety instead of repeats, that’s why we’re not filled up quite yet.”

Eats on Spokane Street also features live music from local artists on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m.

Melior said owners Melissa and Iggy Valdovinos always intended for the project to “give entrepreneurs a chance in Post Falls.”

“It’s not about us, really,” Melior said. “It’s about the community. Our mission is to help small businesses thrive.”

Eats on Spokane Street is located at 106 N. Spokane St., next to Post Falls Brewing Company.

For vendor inquiries, contact [email protected].

Now the TidBits

New and Upcoming

• Dickey’s Barbecue Pit will be opening soon as 306 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls. The new restaurant will offer dine-in service, carryout, online ordering, delivery and full-service catering. Dickey's is finalizing plans for the grand opening celebration, which will include special promotions, giveaways and family-friendly activities. More details, including the official opening date, are expected in the coming weeks. 

• Christian Brothers Automotive is opening a new location at 419 Miles Ave. with a grand opening set for Monday at 11 a.m. The ribbon-cutting will be followed by complementary food and drink, vendor giveaways and a free oil change for the first 100 people to schedule a service. 

• Kootenai Health Pharmacy is now open at 8882 N. Government Way, Suite L. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday/Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To transfer prescriptions to this new location, call (208) 625-3125.

• The Thrifty Gift is a new thrift store at 6176 N. Government in Dalton Gardens. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• ETS Performance, "a national leader in youth athletic development," celebrated its grand opening July 12 at 125 W. Lions Way in Hayden. The facility primarily offers training programs for local youth and student athletes.   

• A mobile charcuterie cart business, called Boujie Bites, is getting up and running. Currently serving festivals and local events, Boujie Bites offers "fresh, premium meats, cheeses, fruits and locally made honey," as well as customizable carts like desserts or a taco bar. Check out Boujie Bites at Hayden Days, Rathdrum Days and the Wallace Huckleberry Festival.

• Outlaw Coffee is now open within Marketplace@Miles, a "new product vendor mall" at the southeast corner of Government Way and Miles Avenue in Hayden. The rest of the marketplace is expected to open "any day now." Spaces in a variety of sizes are still available for retail vendors, with additional onsite storage offered. Information is through Commercial Real Estate Consultants at 208-691-5328 and www.marketplaceatmiles.com. More details to come as the grand opening draws closer.

Ongoing Projects

•  A new pizza joint, Piccolo Pizza, is coming soon to Post Falls in the Millworx mixed-use development space on Fourth Street.

 • After 20 years in the Spokesman-Review Building at 608 Northwest Blvd., Dr. Kevin Johnson's Advanced Aesthetics is moving to 1233 N. Northwood Center Court, Suite 301 in Coeur d'Alene. The new space will provide "an upgraded, more spacious environment while continuing to offer the expert care and cutting-edge treatments (they're) known for." The move is set to take place in July. For more information, check www.advancedaestheticsmd.com.

• Another 7-Eleven is coming to Post Falls; this one is planned for the southeast corner of Pleasant View Road and Seltice Way.

• A locally owned doughnut shop, Lantern Donuts, should open in downtown Coeur d'Alene this summer at 519 E. Sherman Ave.

• Bricks and Minifigs, an authorized LEGO® retailer, will be opening a Coeur d'Alene store location by the end of 2025.

• With many options for food and beverages in an elevated space, Rooted Social House is eyeing an opening sometime this year at 310 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls.

• An O'Reilly Auto Parts store is being constructed on the northeast corner of Seltice Way and Pleasant View Road in Post Falls.

• Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is eyeing a September opening for its proposed location at 498 Beck Road in Post Falls.

• Work has gotten underway on Northwest Boulevard between Emma Avenue and West Davidson Avenue, where a four-story Residence Inn has been proposed by CDA Hotel Inc.

• A new health clinic that will accept new Medicare and Medicaid patients, called North Idaho Family Practice, is set to fully open in August. NIFP is located at 1101 E. Polston Ave. Suite B, Post Falls. Patients will have the option to schedule online at NorthIdahoFP.com or by calling 208-747-1776. All ages are welcome.

• Idaho Central Credit Union, or ICCU, will open a branch location in Rathdrum. More details to come once construction gets underway.

•  A 7-Eleven is taking the place of the former Wells Fargo building at Government Way and Appleway Avenue.

• After some delays, updates on the Early Dawn Commercial Center at the Highway 41 and Early Dawn intersection should be coming available. Anyone interested in remaining commercial spaces should contact Danny Davis of TOKcommercial.com (208-691-6003).

• The Raising Cane's restaurant company has applied for a site development at 201 Neider Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. Located in front of the At Home store off U.S. 95, the chicken-chain building will be 3,368 square feet with a dual-lane drive-through. Other potential businesses coming to this area include Nothing Bundt Cakes, Jersey Mike's and a Sleep Number store. 

• Foundations for a mixed-use building, "Nonna," should be going in within the next month or two at 102 E. Fourth Ave. in Post Falls. Mother-daughter Laura and Kelsey Horn will have commercial space on the main floor with a Miss Dazee's brunch restaurant. The three upper floors will house 33 apartments with 25 covered parking spaces and 18 on-street spaces. Developers include DCI Engineers, Kartchner Engineering, Facet Engineering, HDG Architecture with Michael Mannhard, Aubrey Plaisance and Monique Vang. 

• Coffee Warehouse will be in a 50,000-square-foot building under construction at 4291 W. Poleline Ave. off Pleasant View Road in Post Falls. Opening sometime in 2025, sales will be open to coffee stands and shops with business licenses and the general public. It will also offer delivery options. Check www.thecoffeewarehouseinc.com.

• A retail and manufacturing business primarily for outdoor products, Yozzy Overland will move sometime this year from 9044 W. Prairie Ave. (Suite 107) to the new building off Huetter Road and north of Interstate 90. The new location will have a large showroom, warehouse and manufacturing space. John Yozamp is company founder and CEO and is assisted by Brady O'Neil and Morgan St. Onge. Phone 208-262-7216. Check www.yozzyoverland.com.

• Work is now underway on the new Local Market building at Highway 41 and Hope Road in Post Falls. Another new Local Market is planned for Best Avenue and 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene, but construction does not appear to have started yet at this location. Both markets will have an emphasis on produce, fresh flowers, coffee and products sourced from local vendors in addition to fresh-made deli sandwiches, pastry bars and premium espresso coffees with drive-throughs. They will also include gas and electric car charging.  

• A Marriott Hotel is under construction on about a half-acre at 602 and 612 E. Sherman Ave. The six-story hotel will include 131 guest rooms, 130 parking stalls on the main level and three levels underground, an administration area, a bar, kitchen, lounge, dining area, meeting area, laundry, fitness room and a rooftop patio bar.

• A four-story 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel is under construction for the Millworx development on Fourth Avenue in Post Falls.  

• U-Haul Self-Storage is coming to Seltice Way and Herborn in Post Falls.

• Prime IV Hydration & Wellness is opening sometime in 2025 in Ironwood Square.

Real Estate Opportunities

• 2,500 square feet of medical grade office space is available in the recently completed Kootenai Vision Center building located at 3914 E. Early Dawn Ave. in Post Falls. Tenants in the complex include a physical therapy clinic, an optometry office, and one additional building lot. NNN leases starting at $24/square foot. For more information call 208-660-4864. 

• A new flex tech space is available in the Huetter Business Center at 4077 N. Huetter Road in Post Falls. It is adjacent to Interstate 90 with high visibility, including a reader board visible to an average of 65,000 vehicles per day. Size is 8,671 square feet, asking $1.25/square foot/month plus expenses. Contact Jeffrey Simonds with Caldwell Banker Commercial Schneidmiller Realty at 208-518-8860.

• The Thomas George building, under construction at Third Street and Front Avenue downtown, will be 18 stories. It will comprise 60 condominiums on floors 4-18 with garages, an on-site concierge, a 24-hour gym, golf simulator, an indoor-outdoor pool and a lakeview community terrace. The first floor will have a Union Roasters shop with coffee and pastries. For information, contact Hayden Anderl at 208-964-0234 or [email protected]. Check www.haydenanderl.com.

• The Appleway Quarter new building at 295 E. Appleway will have businesses on the ground floor and 24 apartments on the two floors above. The 6,000 square feet remaining could contain one to three units. Contact Chad Oakland at 208-704-2000 or [email protected]. Dan Stubbs shares ownership. The apartments (16 two-bedrooms and eight one-bedrooms) will have private decks and share common-area patios, an elevator and garages or carports. The building should be complete this fall by J. Meyer Construction with Momentum Architecture.

• Construction on a two-story building with four commercial suites on each floor at Fourth Street and Birch Avenue is complete. Three of the main floor suites are office-retail, while the fourth is now occupied by Anchored Coffee. The upstairs has suites of 450-650 square feet. For leasing information, contact Duffy Smock of Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty at 208-699-5466 or [email protected].    

• With buildings of 168,000 and 238,000 square feet, The Pointe at Post Falls is at North Beck Road and Pointe Parkway. Zoned industrial, the buildings have deck-high loading doors and eight ground-level drive-in doors. Check Darren Slackman for lease rates at [email protected]. Phone 509-622-3593.

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Have a tip on happenings in the local business world? Contact Hailey Hill at [email protected].