ATHOL — Though the new BumbleBee Travel Center was a longtime dream of property owner and developer Kelvin Shin, he doesn’t think of it as something belonging to him alone.

“This project is dedicated to the city of Athol, the broader North Idaho region and its community,” Shin said. “It's (meant) to serve both local residents and visitors.”

The Travel Center sits on a 5.5-acre property directly across U.S. 95 from Silverwood Theme Park. "Phase One" was completed earlier this year and includes an 8,300-square-foot convenience store, a gas station, and restaurant space.

"Phase Two" recently got underway and will see 18 “luxury” cabins added to the property, complete with a paved walkway to provide guests access to Silverwood within a minute of the park entrance. These cabins are expected to be completed by summer 2026, depending on winter weather conditions.

Another 25 cabins are planned for the adjacent 4.5-acre lot, Shin said. Current plans call for "Phase Three" construction to begin in 2027.

Shin has worked closely with Silverwood throughout the project.

“We are excited to see the growth and demand for local-owned businesses in our area,” said Chief Operations Officer Paul Norton.

Shin, a Korean American immigrant and naturalized U.S. citizen, moved to North Idaho in 2007. He was initially inspired to bring cabin-style lodging to North Idaho after a family trip to Glacier National Park.

“When I came back, I noticed we have no lodging here,” Shin said, adding that this was especially the case along the stretch of U.S. 95 between the Coeur d’Alene/Hayden area and Sandpoint.

After a years-long effort to acquire and rezone the land, Shin got to work on bringing infrastructure to the previously “raw” land — a task he compares to building “a self-contained miniature city.”

Through feats of innovative engineering, the property now has its own water and sewer systems, with fire hydrants capable of pumping 1,500 gallons per minute, Shin said.

While he is certainly happy with the work he’s done in bringing BumbleBee Travel Center to life, he is particularly pleased that the project has created a total of 138 direct and indirect jobs.

“This was a byproduct of chasing my dream,” Shin said. “I’m proud of that.”

As the cabin grounds take shape, he is prioritizing landscaping and amenities like fire pits, picnic tables and other gathering spaces — not unlike the lodging he and his family still remember fondly in Glacier.

“I think (guests) will have a great experience here,” Shin said. 

Now the TidBits

New and Upcoming

• The Habit Burger Grill is taking the place of the former Pizza Hut at 212 W. Appleway Ave. The chain, known for its "Charburgers," is eyeing an opening sometime in late spring or early summer 2026. This location will be a first for North Idaho.

• Though Collective Kitchen Public House at 501 E. Sherman Ave. has closed, the restaurant team is now offering catering services under the name Collective Kitchen Catering. Visit collectivekitchencatering.com for catering info; no word yet on the next chapter for the restaurant space.

• Cultura CDA's flagship location at 155 W. Neider Ave. is now open. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Jersey Mike's Subs is now open at 9627 N. Government Way in Hayden. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. 

•  Patriot Supplements is coming to the Early Dawn Commercial Center in Post Falls.

• Offering Brazilian lymphatic draining, reformer Pilates, and more, luxury body studio Sportive is now open at 1107 N. Fourth St., Suite 104 in Coeur d'Alene.

• Eyemart Express is now open at 7307 N. Culture Way, Coeur d'Alene. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

• Post Falls Brewing Company is opening a new location in the former CDA Cider Co. space at 1327 E. Sherman Ave. "We know we have big shoes to fill in this spot," the brewery shared to social media in part. 

• Enterprise Rent-A-Car is taking the place of the former Monkey Shine Car Wash location at 3273 E. Seltice Way in Post Falls.

• U-Haul Moving and Storage of Post Falls is now open at 365 N. Herborn Place.

Ongoing Projects

• A Club Pilates studio is opening Dec. 11 at 900 N. Highway 41, Suite 8, Post Falls. In anticipation of the new studio, Club Pilates is offering 20% off the lifetime of the membership and no enrollment fee for its first 50 founding members. For more information on memberships, visit clubpilates.com/postfalls or call 208-626-2163.

• A four-story Residence Inn by Marriott is under construction on Northwest Boulevard between Emma Avenue and Davidson Avenue.

• Crews have broken ground in the southwest corner of Lake City Marketplace, where national chain Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers will eventually be opening its first location in North Idaho. The restaurant will be 3,368 square feet and have a dual-lane drive-through. Other national retailers, including Jersey Mike's, Nothing Bundt Cakes and a Sleep Number store, have also applied for development at that site.

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

• 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. In a recent social media post showcasing interior design concepts for the building, HDG architecture said, "Rooted builds on a growing cluster of HDG-designed spaces, each contributing to a more connected, walkable, and character-rich district in Post Falls."

• 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.

• Work is 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. Both markets will have an emphasis on produce, fresh flowers, coffee and products sourced from local vendors in addition to freshly 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.  

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