COEUR d’ALENE — Relic Moon has found its forever home — just in time for the body piercing shop’s 15th anniversary.

Relic Moon opened the doors to its new location in the former French Cleaners building July 31, moving from their former shop at 812 N. Fourth St.

It was a long time coming, explained owner Harry James.

James made his offer on the French Cleaners building back in 2023 after learning his landlord on Fourth Street did not intend to sell the building.

However, concerns over potential soil contamination on the property and other factors meant the offer James made didn’t close until 2024.

Despite the delays, James was able to completely revamp the space into something new and uniquely Relic Moon — doing all the labor himself except for necessary plumbing, electric and air conditioning work.

"It was basically this big, empty shell,” James said.

So far, the hard work — and patience — has paid off.

“It’s going good,” he said. “I’m encouraged, especially with the state of the economy.” 

Relic Moon got its start in 2010 as a cart in Silver Lake Mall, moving into an in-line store only three months later before eventually moving into an even larger space within the mall. The shop moved again in 2018 to the brick-and-mortar Fourth Street location.

Now, Relic Moon is home for good, James said.

Relic Moon offers professional body piercing in addition to ear, ear lobes, facial, nose and oral piercings.

The shop has been committed to “best practices” from its start, James explained: Relic Moon follows all guidelines set by the Association of Professional Piercers, uses implant grade titanium or gold for all piercings and uses thoroughly sterilized single-use needles.

Over the past 15 years, Relic Moon’s team has done approximately 31,400 piercings and has served 202,240 customers, according to James.

With no plans for additional moves, James plans on getting back into jewelry manufacturing and is contemplating introducing tattoo services, as his stepdaughter is a tattoo artist.

“We’re looking forward to many more years of innovation and self-expression,” he said.

Relic Moon is open daily at 305 E. Locust Ave. To book an appointment, visit relicmoon.com. 

Now the TidBits

New and Upcoming

• The grand opening of Bricks & Minifigs, an authorized LEGO® retailer, is set for Sept. 27. The store's motto is “Rebuild, Reuse, Reimagine,” and specializes in buying, selling and trading everything LEGO — from complete sets to collectible minifigures, including a build-your-own minifig station. Bricks & Minifigs is located next to the entrance of Fred Meyer in Coeur d'Alene at 560 W. Kathleen Ave., Unit No. 2. 

• The Habit Burger Grill is coming to North Idaho. The chain, known for its "Charburgers," is eyeing an opening sometime in late spring or early summer of 2026. An exact location for the restaurant has not been disclosed, but a spokesperson confirmed it will be "in the 83814 ZIP code area." This location will be a first for the region.

• Marketplace@Miles will be hosting grand opening celebration events September 25-27, featuring food vendors and drawings for prize giveaways. Regular business hours for the new vendor mall at 10374 N. Government Way in Hayden are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Barre Length + Strength, a "new boho chic hub for fitness and community," is set to open Sept. 20 at 9040 Hess St., Hayden. Classes will be offered seven days a week and include Barre Cardio, Barre Classic, Barre Strength and pilates-inspired 'Barrelates.' For more information or to register for classes, visit www.lengthstrengthbarre.com.

• The grand opening of Syringa Bodywork's Barefoot Myofascial Massage Practice is slated for Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. The practice offers a "distinctive approach that uses gravity and bodyweight to deliver intentional, sustained depth of pressure" in massage, a press release said. Syringa Bodywork is located at 9494 N. Government Way, Hayden.

• Currently taking to-go orders, Piccolo Pizza is a new restaurant offering pizza, pasta and other scratch-made dishes located at 910 E. Fourth St. Suite A, Post Falls. Visit piccolopizza.net or find it on socials for to-go ordering information — and look out for its official opening date.

• Spirit Halloween has taken residency with the former Joann fabric and crafts store in the Silver Lake Mall.

• Shear Luck Salon has relocated to 2600 E. Seltice Way, Suite E in River City Plaza in Post Falls. The Salon was previously located in the commercial center at 503 E. Seltice Way, where Hospice of North Idaho thrift store is set to close in November, and the antique and vendor mall My Favorite Things is shutting its doors this month.

• Fern Plant Shop at 211 Lakeside Ave. is expanding their offerings; "Fern Finds" opened Saturday within the shop and offers "curated secondhand goods."

• North Idaho is getting another Popeye's location; this one is under construction along West Pointe Parkway in State Line. 

Ongoing Projects

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

• A pinball hall, called Big Flipper, will open soon at 312 E. Annie Ave., Coeur d'Alene. Featuring 20+ pinball machines spanning several decades, classic arcade games, two Skee-Ball lanes and a curated food and beverage menu, Big Flipper will have something for "a casual player, a competitive flipper or for those just in it for the nostalgia." Follow @BigFlipperCDA on Instagram for more information; an opening date has not yet been announced.

• Cultura CDA will be opening its flagship location sometime in the coming months at U.S. 95 and Nieder Avenue in Coeur d'Alene, in the former Giorgi's building.

• 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.

• In addition to the development at U.S. 95 and Nieder Avenue, national sandwich chain Jersey Mike's will also be at 9627 N. Government Way, Suite 1 in Hayden. These locations mark the first Jersey Mike's restaurants in North Idaho.

• Tandoori Grill will be opening a brick-and-mortar location at Lakeside Avenue and Second Street in Coeur d'Alene. The restaurant, which offers a variety of Indian dishes, currently operates a food truck at 7415 N. Government Way and at the Food Truck Pavilion at 30440 N. Old Highway 95 in Athol. No word yet on an opening date.

• Another 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.

• 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.

• 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.  

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

Real Estate Opportunities

• A commercial space at 444 Bay St., Post Falls is available for rent. Suite A is adjacent to River City Paints and includes a reception and conference area, two individual office spaces, a shared break room and restrooms, and plenty of parking. The space is approximately 1,000 square feet with rent at $1,465/month. Contact David Perez at 208-777-7101 with inquiries.

• Corhaven Properties has announced plans for a spec retail building at the shopping center at Highway 41 and Poleline Avenue. The upcoming phase of development will feature four retail units ranging from 1,500 to 1,800 square feet, including a high-demand drive-thru end cap, and should be completed sometime in 2026. The shopping center is anchored by Grocery Outlet and 7-Eleven, with a new McDonald's restaurant opening sometime in the first half of 2026. For leasing inquiries, contact Jeff Ottmar with NAI Black.

• Spaces within Marketplace@Miles, a new vendor mall at 10374 N. Government Way in Hayden, are still available for retail vendors, with additional onsite storage offered. Info: Commercial Real Estate Consultants at 208-691-5328 and www.marketplaceatmiles.com. 

• Heritage Square, a new shopping center at U.S. 95 and Wilbur Avenue, has remaining suites available ranging from 1,600 to 6,000 square feet. For inquiries regarding the remaining retail spaces, contact Pat Eberlin at [email protected]. 

• Retail spaces are still available within the new Early Dawn Commercial Center at 4129 E. Early Dawn Ave. in Post Falls. Anyone interested in remaining commercial spaces should contact Danny Davis of TOKcommercial.com (208-691-6003).

• 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.

• • •

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

    Ella Wickham gets her ears pierced by Niles Skinner at Relic Moon in Coeur d'Alene.