The Wolf Lodge Steakhouse is close to rising from the ashes. 

Close. But not quite there yet.

“I’d love to tell you we’re going to rebuild, but there’s still a few things we need to take care of,” said Nicole Martel on Thursday.  

The general manager of the iconic restaurant destroyed in a fire on Labor Day 2024 said she and husband Shawn Martel, assistant manager, decided it was time to update the public on plans and hopes to bring the Wolf Lodge back to life. 

“We want people to know we are working toward it,” Nicole Martel said. “We're not there, but we are moving in that direction.” 

“We're trying,” Shawn added. “We’re doing everything we can.” 

The couple stood at the site of the former restaurant on a gray and windy afternoon, traffic whizzing by on Interstate 90. The property that was once home to the popular Wolf Lodge is mostly grass and rock, debris scattered around, a wagon wheel on the ground. A worn billboard attached to a post nearby reads “Wolf Lodge Inn.” 

It has looked that way since the blaze nearly 19 months ago that was blamed on grease accumulation on a day employees were gathering outside for a barbecue.  

"It was determined that a breach in the flue pipe above the kitchen’s wood-fired grill allowed an accumulation of grease to form on the flue piping and inside the attic,” the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office said in a press release a week after the fire. “This build-up of grease ignited and spread to the remainder of the building. 

The fire was classified as accidental. 

The Wolf Lodge Steakhouse, about 8 miles east of Coeur d’Alene, has been a landmark for decades. 

Its loss was devastating for those who worked there. For many, it was their family. 

“It was definitely hard. Harder than I thought," Nicole said. “Very emotional. I had to heal."

Since the fire, Shawn Martel said he has spent hundreds of hours working on legal aspects that go along with rebuilding, including permits, annexations, boundaries, easements and insurance. Retaining walls and a 55,000-gallon water tank are part of the requirements.  

Best case scenario, if the rest of the pieces fall into place, construction could begin in about two months, and a new Wolf Lodge Steakhouse could open next year. 

Shawn, who worked there nearly 20 years, credited loyal customers and supporters for sticking with them and encouraging them. Businesses have donated services toward the rebuilding effort. 

“We wouldn't be where we’re at if it wasn't for some of the community pitching in,” he said.

The next Wolf Lodge Steakhouse would be similar in design to the old one, with seating for about 230, but would have a more modern kitchen designed to improve flow.  

There are no plans to change the menu, and steaks will still be cooked over an open fire. Many of the former staff have said they want to return. 

“We want to make sure we’re giving everybody the same great steaks and service they’ve always gotten,” Nicoe said. 

Both said that since the fire, they have been frequently asked if the Wolf Lodge would be rebuilt. They couldn't say.

“We've been silent because we didn’t know,” Shawn said. 

“It was a long haul getting there because we didn’t know if Wolf Lodge would be again,” Nicole said. “We really did not know. There was a lot of uncertainly.” 

Now, it’s so close to happening that for the first time since the fire, Nicole Martel said she’s allowed herself to believe the Wolf Lodge Steakhouse where she has worked for nearly 30 years will be back.

“I feel good about what’s happening and what’s taking place,” she said. 

Shawn said it will be wonderful to see old friends, families once more coming through the doors. 

“We can build new memories,” Nicole said.