The owners of the Tomato Street restaurant at 6220 N. Division have begun a complete renovation inside and outside the North Side eatery and also are expanding it.

In the expansion, 1,200 square feet of floor space will be added to the Italian restaurant, which opened in 1994, giving it a total of almost 10,000 square feet of space, says majority owner Dean Haynes.

"We want to get the restaurant updated," says Haynes, who owns the restaurant with Erkki Oranen. "We want to make everything a bit more cutting edge."

He adds, "It's for our guests—that's No. 1. And it's going to re-attract people who haven't been there for a while."

The restaurant typically employs between 100 and 110 employees, Haynes says.

Wayne Burnham, general manager of the restaurant, says the new space mostly will be used to increase the waiting area for customers and to provide more storage space. Also, a patio is being added, and when the weather permits it will provide overflow space for the waiting area, he says. Currently, he says, there are no plans to use the patio for dining.

The work started earlier this month and is expected to be completed in December, Burnham says. He says that Kilgore Construction Inc., of Colbert, is the general contractor on the project, and Nystrom Olson Collins Inc., of Spokane, is the architect.

Haynes says some new kitchen equipment will be put in, and a new computer-based ordering system will be added. Those changes should improve the efficiency of the operation, he says.

Burnham says the outside will have an "old Italian" look, with stucco siding and dark wood. The inside will be painted, new fixtures and art work will be added, and furniture will be reupholstered.

For about four to five weeks, probably during the second half of October and the first half of November, the restaurant will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays to allow for some interior work, Burnham says.

Haynes says Coeur d'Alene-based Mountain West Bank provided financing that will cover part of the addition and remodeling costs.

He declines to disclose how much will be spent on the project.

Oranen and Spokane restaurateur Cyrus Vaughn own a Tomato Street restaurant in Coeur d'Alene, located at 221 W. Appleway.