Aaron DeLis says he and his father, Frank, have changed the name of the former Prospectors Bar & Grill on the West Plains to the Rusty Moose Bar & Grill and have revamped its menu after buying the eatery in March for $1 million.


The transaction included just the business, but DeLis says the company that he and his father have formed, Rusty Moose Bar & Grill LLC, is buying the 7,500-square-foot building that houses the eatery and the one acre on which it sits. Granite Investments LLC, of Spokane, is selling the property for around $3 million, says Delis.


The DeLises changed the restaurants name and menu last month, deciding to wait to do that until after they had a chance to learn the intricacies of the restaurant and its customer base.


Located at 9105 W. Highway 2, the 5-year-old restaurant employs about 65 people. The DeLises bought the restaurant from Prospectors Inc., which still operates a Prospectors restaurant at 12611 N. Highway 395 on Spokanes North Side.


The Rusty Moose is the third restaurant venture for the DeLises, who also are in the process of selling the Harvester Restaurant, in Spangle, Wash., and previously owned a Fuddruckers franchise in Oregon.