An all-day brunch spot is set to open next month in downtown Spokane.

The House of Brunch LLC is scheduled to debut its restaurant in the former Sushi Sakai space at 818 W. Riverside on Thursday, March 2. 

Jackson Connery, House of Brunch co-owner and executive partner, says he wanted to bring a more upscale menu to Spokane’s brunch scene while offering a somewhat casual atmosphere.

Connery says the menu will include some twists on classic brunch dishes, as well as some seafood options.

“We’re going to have some cool caviar options. We’ll definitely have oysters. We’re going to have house-cured salmon for our lox,” Connery says.

The restaurant also will offer sweet and savory versions of bubble waffles, including a whipped goat cheese with honeycomb and fresh lemon bubble waffle, and a Nashville hot-chicken slider roll, he says.

Bubble waffles are egg waffles that originated in Hong Kong and are characterized by the puffy, semi-spherical pockets on the waffle’s surface, which are often compared to the shape of bubble wrap.

Connery says the bar at House of Brunch will offer 10 local beers on tap, as well as bottled beers. The crown jewel, he contends, will be its list of sparkling wines, which will span a range of types and prices.

“We’re going to have cool stuff from England that’s affordable and delicious. We’re going to have some stuff from South Africa—not too expensive, but tasty. And then we’ll have some bottles from Champagne and elsewhere,” he says. “Who’s going to drink a $200 bottle of champagne at brunch? Well, why not have it if someone does want that?”

In addition to a seated dining area that will accept reservations, House of Brunch will have a café space and a grab-and-go service counter that will offer coffee drinks, juices, smoothies, and pastries.

The 4,000-square-foot restaurant space will be renovated with new lighting, paint, flooring, tables, and short partitioning walls at a cost of about $200,000. Colbert-based SH Drywall Inc. is completing the work. The initial design concept was created by Melbourne, Florida-based Brian Ellison Designs.

About 30 people will staff the restaurant, Connery says.

Connery says he expects to open the 1,700-square-foot patio for dining this summer.

Connery has been in the food service industry since his teen years. He moved from Florida to Montana with his family in 2018 to work as sommelier at the Yellowstone Club private club and resort in Big Sky, Montana. A year later, he moved to Coeur d’Alene to manage the food and beverage program at the Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club. That’s where he met his business partner, Brad Duffy, who then was manager of outdoor services.

Connery and Duffy sought a restaurant space that included kitchen appliances, and the former Sushi Sakai restaurant was one such option.

“We’re lifelong food and beverage people, so we didn’t have a whole bunch of investments to build a kitchen, like some restaurateurs do,” Connery says. “We lucked into this space. It gave us the ability to remodel it to fit our brand.”

Connery says he and Duffy were able to find private investors, though he declines to identify them.

The idea for House of Brunch was born from a brunch Connery and his family had while on vacation at his mother’s house in his home state of Florida. Connery had caught fresh crab that was made into beignets, deep-fried pastries, and the family opened a bottle of champagne to enjoy with the meal.

“My brother looked at me, and he said, ‘You should open a brunch restaurant—call it House of Brunch,’” Connery says. “I fell in love with the idea.”

Hours will be 7 a.m.-5 p.m. daily.

Small Bites

New Love Coffee LLC has opened a café space in the Canopy Credit Union at 1212 W. Francis. Hours are 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The menu for the café features coffee and espresso drinks, as well as pastries and vegan cookies from Coeur d’Alene-based bakery Bean & Pie. 

The café at Canopy Credit Union is the company’s second location. New Love opened its first café and coffee roaster last winter in Liberty Lake.