Two longtime restaurateurs from Northern California have bought a building in downtown Coeur dAlene and are spending $1 million to convert it into a 200-seat restaurant and nightclub to be called Brix.


The restaurateurs, Bill and Janet Scott, moved to Coeur dAlene about a year and a half ago from Stinson Beach, Calif., where they had operated a restaurant for about 20 years.


The couple hopes to open the new Coeur dAlene restaurant, which will have a 100-seat dining room and a 100-seat basement-level nightclub, by June. They bought the 10,000-square-foot building, located at 317 Sherman, for an undisclosed amount, says Bill Scott. The former owner, Greg Sheres, had operated a furniture showroom there for a year.


The interior of the building will be completely remodeled, Scott says. Miller Stauffer Architects PA, of Coeur dAlene, is designing the new interior, and Ginno Construction Co., also of Coeur dAlene, will be the general contractor for the project. The expected $1 million remodeling cost includes kitchen equipment and furnishings, Scott says.


Brix will serve contemporary interpretations of classic dishes, such as steaks, seafood, and pastas, Scott says. Itll be upscale dining, but it wont be too fancy that you feel uncomfortable, he says. The restaurant will offer both lunch and dinner service, and the nightclub will feature live music and dancing.


Jeff Wellmaker, of Windermere Coeur dAlene Realty Inc., handled the Scotts purchase of the building.