When one restaurant closes, another restaurant opens, oftentimes. That’s the story behind Eddie’s Kitchen & Tavern, which is expected to launch this week in North Spokane.

After Kevin Pereira opted to close and sell Summit Kitchen & Canteen in May, he had a change of heart.

“I actually tried to back out,” he says of the South Hill restaurant’s sale. “I tried to get out of the deal, but I couldn’t. I had the contract.”

Just two weeks passed before the former co-owner of Summit and Lost Boys’ Garage Bar & Grill, which closed in 2023, began searching for his next restaurant opportunity.

“Even after the two restaurants—and they were stressful as hell—I told my wife, ‘I shouldn’t have done this,’” Pereira says.

His newest establishment, Eddie’s Kitchen & Tavern, which he owns with his wife, Julie, occupies the former Mac Daddy’s space at 10115 N. Newport Highway, across the highway from the Northpointe Plaza retail development where Target and Best Buy are among tenants.

“We’re kind of taking over Summit’s menu,” he says. “We had it dialed in, and people really loved the menu.”

A few small changes aside, the Eddie’s menu will feature many fan favorites from Summit and Lost Boys’, including the bacon-gouda burger, the bacon jam burger, Grandma’s Lasagna, steak, salmon, and The Greek—a garlic olive oil flatbread topped with grilled chicken breast, tzatziki sauce, feta, and a few other Greek-inspired ingredients.

As was the case at his previous two restaurants, Eddie’s won’t skimp on the portion sizes.

“We went through a lot of to-go containers,” Pereira says. “You’re never going to go hungry eating with us.”

About 90% of the menu's dishes can be made gluten-free, he adds, including appetizers like the mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, and fried pickles.

“We make a lot of stuff that you really can’t find gluten-free,” he contends.

The expansive gluten-free menu was a hit at Summit, Pereira says. He hopes the return of the dietary-friendly options will motivate his former South Hill patrons to make the cross-city commute up north.

Eddie’s also will feature a full bar, complete with local beers on tap, house cocktails, wine, and a lengthy list of nonalcoholic cocktails and beer.

The new restaurant’s name derives from Pereira ’s middle name, Edward.

Aside from the name, the most recognizable difference between Eddie’s and Summit might be the atmosphere.

“We’re going for an old-school, Rat Pack vibe,” he says.

Patrons of Eddie’s will dine among the stars, with hand-drawn pictures of music icons like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Elvis Presley scattered throughout the new eatery. Much of the restaurant’s music will complement the 1950s-style setting, he adds.

The Pereiras’ new restaurant endeavor will be built upon the experiences—good and bad—at Lost Boys’ and Summit, he explains.

“I feel like I learned a lot from the first two,” Pereira says.

Last year’s closure of Lost Boys’ was, among other factors, a result of unfavorable market conditions, he says. Lost Boys’ was located in North Spokane, near the northwest corner of Wall Street and Francis Avenue.

At Summit, however, unexpected renovation costs ultimately became the establishment’s downfall.

“It ended up costing so much more than we ever budgeted,” he says of Summit.

The building wasn’t in good condition when Summit replaced Lindaman’s Gourmet-to-Go bistro in 2021 at the South Grand Blvd. location, he says.

The escalating costs to renovate the entire building during the pandemic, including putting in a new kitchen, ended up about three times more than expected, Pereira says.

This time around, with no major renovations required, the couple are going into their new restaurant with much lower expenses to start.

The lack of financial burden will be noticeable in the menu prices at Eddie’s.

“With this menu, we’ve actually lowered all of our prices from Summit,” Pereira says. “I always tell people, ‘I won’t charge more than I’m willing to pay.’”

Eddie’s will have about a dozen employees, the majority of whom previously worked at Lost Boys’ or Summit.

That familiarity in the kitchen and front-of-house crews will help Eddie’s hit the ground running, he says. 

Eddie’s will be open 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

Come springtime, the restaurant may stay open a little later on weekends, Pereira adds.

Small Bites

*Daily Habit Espresso, a Spokane-based chain of coffee shops, reopened its newly remodeled stand at 6702 N. Country Homes Blvd. this week. Since beginning renovations in September, the North Spokane location had been operating out of a trailer. Daily Habit is running a series of special offers at the stand through Nov. 10.