Dodo’s at the High Spot LLC, a restaurant and passion project between two lifelong friends, is expected to open Nov. 15 at 17416 E. Sprague, about a mile west of Barker Road in the Greenacres area of Spokane Valley.

The duo behind Dodo’s is Joe Absolor, a seasoned chef with over two decades of culinary experience, and Todd Zyph, a graphic designer and entrepreneur.

“On the creative side, Dodo's is modern American,” Absolor says. “I’m not going to be confined in a little box of doing strictly Italian food, or strictly Chinese food, or strictly pizza. At any time, you will see lasagna on the menu, and you will see tacos and egg rolls at the same time. It’s a mix of everything.”

Formerly occupied by The Stupid Cow Inc. restaurant, the nearly century-old building was purchased by Zyph and Absolor in October 2024 for $440,000, Zyph says. 

Instead of tearing down the original building built in 1927, much of the building's original features are being preserved with a complete remodel designed by Amy Jo Scott, of A.Jo Scott Design LLC in Coeur d’Alene. John Ball, of Spokane-based John Ball Construction Inc., is the general contractor on the project. 

Engineers from John Ball Construction have installed large steel beams to support the original brickwork and new large windows that create a lighter, more open, and welcoming layout, Zyph says. 

“It was important for us to keep such an old building,” he says. “We wanted to pay as much homage to that as possible, while bringing everything up to code and modernizing it for the next 100 years.”

Absolor, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale, opened multiple restaurants in Arizona before going on to manage and develop menus for a corporation with over 20 restaurants nationwide, he says. He says over the years, he eventually decided to leave the high-pressure world of corporate restaurant management and return to Spokane.

Absolor says he was drawn to open a restaurant in the space by the building’s potential. 

"I’m a huge Christian. It was a big God moment for me,” he says. “I would go to church out here in Liberty Lake (when visiting family and friends), and I drove by 18 months ago and said to myself, 'If I ever open a restaurant, that’s the spot, because I see the potential and what this could be.'"

Absolor found the property listing while browsing online and he immediately contacted his real estate agent, he says, adding that three weeks later he moved back to Spokane. 

Absolor says the diverse menu at Dodo's is driven by inspiration, seasonal ingredients, and community.

“I really want to make this a very community-oriented, neighborhood-type restaurant,” he says.

Examples of dishes offered include a simple beet salad with creamy burrata and Asian dumplings stuffed with oxtail and chili crunch.

“I get bored quick, so you’ll see the menu change (often),” Absolor adds. “If I put a fish dish on the menu and it doesn’t sell, then we are pulling that thing and we are redoing it.”

Dodo’s will seat around 60 guests indoors and about 25 under an enclosed outdoor patio, Zyph says.

The restaurant’s name is derived from an offhand comment Absolor made about his young nephew mispronouncing his nickname "Jojo" as "Dodo." 

“I kind of gave him that look,” Zyph says. “From a design perspective, we were working with just five letters, and it was clever. And I looked at Joe and mentioned, ‘A dodo is a stupid bird, right? And this place used to be called The Stupid Cow.’”

During construction, the crew discovered an old metal sign preserved behind the brickwork that read “The High Spot,” a name from a previous business in the building. With a nod to both the former restaurant and the building’s history, the pair named their new venture Dodo’s at the High Spot.

The initial operating hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, from 3 p.m. to close, with dinner service from 5-9 p.m.

“We’re opening out of the gate at 3 o’clock,” Absolor says. “We’ll go (from) happy hour straight into dinner service.”

In the future, breakfast service will be added, available from 7-11 a.m., followed by a break before dinner service begins.

Zyph and Absolor expect to initially hire nine employees — two cooks in addition to Absolor, a dishwasher, general manager, one bartender, three servers, and a host. 

The two longtime friends have known each other since third grade, attending Sunrise Elementary, Evergreen Middle School, and Central Valley High School together.

“I’m investing in one of my best friends,” says Zyph. “It’s exciting just bringing him back (from Arizona), doing this with him, and bringing culture to Spokane Valley. I feel like it’s a much-needed thing in Spokane Valley, and we’re excited to level up the food experience in our hometown.”

Small Bites

Luna Restaurant, located at 5620 S. Perry on Spokane's South Hill, has opened its newly renovated Garden Bar. HDG Architecture and Stroom Interiors, both of Spokane, designed the space, according to Stroom’s social media page. Tables are available by reservation only, with open bar seating.

Fratello’s Inc., an Italian sandwich shop and sister restaurant to Sorella Inc., has opened at 1198 W. Summit Parkway, in Spokane's Kendall Yards neighborhood. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.