Two Spokane restaurants are turning ghost stories into business opportunities by using haunted histories, themed dining experiences, and seasonal events to attract customers. 

The Bad Seed, in Spokane's Hillyard neighborhood, and the Steam Plant Restaurant & Brew Pub, in downtown Spokane, both are embracing the heritage of their properties with seasonal decorations and special programming designed to increase foot traffic.

For JJ Wandler, owner of The Bad Seed, the restaurant's haunted reputation was an unexpected discovery when he took over the former Hillyard Branch Library building, at 2936 E. Olympic. Built in 1929, the building served as a public library for 50 years before becoming a school, a church, then a sports bar.

Wandler spent over three months renovating the property before opening his Tex-Mex restaurant in September 2021. Much of the updates helped preserve the historic character in the new eatery space.

"I did not feel that the space was being utilized correctly as a sports bar, because it has really fantastic architecture, it had history, and none of that was being showcased," Wandler says.

The building's supernatural reputation was brought to Wandler's attention when a health inspector asked whether Wandler had met Veronica, a ghost reportedly inhabiting the basement, he explains. Initially skeptical, Wandler's perspective changed after seeing unexplained shadows and experiencing computer problems — such as menus being deleted as he typed them — while working in a basement office, he says. Other employees have reported unexplained phenomena, such as aprons being tugged near the basement stairs.

"I learned that when I walk downstairs, I greet Veronica every time," Wandler says. "I say goodbye every time I come up."

The Bad Seed incorporates the building's lore into its identity through flickering lights, spooky decorations, and a signature cocktail named after the ghost. Wandler has expanded a candlelight dining experience introduced last year, dubbed Candlelight Dinner in the Dark. The experience is now offered weekly on Thursday nights from September through March. The restaurant also is hosting a "Dress Like Veronica" costume contest, where guests are encouraged to dress as the resident spirit on Oct. 29, from 4 to 10 p.m.

"It's romantic. It's spooky," Wandler says. "It really sets the tone for guests to feel the haunted atmosphere."

Additional seasonal programming includes a goth-themed evening and Día de los Muertos observances Nov. 1-2, during which he expects an increase in guests.

Maintaining the exclusivity of special events is important to their appeal, Wandler notes.

"I think that it's possible to overdo something by not having it be rare enough," he contends.

For Wandler, the appeal extends beyond the Halloween season, as the paranormal theme becomes a more permanent part of The Bad Seed's identity.

"We do it all year round. It's not just Halloween here," Wandler says.

The restaurant's reputation has also attracted the Spokane Paranormal Society, which investigated the building in July. Mark Porter, co-founder of the paranormal group, says investigators reported unusual equipment readings and experiences they interpreted as paranormal activity, particularly in the basement and the upstairs dining area.

The organization, which has operated for more than 11 years, investigates six to 10 properties annually, including historic commercial buildings and private residences, Porter says.

"We try to find a rational reason for why things are happening first," Porter says. "But when we find spirits, we can help them cross over."

Other historic properties have attracted paranormal interest, including the former Hillyard Masonic Temple, where the Bison Bar is under development, and multiple downtown properties including the Davenport Hotel and The Ridler Piano Bar, says Porter. 

He encourages restaurants to incorporate any reported supernatural histories into customer experiences, nothing that the stories invite visitors explore and learn about historic properties.

Jeff Cooney, general manager of the Steam Plant, stands near the old steam tunnels, which are rumored to be haunted. -Matt Stephens       

Downtown, the Steam Plant Restaurant & Brew Pub, at 159 S. Lincoln, is using its industrial architecture to create a different Halloween experience, says Jeff Cooney, general manager of the Steam Plant Restaurant Group.

As a former steam-generating facility in operation from 1916 to 1986, the building previously supplied heat to downtown buildings through underground pipes. Today, its towering smokestacks, exposed equipment, and elevated catwalks provide a backdrop for Halloween decorations and stories of unexplained encounters, Cooney says.

"With the historic vibe and the ambiance that you already see with the industrial look, it's really easy to play into the Halloween season," he says.

Stories shared among employees and visitors involve three spirits that inhabit the building, and Cooney explains most supernatural activity includes a woman in white reportedly seen near the upper catwalks. According to some urban legends tied to the plant, construction workers in 1915 were scared off of the job site after hearing disembodied screams and seeing dark figures on the property. Paranormal investigations attribute this to the spirits of people who were trapped in a passenger terminal that burned in The Great Fire of 1889, Cooney says.

The restaurant's Halloween attractions and ghost stories coincide with one of its strongest business periods. With seasonal demand, the restaurant increases its workforce up to about 85 employees, from about 60 permanent full-time positions. 

"October, November, and December are three of our busiest months of the year," Cooney says.

Management is exploring expanded Halloween programming in 2027, which could include partnerships with performers, costumed characters, and haunted-house-style entertainment incorporating the building's catwalks, adds Cooney.

The Bad Seed operates Tuesday through Saturday from 4-10 p.m., and the Steam Plant Restaurant & Brew Pub is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 4-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.