More than $1.8 million in commercial renovations and build-outs is reshaping North Spokane's commercial corridors, including new locations for retailers Sephora and Spencer Gifts and restaurants Habit Burger & Grill and El Pollo Loco.

At Northpointe Plaza, specialty retailers Spencer Gifts and Sephora are planning new stores at the shopping center along North Newport Highway. South of the plaza, Habit Burger & Grill opened in October on North Division. Separately, El Pollo Loco is expected to open following the completed renovation of a former Taco Time restaurant.

The four projects follow multiple other large companies that have expanded into North Spokane recently, including Raising Cane's, Nordstrom Rack, and Planet Fitness, among others.

Spencer Gifts

New Jersey-based Spencer Gifts LLC, a specialty retailer known for novelty merchandise, apparel, accessories, and pop culture products, is planning a store at 9656 N. Newport Highway in the Northpointe Plaza shopping center. The store will be located between the TJ Maxx and America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses stores.

Permit information on file with the city of Spokane shows tenant improvements are valued at $185,000. A certificate of occupancy has been issued for the 2,800-square-foot space following the removal and replacement of some nonload-bearing walls, fixtures, and finishes.

St. Louis-based ArcVision Inc. is the project architect; Lombard, Illinois-based Gollins Consulting Engineers LLC is the engineer; and Lakeview Construction LLC, of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, is the contractor, permit information shows.

Spencer Gifts will join other Northpointe Plaza tenants including Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Safeway, Total Wine & More, and other retailers.

Sephora

Sephora also has a new store underway at Northpointe Plaza, at 9610 N. Newport Highway, located next to the newly-opened Nordstrom Rack.

The Seattle office of San Francisco-based Interior Architects Inc. is designing the store remodel, and M Retail Engineering Inc., of Westerville, Ohio, is the project engineer. No contractor has been selected for the $750,000 remodel yet, according to permit information on file with the city of Spokane.

Sephora specializes in cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, hair care, and beauty accessories, offering products from established and emerging brands.

Upon completion, the Northpointe store will be the fifth Sephora location in Spokane County. 

The beauty retailer operates under Sephora USA Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, and the brand is part of the French luxury goods group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, headquartered in France.

Habit Burger & Grill

About 2 1/2 miles south of the shopping center, Irvine, California-based Habit Burger & Grill opened a restaurant at 7404 N. Division last month, expanding the chain's presence in the Spokane area. Three Habit Burger locations are now operating in the Inland Northwest following the region's first location that opened in Coeur d'Alene in July 2025, says Jonathan Trapesonian, head of franchising and real estate for the brand.

Trapesonian says the brand has been eyeing Spokane for a couple years and strategically planned to enter the market with multiple locations.

"Spokane has a great market for food," he says. "Habit has been trying to get a footprint here for a while."

Development of Habit Burger's new $500,000 2,500-square-foot restaurant involved Costa Mesa, California-based Commercial Development Resources Inc., as the engineer, and Lena, Illinois-based Lingle Design Group Inc. as the architect. Colbert-based Kilgore Construction Inc. is the contractor.

Habit Burger uses a standard prototype for restaurant build-outs, and Trapesonian says each restaurant employs 25 full-time team members, with the capacity to scale up depending on sales volume.

The burger restaurant serves the chain's signature charbroiled burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, shakes, and other menu items.

The brand was established in Santa Barbara, California, where its first restaurant opened in 1969. Habit Burger is part of Louisville, Kentucky-based Yum! Brands Inc., the parent company of Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut.

El Pollo Loco

Another 2 miles south of Habit Burger, Anderson Heritage Eats Co., the Spokane franchisee of Costa Mesa, California-based El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc., is preparing a restaurant at 5102 N. Division. 

Permit information on file with the city of Spokane shows a $400,000 remodel is underway at a former Taco Time restaurant at the northeast corner of the intersection at Queen Avenue and Division, north of NorthTown Mall. The scope of work includes exterior facade upgrades, new doors and windows, and a complete interior renovation. Spokane-based Yost Gallagher Construction LLC is the contractor on the project, and Mercier Architecture & Planning is designing the plans. Spokane Valley-based Whipple Consulting Engineers Inc. is providing engineering services.

El Pollo Loco specializes in Mexican-inspired meals featuring citrus-marinated and fire-grilled chicken, along with burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, and family meals.

The Spokane restaurant expands the chain's Washington state presence following the opening of a Kent, Washington, restaurant in January. As of late 2025, El Pollo Loco had an estimated 500 U.S. restaurants with a concentration in Western and Southwestern states.