Scott and Lisa Poole, owners of Poole’s Public House, have started construction of a new building into which they plan to move their North Side restaurant and bar from an adjacent strip mall at 101 E. Hastings Road.

Scott Poole says the North Side restaurant has leased its current 3,300-square-foot space in the strip mall since 2013.

“Our lease on the North Side location was ending, and an adjacent lot nearby was for sale,” he says. “So, we decided to purchase it and construct our own building there.”

He says the couple purchased the lot in the fall and began construction on the new 5,000-square-foot building last week. 

Baker Construction & Development Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the $1.4 million project, and Spokane-based Mercier Architecture & Planning designed it.

“We’re hoping construction will be completed and the building will be ready for us to move in by the end of September,” he says. “We’re really excited to be moving into this new space.”

He says the restaurant currently has about 20 employees, and it plans to hire up to eight more to assist with operations in the new building.

Poole says the stand-alone restaurant will feature an attached indoor/outdoor patio, garage doors that can be opened to the outside for additional space, and its own parking lot. He says the restaurant is expected to be able to seat about 160 people, including both its indoor and outdoor space.

“The biggest change for us is going to be owning our own building,” says Poole. “This building will also have a much larger banquet area to accommodate business parties and birthday celebrations, which is something we were missing in the old space.”

The couple also operate a Poole’s Public House restaurant on the South Hill, at 5620 S. Regal.

Both Poole’s locations serve American and English pub food.

“The restaurant will have all the same menu and the same daily specials, just in a new building,” says Poole.