Rio Grill converted to Classic Burger

 

Owner Patrick Hughes has turned his former Rio Grill Brazilian Express in the River Park Square food court into Classic Burger, occupying 800 square feet of space next to a Panda Express outlet.

“When it came down to it, people didn’t understand the food, and it was tough to get them to try,” Hughes says of the Brazilian fare. “But it’s hard to go wrong with burgers.”

Classic Burger, which employs five people, offers traditional-style burgers, chicken sandwiches, and vegetarian burgers at the food court, located on the third floor of the downtown mall, at 808 W. Main. Previously, Rio Grill had occupied a 4,700-square-foot space at 5620 S. Regal, where it had opened in August 2014.

Hughes moved Rio Grill to the mall in February 2016 hoping to draw more visibility to the restaurant. He finally closed it and started Classic Burgers in March.

Hughes, 41, moved to Spokane nine years ago from San Diego. He completed culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu, in Los Angeles. He has worked at restaurants in Southern California and Vail, Colo., and has been in the restaurant business since his mid-teens.

“Instead of trying to make Rio Grill fit the market, I had to move in a direction where people feel comfortable,” he says.

“I still think it was good concept. Maybe in another five to 10 years Spokane will be ready for Brazilian,” he says.

—Kevin Blocker

 

Old Joe Clark’s moves to Valley

 

Old Joe Clark’s Photography has moved from its 640-square-foot Flour Mill location at 621 W. Mallon to a 1,050-square-foot space at 21 S. Thierman, Ste. B., in Spokane Valley, says Wendy Burris, co-owner.

Burris and Trisha Allbee, co-owner and photographer, took over the photography studio in April, says Burris. They chose to move the business because the new location has more space, she says. 

Old Joe Clark’s Photography offers “old-time photographs,” says Burris. Photos are shot in either black and white or sepia, and clients dress up in costume. Burris says the business has more than 50 costumes, most of which are Old West era or Victorian themed. Props clients can use include carousels, swords, and guns. 

Burris claims there’s “no other place like (Old Joe Clark’s Photography) in the area.” 

Old Joe Clark’s Photography offers its services by appointment only, but appointments can be scheduled for any day of the week, says Burris. Burris and Allbee are the photography studio’s only employees.

—Samantha Howard

 

Basin Feed & Supply opens Cheney store

 

Moses Lake-based feed and farm supply retailer Basin Feed & Supply Inc. has opened a store in Cheney. 

Kirk Sidwell, owner of Basin Feed, says the company is leasing the 14,000-square-foot building at 222 First that Del’s Feed & Farm Supply store previously occupied. The Del’s store closed in May, he says. 

Sidwell says he initially heard about the Del’s Feed & Farm Supply store closing while visiting Spokane’s Land O’Lakes Purina Feed plant on business. 

“They happened to mention the old Cheney store was closing, and it just seemed like a good opportunity,” he says. “We’ve always have been a family-owned business, and each of our locations, including Cheney, has about eight full-time employees.”

Basin Feed operates a store in Kennewick in addition to the Moses Lake and Cheney outlets.

Sidwell says he’s been in the business for 37 years now.

 “I started the business in 1980 with our Moses Lake location,” he says. “I’m the sole owner, but in recent years my kids have started helping out, and I expect eventually, they’ll take over.”

Sidwell says the company opened its Kennewick store in 2000.

The Cheney store features the same mix of farm and ranch supplies as the company’s other two locations, including large farm animal food.

Sidwell says the company’s Kennewick store also sells trailers, a service that he hopes also to offer eventually at the Cheney location. 

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Acupuncturist here moves to N. Monroe

 

Lilac City Acupuncture PLLC has moved to 2925 N. Monroe, says Shauna Douglass-Parkin, owner and acupuncturist.

The business occupies 600 square feet, or more than double the 250 square feet it previously occupied at 104 S. Freya, Ste. 208, in the Tapio Office Center’s Yellow Flag Building, says Douglass-Parkin.

She says she decided to move because she needed more space after shifting her focus from private practice to community acupuncture, which she says involved treating multiple people in one room and charging less money. The previous location could only accommodate three people at a time, she says. In the new space, Douglass-Parkin says she can see up to six people in an hour.

The business specializes solely in acupuncture and doesn’t add on other services that can hike up prices, she says.

“I don’t do any of the frilly extra (services),” she says. 

Many acupuncturists charge $60 to $100 for a treatment, Douglass-Parkin says. Lilac City Acupuncture charges $30 for initial treatments and $20 for regular treatments and established patients, she says.

Lilac City Acupuncture PLLC is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 10 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Douglass-Parkin is the sole employee.

—Samantha Howard

 

Photography studio relocates on Second

 

Stolen Images Photography owner Blake Crossly has moved his business from 811 W. Second to 800 square feet of space at 301 W. Second.

The move, which occurred at the beginning of June, was part of an overall rebranding for the company, which has four employees, including Crossly.

“We never did video to go along with our commercial photography packages until now,” says Crossly, who adds that wedding shoots are the company’s primary business. The three-year-old company averages 45 wedding shoots per year.

“Now, as part of every package, every shoot has a five- to seven-minute video reel accompanying weddings stills,” he says.

Stolen Images offers a basic wedding package, photos, and videos starting at $2,800, he says, but some packages can cost upwards of $10,000.

The company is booked out through the remainder of 2017 and has between 16 and 18 bookings already for 2018.

The company also donates time to photographing local charity events, and those related to military functions, including retirements, deployments, and returns home, Crossly says.

—Kevin Blocker