Palouse Bar & Grill takes South Hill spot

 

Klint Croucher has debuted Palouse Bar & Grill Restaurant, located at 2912 E. Palouse Highway on the South Hill.

Croucher says he assumed the lease from Anthony’s Beach Café, which closed there in December. Dave Black, CEO of NAI Black, helped broker the deal.

Croucher says the restaurant has a total of 4,000 square feet of space, with half of that dedicated to customer dining space. Croucher says the restaurant has the capacity to seat 90 patrons, including both inside and outside seating, and he says he has hired 35 employees.

 “Like the name says, we’re a bar and grill; burgers, sandwiches … we offer a ‘fresh sheet menu’ and have seasonal offerings,” Croucher says.

He adds, “We’re off to a great start.”

The restaurant operates seven days a week and opens at 11 a.m., with closing times varying. “Close is defined as, whenever people stop being festive. On the weekdays, that’s been anywhere from nine (p.m.) to 10 (p.m.) and a little later on weekends.”

—Kevin Blocker

 

Vanity Nails & Spa opens on N. Pines

 

Vanity Nails & Spa LLC has opened at 306 N. Pines Road, in Spokane Valley, says owner Van Cao. 

The nail salon occupies a 3,000-square-foot building, with a 2,000-square-foot main floor and a 1,000-square-foot basement, says Cao. He says he chose to open the salon because he had purchased the building, and it had been sitting empty for several years.

Services offered at the salon include manicures, pedicures, acrylic nails, waxing, and eyelash extensions, he says. Prices range from $5 to $55, depending on the service, he says.

14 employees work for the establishment, both full time and part time, he says. 

Before opening Vanity Nails & Spa, Cao says he worked as a partner with his sister at Vida Nails, at 15607 E. Broadway, where he was employed for 14 years.

Vanity Nails & Spa is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

—Samantha Howard

 

New escape room opens in the Valley

 

Escape Entertainment LLC, which operates several escape-the-room adventure stores, has opened a new location in Spokane Valley, its third overall. 

Kristen Jensen, co-owner of Escape Entertainment, says its new Valley facility is located in a 4,300-square-foot space at 12928 E. Indiana, about a mile west of Spokane Valley Mall. The venue, which opened in May, has six themed rooms. 

Jensen co-owns the business with her friend and mentor in the industry, Jerry Jensen. The two share the same last name but aren’t related. 

“We started the business back in July of 2015 with our Division location,” she says. “People were always asking us if we’d ever considered a Valley location, so when this place opened up, we went for it.” 

Each Escape Entertainment location features a series of differently themed escape rooms, where groups of players are locked inside. Participants then have up to an hour to try to find the combination of clues that will lead to their escape. 

The business has two North Side facilities, at 7456 N. Division and 1325 E. Francis. 

“We chose this place because of the location, and because it’s larger than our others,” says Jensen. “Our North Side locations are each about 3,000 square feet, with four themed rooms each.”

Jensen says the new Escape space was already divided into several individual rooms, and as a result didn’t require much remodeling. 

“Typically, we change the theme rooms about once a month to allow everyone time to experience each one,” she says. “But we also have repeat customers who’ve done them all and crave new puzzles, so this will give them more options.” 

Jensen says Escape Entertainment currently has a total of eight employees, not including its owners, who split time between the three locations. 

Now that the Valley location has launched, she says the company is focusing on changing the theme rooms at its North Side locations and creating a display for the Spokane County Interstate Fair.

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Permanent cosmetics shop in Cd’A moves

 

True Life Canvas, a Coeur d’Alene-based permanent cosmetics business, has moved to a new location and says it plans to add to its services soon.

Owner Hayley Shortridge-Gabriel says True Life relocated in May from a 150-square-foot space within Dr. Fredrick Owsley’s plastic surgery offices in the Chinook Medical Building, at 980 Ironwood Drive, to a 1,500-square-foot space in the Parkside Tower, at 601 E. Front.

“It’s a beautiful space overlooking McEuen Park and Lake Coeur d’Alene,” she says. “Including myself, we have three employees and will add a fourth soon.”

True Life Canvas offers permanent cosmetic procedures like eyebrow and eyeliner treatments and scar tissue reduction, along with a wide range of facial aesthetic procedures, including Botox and Kybella treatments.

Shortridge-Gabriel recently earned her certification in permanent cosmetics through San Francisco-based Permanent Cosmetique International and is now a registered trainer and member of the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals. 

“I started True Life about five years ago,” she says. “I decided to move to a larger location so I could serve more clients, as well as offer training and educational courses.” 

Since relocating, Shortridge-Gabriel has launched a seven-day training program to teach others the techniques necessary to do permanent cosmetics work. 

“So far, I’ve helped three ladies to earn their certifications. Two have gone on to open their own businesses, and the third agreed to stay on as my apprentice,” she says. “We also occasionally host advanced training courses, inviting other cosmetics artists to serve as visiting instructors.” 

She adds, “Things are going great so far. Soon, we hope to add more services, including things like eyebrow waxing and eyelash tints. We’d also like to add an aesthetician to our staff who’s capable of doing some of the more complex facial and skin-care procedures.”

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Dog groomers open Coeur d’Alene shop

 

Pinky’s Pooch Parlor, a new dog-grooming boutique, has opened in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

The shop, located at 202 N. Fourth, is operated by wife-and-husband owners Elizabeth and Matthew Hunter, who have no other employees.

Matthew Hunter says the independent shop occupies about 700 square feet of space, with the grooming area taking up 500 square feet and a small retail boutique taking up the rest of the space.

The Hunters bring extensive experience to Pinky’s Pooch Parlor. They had operated a dog-grooming shop for 16 years in Florida before selling that business and moving to North Idaho, he says.

They can clip and groom most all types and sizes of dogs.

“We do all breeds,” Hunter says. “The only limitation is the dog’s temperament.”

Pinky’s Pooch Parlor usually schedules only one dog-grooming appointment at a time, Hunter says, adding that for multiple-dog clients, his wife handles the clipping of one dog, while he bathes and cleans the next dog to be clipped.

“It’s a quiet shop. We specialize in one-on-one atmosphere,” he says. “The slower-paced shop makes an impression on the dogs and their people.”

Pinky’s Pooch Parlor can handle up to six full grooming appointments a day, he says, adding that the shop schedules fewer appointments on days the Hunters work with matted, long-coat, large-breed dogs.

Hours for the new shop are generally 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but, because the Hunters work by appointment, the hours can be flexible, he says.

—Mike McLean