Furniture store opens; art outlet in the works


Picture Peddler Inc., an artwork manufacturer based in Elk, Wash., has opened a furniture store at 40212 N. Newport Highway north of Spokane and plans to open a seasonal artwork outlet in the NorthTown Mall next month.

Picture Peddler co-owner Bill Kemp says the furniture store, Rustic Home Decor, is located in a building where Norma's Restaurant formerly was housed. He bought the 2,600-square-foot building and remodeled it into a retail space.

Rustic Home Decor features rustic log and barn furniture, which is made in Blanchard, Idaho, Kemp says.

In addition, the company plans next month to open a seasonal outlet for Picture Peddler's art and framework, to be called Affordable Art, in a 4,800-square-foot retail space at NorthTown Mall.

Picture Pedder specializes in making Western and wildlife prints and framing them. It has a presence on Amazon.com, eBay.com, and its own website, Kemp says.


Remodeling startup opens on North Side


Dana and Valarie Potvin have opened Affordable Resurface & Repair LLC and are operating it out of their home on Spokane's North Side.

The company specializes in using a spray-on hardener, called Multispec, to give interior hard surfaces a new look.

"We resurface countertops and tiles without the cost of tearing out (or) replacing walls or countertops," Valarie Potvin says.

Dana Potvin manages on-site bidding and remodeling, and Valarie Potvin handles the bookkeeping end of Affordable Resurface.

The couple decided to start their own business after Dana Potvin was laid off from his previous job as a painter.


Cougar Crest opens tasting room on Post


Walla Walla, Wash.-based Cougar Hills LLC, which does business as Cougar Crest Winery, has opened a tasting room in 1,400 square feet of space at 8 N. Post in downtown Spokane. This is the winery's first operation in the Spokane area, manager Samuel Crosby says.

The tasting room offers the entire line of Cougar Crest products, with tastings and glass pours. It can accommodate 45 people comfortably, Crosby says. Initially, he and another employee will staff the tasting room.

Cougar Crest owners Deborah and David Hansen decided to open a tasting room here because they had many customers who expressed interest in a local establishment and because they liked the location in the downtown arts district, Crosby says.


Media veteran here starts consulting firm


Longtime Spokane radio-and-television account executive Kent Adams has started Kent Adams Consulting LLC, a public relations firm he operates out of his home on Spokane's South Hill.

The firm is specializing in communications, marketing, public relations, and some advertising, Adams says.

He says he decided to start his own company to have more control of his time and to spend more time with his family. He says he doesn't plan to hire employees, but that he regularly collaborates on projects with other Spokane-area public relations professionals.

Adams is currently helping Lite-Check LLC and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and North Idaho with marketing and communications. He also is recruiting investors and fundraising for Tesh Inc., a nonprofit in Coeur d'Alene.

Adams has lived in Spokane for 35 years and has worked for companies such as KHQ, Fox 28, Avista Corp., and the YMCA of the Inland Northwest. In that time, he also has focused on nonprofit fundraising.


Law firm purchases, moves to new space


Meyer Thorp Attorneys at Law PLLC has moved to a 2,600-square-foot building at 101 E. Augusta, north of downtown Spokane, from leased space in the Fernwell Building, at 505 W. Riverside downtown.

Principals Stephen Meyer and Rondi Thorp formed Desmmet Holdings LLC to buy the building, which previously housed Roberts & Mahoney Attorneys at Law, Thorp says.

She says she and Meyer decided to move the law firm to a bigger space to provide more room for its employees and for further growth, she says. They chose to buy the building because they wanted to own their own space and because the location is near the courthouse and the offices of the Washington state Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals.

Meyer Thorp has practiced worker's compensation and Social Security disability law in Spokane since 2008. Both attorneys practiced law before starting the firm.


HuHot grill selected to test drink machine



The Spokane Valley location of HuHut Mongolian Grills LLC, at 11703 E. Sprague, has been selected by the Coca-Cola Co. to feature a new touch-screen fountain drink dispenser.

The dispenser, dubbed Coca-Cola Freestyle, features more than 120 beverage selections, including soda, water, sports drinks, lemonades, and sparkling beverages. Consumers choose their beverage by scrolling through a list of options on a touch screen attached to the fountain.

"The addition of the Freestyle now allows our diners unlimited options and control over their beverage selection," says Michael Ellinghouse, owner of HuHot here.

Jeff Moe, general manager of HuHot, says the feedback about the new beverage addition has been positive.

"Our guests love it, especially those who have diabetes or other health issues" because of the sugar-free and low-calorie drink options, Moe says.

HuHot Mongolian Grills LLC, a create-your-own-stir-fry restaurant, started in Missoula, Mont., in 1999 and now includes 39 restaurants in 15 states.

The Spokane Valley eatery is the first outlet of any kind in Eastern Washington to feature the Freestyle. The touch-screen dispenser currently is available in more than 60 markets in the U.S., including in California, Utah, Arizona, and Texas.