Essential Home Furnishings plans January opening

Six new stores are preparing for spaces in the Riverstone development off Northwest Boulevard. These will join 15 stores and restaurants that are already operating or were announced earlier.

Watch for a January opening for Essential Home Furnishings in a 54,400-square-foot space north of Azteca Restaurant and Regal Cinemas. The store will offer traditional American and Old World European style with furniture and accessories.

Owner Angela Quinn opened Quinn Essentials at 518 E. Fifth Ave., Post Falls, two years ago. She also has designed the interiors of model condominiums at Riverstone. The store will have seven or eight employees.

Orvis, Vertical Earth emphasize outdoors

Orvis Outfitters Northwest and Vertical Earth plan to open March 1 and April 1 in the northwest end of the A Building across Riverstone Drive from Bardenay Restaurant.

Primarily offering the Orvis brand in fly-fishing gear, Northwest Outfitters also offers guided trips and instruction. Bob Drummond Jr., who owns the building with the current store at Highway 95 and Canfield Avenue, sold the business to John Stone and a group of Riverstone investors.

Drummond, who opened the store in 1997, said, “I have been in the fly-fishing business for 20 years, and I am ready for something new. We think Orvis is a great fit for Riverstone … We’re taking a successful store and putting it in a great location closer to the water.”

Pat Way will continue to manage the store with the help of employees Josh Seaton, Mike Beard and Stephanie Roberts. Hours at the 1,800-square-foot business will be consistent with Riverstone shop hours and shift earlier with fishing season. Phone 772-1497.

Vertical Earth will have 5,360 square feet in the end of the building. The full-service sports shop offers mountain, road, cruiser and tri bikes, wetsuits, apparel, accessories, rentals and services. Now at 308 Coeur d’Alene Ave., they also sponsor competitive teams and events. Phone 667-5503 and/or check www.verticalearth.com.

RMCF, Hapa, Chico’s farther south

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Hapa Fish and Chico’s plan to open farther south along Riverstone Drive in April.

With 334 stores worldwide, Rocky Mountain Chocolates offers a variety of 300 chocolate candies and confectionary products. The Coeur d’Alene store will be in a 1,188-square-foot space north of the Boardwalk Boutique store and across from Bardenay. The store started in 1981, and its headquarters is in Durango, Colo. Check www.rmcf.com.

Offering fish with a Hawaiian and Japanese touch, Hapa Fish will have a 5,427-square-foot, free-standing restaurant across from Red Robin at the intersection of Riverstone Drive and Beebe Boulevard. Including a sushi bar with fish from around the world and salad dressing and sauce retail products, Hapa also has a restaurant in Park City, Utah. Check www.hapafish.com.

Offering specialty women’s apparel, Chico’s will have a 3,253-square-foot space across Beebe Boulevard from Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Operating since 1983 and with its headquarters in Fort Myers, Fla., Chico’s has 1,083 stores in 49 states. Check www.chicos.com.

Fourth Street Subway moving north

The Subway store that has been at 2102 N. Fourth St. in Coeur d’Alene for 20 years is moving north to the mini-mall at Fourth and Best beside the new Panda Express store in December.

The 1,950-square-foot shop dressed in the new Subway decor will include seating for 50 customers and a take-out counter. Owners Tim and Karla England will have about 15 employees. The standard Subway menu will add new flatbread breakfast sandwiches. Originally from Spokane and Drummond, Mont., the Englands’ store will be open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Starting in 1965, Subway has 30,148 stores in 87 countries. Its headquarters is in Milford, Conn. Check www.subway.com

Here are this week’s tidbits

•Perhaps the powers that be will decide to allow alcohol inside the Parkside Condominium building. The new Bakery by the Lake outlet hopes to offer beer and wine, and attracting a restaurant into the high rise will be nearly impossible if it can’t serve booze. The Coeur d’Alene Resort and Parkside Bistro are able to offer booze next to city park property. The Parkside Condos should be able to as well.

• Correction from last week. Drs. Wayne and Cindy Ellenbecker will have the Ellenbecker Eye Clinic, and Dr. Michael Chafee will have Riverstone Orthodontics in the new Riverstone Cress Professional Building opening this month in Riverstone.

• Spies reported that the following businesses have closed: Bambino’s Pizza on Fourth Street, New York Express eatery on Lincoln Way and Dollar Rent-A-Car on Northwest Boulevard. It must be true because no one’s there.

•Spies also report that Circuit City, which has declared bankruptcy, won’t take gift cards.