Red Robin names Spokane Valley location nation’s busiest

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews in Spokane Valley draws locals, travelers and shoppers from nearby Spokane Valley Mall. The restaurant has attracted so many hungry and thirsty patrons that it’s been identified by the company as the busiest Red Robin in the country.

The restaurant drew an average of 8,300 customers and sold 4,500 to 5,000 pounds of french fries a week in 2018, said Katelyn Kwiatkowski, a spokeswoman for Red Robin.

“It’s definitely taken off in the last couple of years,” said Bobby Benton, general manager of the Spokane Valley Red Robin. “Friday through Sunday is our busiest time. It’s been good.”

Bloomsday is traditionally a busy day for the Spokane Valley restaurant because of a nearby bus stop that runners use for public transit to the race in downtown Spokane, Benton said.

“Then when they return, we get a lot of that traffic coming in from that,” he said. “Bloomsday has been a big event for us for some time now. (The restaurant) always seems to have that big Bloomsday rush.”

Benton said the restaurant’s popularity seems to be continuing this year.

“It’s been little busier than last year,” he said. “We appreciate Spokane’s business.”

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Kwiatkowski, while able to confirm the Red Robin in Spokane Valley was the busiest in the nation, declined to comment on customer volume at Red Robin locations in downtown and north Spokane.

Red Robin opened its first restaurant in 1969 in Seattle. A decade later, the restaurant chain opened its first franchised location in Yakima. Now headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Red Robin has more than 573 restaurants across 44 states and Canada.

Red Robin indicated in a recent financial statement that success of its restaurants depends on leased locations, which are primarily near high-density retail areas, such as regional malls as well as big-box stores and entertainment centers.

The company reported more than $1.4 billion in revenue in 2018. Red Robin’s locations in the western U.S. represent 45% of the company’s revenue.

Benton said the plant-based Impossible Burger has been the top-selling menu item recently at the Spokane Valley restaurant.

“A lot of guests are trying that out right now,” he said.

Red Robin in Spokane Valley will celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 24.