Ruins to remain open, relocates to downtown Spokane

More than a month after Ruins on Monroe Street announced it was permanently closing, the beloved Spokane restaurant is back, but in a different location.

Owner Tony Brown has moved Ruins into the Bickett Building, 225 W. Riverside Ave., in downtown Spokane. Brown’s other restaurant, Hunt, is located in the basement of the Bickett Building.

“I kind of always had the idea to move Ruins,” Brown said, adding the Monroe Street location had limited space. “I thought we could expand into a bigger spot someday.”

Ruins’ new home is “more equipped for larger amounts of people,” Brown said.

“It just kind of seemed natural to move it,” he said.

McRuins, which is Brown’s take on fast food favorites, has relocated from Saranac Commons in downtown Spokane to the former Ruins location at 825 N. Monroe St.

“Everything kind of shifted like musical chairs,” Brown said, referring to the restaurants.

Ruins’ staff will remain the same at the downtown Spokane location, Brown said.

“I’ve had pretty much the same staff for almost 10 years,” he said. “The staff now working at Ruins downtown is pretty much the same staff. It’s the same people, same food, same drinks – just in a different space.”

Brown founded Ruins in 2014 and the restaurant quickly gained notoriety for its craft cocktails, small plates and rotating eclectic menu.

Ruins was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Guy’s Grocery Games” on the Food Network.

Ruins is open Wednesday through Saturday from 5-9 p.m. with plans to possibly expand hours in the future, Brown said.

The Bickett Building was refurbished in 2014 by developer Jed Conklin, who is a former photographer with The Spokesman-Review.

Built in 1905, it is part of the East Downtown Historic District and listed on the Spokane Register of Historic Places.