A funeral home that’s tied to Einan’s at Sunset is moving its office from the Southridge area of Kennewick to the city’s downtown core.

CODA Alternative Funeral & Cremation initially launched in 2020, intended as an alternative to both full-service funeral homes and low-cost, online-only options. 

Though the intention was always to have CODA set up in downtown Kennewick, it wasn’t an option at the time it was founded, said Holley Sowards, director of operations for Einan’s at Sunset. 

For the past five years, CODA has been located at 2909 S. Quillan St., Suite 104, Kennewick, off Highway 395 near the Fairchild Cinema and Walmart. The location has been a good one, Sowards said, but with the current lease ending at the end of September, the “stars have aligned now” to make the move to downtown Kennewick. 

CODA will set up shop at 323 W. First Ave., opening its doors Oct. 1, later followed by a grand opening celebration. 

CODA will move into 323 W. First St., Kennewick, a space originally built in 1920 and most recently home to a boutique.  

| Photo by Rachel Visick

The new location is a building that’s been around since 1920 and has housed businesses from an ice cream shop to a boutique, said Heather Shepherd, CODA’s location manager and funeral director. 

Most recently, the building was home to Envy Galore, a pink-and-black-themed boutique that closed in late 2024. Shepherd said that CODA has been working to remodel the space, updating the lighting, repainting and bringing in graphics for the windows that will serve as sun shields while showcasing the business. 

The funeral home doesn’t look like a traditional one, Shepherd said, but rather it has more of a coffee bar style of decor. It’s a little smaller than the Southridge office, but has a better division of space, she said. 

Shepherd said that CODA typically has scheduled appointments since she’s the only staff member there, but that people are welcome to walk in. 

The cost of getting the space ready to go has been about $17,000, mainly for signage. 

Shepherd and Sowards both expressed excitement to engage with the community in downtown Kennewick.  

“CODA’s really about meeting people where they’re at,” Shepherd said. “We hope to continue to do that. We hope this move helps us better serve our community.”