Tom MoakTom Moak started his career at Mid-Columbia Libraries before the age of the internet.He joined the library district in 1979, back when there were no library cards, and customers signed a three-ring binder when checking out books and materials.There were 16mm films, mostly educational, art prints and 33 1/3 ...
A third-generation rental store owner isn’t looking to the future with the fear she felt a year ago.Today, she’s planning with Covid-19 in mind. And it appears so are her customers.“Right now, customers are booking with the mandates in place, so they know what they’re dealing with. Last year, they...
Managing principal, A-1 Hospitality GroupNumber of employees you oversee: We have over 300 employees across our portfolio of nine hotels.Taran PatelBrief background of your business: A-1 Hospitality is a hotel development and management company headquartered in Kennewick. The company was founded my parents Vijay and Mita Patel in 1997, three...
Interestingly, while restaurants and airlines continue to be clobbered by coronavirus-related lockdowns, recreational vehicle sales and rentals took off. People have switched their travel preferences to minimize their Covid-19 exposure.Travel trailers and motorhomes are iconic symbols of campgrounds in our “Great Outdoors.” Meanwhile, outdoor recreation increased once the initial lockdowns...
As we enter the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have an opportunity to look back at what the last year has meant for the hospitality industry — and look ahead at how we can recover.The hospitality industry has been hit the hardest of any industry in the state, by...
Washington wine has experienced unprecedented growth over the past 20 years, adding an average of one new winery every week, doubling the vineyard acreage, and steadily turning into an $8.4 billion industry.And then 2020 happened – a year of turmoil, change at every turn, new restrictions and much uncertainty.It forced...
When anyone asks the owner of Tumbleweeds Mexican Flair about his plans, he likes to quip: “I am just honored that you think I have a plan.”The past year has been a lesson in flying by the seat your pants at the family-owned restaurant at 894 Stevens Drive in Richland.But...
Visit Tri-Cities offering free wine passportVisit Tri-Cities is offering a free wine passport filled with deals to encourage visitors to check out the region’s wineries.Deals include being a wine club member for a day and discounts on wine purchases, wine tastings and food at 20 different wineries from Pasco to...
Viticulturist Matt Halldorson came from Arizona to make the vineyards of the Yakima Valley his professional home, working most recently for the biggest of the big, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.In February, he made another big move when he left the mega producer to join Kiona Vineyards and Winery, the family-owned...
In a little more than two years, Pasco’s Grocery Outlet validated the decision to open on Road 68.Of the 150 or so Grocery Outlets dotting the Northwest, Pasco recorded the biggest growth in sales in 2020, said Charles Grimm, who operates the store with his wife, Janice.The Grimms opened the...
