Megan SavelyRichland’s Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery is casting off the lingering effects of the pandemic by adding a new bakery, as well as a drive-thru cake-shake business on Wellsian Way.The new location will provide much-needed workspace for Frost Me Sweet’s bakers while allowing owners Megan and Jason Savely...
Michael NovakovichMichael Novakovich, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, is looking forward to May, which is when the tourism agency he leads expects to finalize the economic impact of tourism on the local economy in 2021.After a pandemic-battered showing in 2020, signs of revival will be welcome news to an...
The women overseeing two popular waterfront restaurants in Richland didn’t intend for their jobs to become their careers.Kassandra Bell of Anthony’s at Columbia Point, earned a degree in psychology (which comes in handy interacting with staff and guests), and Cara McDonald of Budd’s Broiler spent two decades in real estate...
As I write this, the state is preparing to roll back Covid-19 mandates: Masks are coming off, spring is in the air, and there’s a sense of a promise to return to (something like) normal.The hospitality industry has been waiting for this moment for two years, and so have the...
As we might suspect from our own travel, tourism took a huge hit in 2020.The Benton-Franklin Trends metric on direct travel and tourism spending makes this painfully clear.Total estimated spending in the two counties plunged from about $496 million to $345 million, or a drop of 30%.What has been affected?...
A gaming lounge at Columbia Center is closed with a handwritten note in the window: Closed because of staffing issues.It’s one small sign that the Great Resignation is in full force in the Tri-Cities, disproportionately affecting the hospitality and visitor sector. As Michael Novakovich, CEO of Visit Tri-Cities reports, local...
First stop – Kennewick. Followed by the remainder of the Tri-Cities, every college town, and then the rest of America. Chris Corbin’s dream for his food truck pavilion has no bounds – and why should it?He’s already overcome a huge obstacle by cementing private financing for the $3.5 million development...
The owners of CG Public House are buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, a popular 21-and-over sports pub with an Old West vibe near Columbia Center mall.Kyle Simmons, together with his sister, Stef Simmons, and parents, Steve and Shirley Simmons, expect to close on the two-part deal March 28. Terms were not...
A Kennewick business that frequently sells out of its tasty, doughy treats lives up to its name.Popular Donuts at 101 N. Union St. serves up daily a variety of shapes and unique flavors, frequently selling out toward week’s end.“All hours listed are until sold out,” it warns on its Facebook...
There came a time during the pandemic when Jubert and Theresa Javonillo knew they had to save their restaurant, Dagupan Grill, in Kennewick.“At the beginning of the pandemic, it was really scary,” Theresa said. “We had to shut down. It was like a nightmare. So we were really scared in...
