Articles by Laura Kostad
What is the state of recycling in the Tri-Cities?
Though each of the Tri-Cities offers curbside garbage service, each handles recycling differently. Pasco, West Richland and greater Benton County (including Finley, Burbank and other Tri-City burbs) are serviced by Basin Disposal Inc. (BDI) of Pasco. Richland facilitates its own solid waste disposal program and sends its recyclables to Clayton Ward Recycling (CWR) in Richland…
Modern-day alchemist helps customers find their signature scent
A small shop in the Uptown Shopping Center helps customers create their own signature scent. Shannon Franklin is a fragrance alchemist who offers custom fragrances as a way to “help our customers to express their uniqueness while indulging in a bit of luxury,” she said. She opened Atomic Alchemy at 226 Williams Blvd. in December.…
Owners of Pasco’s oldest restaurant plan to retire
Pasco’s oldest continuously operating restaurant has been serving the Tri-City community for 58 years. Chinese Gardens at 1520 N. Fourth Ave. has been a Pasco cornerstone since late founder Jack Lee opened it in 1965. The building is hard to miss with its mashup of pagoda-esque midcentury brick architecture and flamboyant, dragon-flanked neon signs. And…
Sculpt Wellness opens second location in emerging Pasco wellness mall
Business is booming for Sculpt Tri-Cities Wellness Center, with the March opening of a second location at Broadmoor Park off Sandifur Parkway in Pasco. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, “people are just valuing their health more,” said owner Lindsay Kirby. “There’s definitely been a huge shift in what consumers are seeking and how…
Popular Kennewick doughnut shop lives up to its name
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 page, and it’s…
Tri-Cities’ first dedicated electric bike shop opens in Richland
A California couple sold their home and moved to the Tri-Cities to open an electric bike shop in Richland. The empty nesters wanted a new adventure after their daughters grew up and left home, so they began scouting places to launch a Pedego e-bike franchise. Troy and Erin Franzen had never been to southeastern Washington…
Tri-Cities’ own pawn stars find niche in musical equipment
In the market for music equipment? Ed and Moe’s Pawn Shop & Guitar Bar is a store you’ll want to put on your list. It has typical pawn shop items – electronics, power tools, jewelry, collectibles – but Ed and Moe’s puts special focus on providing a replete inventory of secondhand musical instruments, audio equipment…
Longtime Kennewick company begins transition to third generation
A third generation is poised to take over KIE Supply Corp., the iconic 67-year-old Kennewick business. KIE, established in 1955 by Augustan Kittson Sr., is a longtime supplier of irrigation, plumbing, electrical, lighting, appliance and bathroom fixtures for contractors and DIYers through stores in Kennewick, Hermiston, Sunnyside and elsewhere. Its gleaming fixtures sparkle on East…
The pandemic couldn’t close book on Novel Coffee + Teas
It’s not the typical narrative for small business owners. When statewide shutdowns in the wake of Covid-19 closed the Richland Public Library’s doors, its café, Novel Coffee + Teas, shut down with it. Though many businesses took advantage of the lull to re-imagine their brands, spaces and business models, few were faced with the unusual…
City of Kennewick: Forging forward to ‘normal’ despite pandemic
As the Tri-Cities negotiates its second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, cities and private developers alike continue to forge ahead with projects, bringing new services to the community. Despite state and federal level mandates limiting in-person business, tightened budgets and ballooning construction costs, Kennewick – the largest and most densely populated of the four cities…
