A Central Richland shop offering locally popped varieties of kettle corn, as well as its associated businesses, will close Dec. 31.

A local helicopter operator is the only one of its kind between Lewiston and Seattle, offering a range of diverse services such as cherry drying, flight instruction, photography tours and even Easter egg drops.

Local businesses have felt some strain this year with rising costs, changing tariffs and customers pulling back on spending. Overall, the year has been flat for three longtime local businesses as they work to engage customers in the ways they know best. 

Two sisters are welcoming customers to Ink Drinkers Bookshop’s first holiday season at a storefront at 309 W. Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick. They aren’t the only ones betting on downtown either. Their store opening is part of a flurry of new businesses injecting life into the city’s commercial district.

A family-owned auto body shop that’s been in business in Kennewick since the 1980s recently opened a Pasco location to stay competitive.

Washington State University’s business school faculty is showing the same hustle as the enterprising business owners they study. 

Several of the latest bills pre-filed for the coming 2026 legislative session have the potential to expand or increase business and occupation, or B&O, taxes, according to fiscal think tank Washington Research Council. 

As Small Business Saturday arrives on Nov. 29, Tri-City retailers are hoping residents will choose to shop close to home to keep jobs and tax dollars local and support locally-owned shops. Downtown Kennewick is offering incentives for shoppers, too.

Another food truck is opening its doors at Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in Kennewick, offering authentic Cuban eats.