BACK TO BUSINESS

dining • shopping • culture

Businesses are working hard to serve customers and stay safe: Support them and you support our region’s recovery.

The negative and far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are by now painfully obvious. That pain has been acute in fields like entertainment and hospitality, where good business simply depends on people gathering.

For the restaurant industry in particular, the venues that have remained open are operating with an estimated 60 percent to 70 percent loss in revenue. A drop like that is hard to withstand when their profit margins — typically in the region of 5 percent — are already so thin.

But the same hardships that have tested their mettle have also given rise to some heartening displays of resourcefulness and compassion. More often than not, they start with a single question: What can we do to help? And it’s not just the restaurants themselves who are asking. Fellow businesses, advocacy organizations, elected officials, community leaders, neighbors and customers are too.

As a champion of regional economic development, Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI) was looking for ways to step up as soon as the scope of the pandemic became clear back in mid-March.

“We were asked to lead the business recovery conversation from the get-go,” says GSI CEO Alisha Benson. “One of the first things we did was call our peers at Visit Spokane and our other partners, the West Plains and Spokane Valley chambers of commerce, and then the Downtown Spokane Partnership and said, ‘We’ve got to get together. Our business community across the board is going to need us.’”

Those organizations understood that support was going to take many forms. For example, GSI helped secure and distribute personal protective equipment, or PPE, to businesses that were in need of supplies like masks and latex gloves. They also worked with the Spokane Regional Health District to communicate the recommendations and guidelines to the business community — even as those guidelines shifted in response to medical experts’ evolving knowledge of the virus.

“At the core of it, we know that people want to feel safe,” Benson adds. “And with a public health crisis like the one we’re facing, the businesses and organizations have a responsibility in that, as do the consumers. So how do we work together to build that confidence?”

Key to striking a balance between economic health and public health is raising awareness. With the help of targeted features like the one you’re reading right now, Inlander General Manager Jer McGregor felt that the paper could serve as a conduit for that kind of info.

“The Inlander has been around for 26 years. We have long-standing relationships with many of the businesses most affected,” he says. “And I asked myself, ‘Aren’t we supposed to step in and create some of that collaboration and ask to

a Community Effort

support organizations that we know need our support?’”

MARK STARR DAVID'S PIZZA

Read the Inlander every week for these kinds of features, and more, where restaurants and other businesses will be able to get the word out on what steps they’re taking to make their goods available safely. At the same time, customers can get a better fix on mandates and expectations.

BACK TO BUSINESS PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

Regional restaurants are understandably invested in every aspect of the recovery effort, too. Owners like Mark Starr of David’s Pizza have looked beyond their own walls to see how they can pool and leverage their combined strengths. Along with roughly 20 restaurants, Starr formed the Spokane Hospitality Coalition in early July. Its self-declared mission is “to keep our community safe and save local businesses” during COVID-19.

“Everybody is here for the same purpose,” says Starr. “Everybody wants to see us succeed: the city, the Spokane Regional Health District, and of course the bars and the restaurants. And ultimately we want to succeed for the sake of the public. That’s why we’re in the businesses that we’re in.”

Chad White, a chef who owns four local restaurants including Zona Blanca and High Tide Lobster Bar, is also channeling his energy into the Spokane Hospitality Coalition. He pulls no punches about the challenges he and his industry are facing, but he believes that unified, community-wide actions, such as complying with mask mandates, can help businesses survive while keeping customers safe.

“It’s been rough,” he says. “It’s hard enough to operate even without a pandemic. But the reason we’re still in business is because the majority of our community is supporting us. That’s been the biggest positive.” ◆ To learn more about how you can support the mission of the Spokane Hospitality Coalition, visit save509.com or find them on Facebook.

FRESH THIS WEEK

INFIELD CAFÉ

ALLIE ’ S VEGAN PIZZERIA VEGAN COMFORT FOOD • SOUTH HILL Although Allie’s isn’t offering dine-in service at the moment, this vegan restaurant — popular for its cashew mac ‘n’ cheese and “hot mess” pizza — opened its outdoor patio space to diners in early July. Takeout orders can be placed in person or by phone with optional curbside pickup. Delivery is an option, too, via the local delivery service Treehouse. On Sundays, don’t forget to check out the new Sunday Market & Breakfast. It features two local urban farmers and a menu that includes breakfast burritos and frosted cinnamon rolls. 1314 S Grand Blvd. 509-321-7090. alliesvegan. com

BLISSFUL WHISK BAKED GOODS • SPOKANE VALLEY Made-from-scratch pastries, pies, cookies, cakes, puppy treats and even ice cream have made the Blissful Whisk a favorite of sweet treat connoisseurs. As their indoor space is small, they’ve now set up outdoor tables and umbrellas at recommended distances. For added convenience, they’ve also launched a website that showcases their full line of baked goods. Customers can order and pay in advance, then pickup with curbside delivery. Looking for an easy project for bored kids? The Whisk now has take-home kits so you can decorate their sugar cookies or cupcakes in your own kitchen. 1612 N Barker Rd. #101. 509-242-3189. blissfulwhisk.com DAVID ’ S PIZZA PIZZA • DOWNTOWN SPOKANE The Elvis (spicy Thai peanut sauce, seasoned chicken, peppers) and the Da Vinci (feta, basil pesto, tomatoes, garlic) are just a small slice of the many handcrafted pizzas that David’s dishes up for hungry customers. Of course, there are also more traditional pies like the New Yorker (lots o’ mozzarella) and the Pepperoni for more less adventurous palates. As a founding member of the Spokane Hospitality Coalition, David’s has pledged to uphold rigorous standards for workplace sanitization and public safety — including ample table spacing and employee health screening. 803 W Mallon Ave. 509-483-7460. davidspizza.com

THE ELK PUBLIC HOUSE PUB FOOD • BROWNE’S ADDITION The Elk is Spokane’s original public house, and its patio space is a prime spot to enjoy its fare. There’s currently expanded outdoor seating around the west side of the building, which has allowed The Elk to keep all its

Watch for new businesses featured each week

patio tables while still allowing for maximum spacing. Inside, tables are either spaced for social distancing or protected by barriers. Customers can use their smartphones to quickly scan QR menu codes for touchless ordering. The full menu is also available for takeout (check their website), as are cocktails, cocktail kits and $10 growler fills. 1931 W Pacific Ave. 509-363-1973. wedonthaveone.com

INFIELD CAFÉ AMERICAN • SPOKANE VALLEY Just because you’re missing Minor League baseball doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the stadium atmosphere, too. The Infield Café is serving classic ballpark concessions like burgers, hot dogs and bomb pops for curbside pickup or lunchtime dining on the Avista Stadium infield. Along with offering plenty of outdoor space for social distancing, the café is doing cashless transactions and optional pre-orders. Each week features a unique special item like the Buffalo chicken tender basket or the Hawaiian burger. You’ll need to place your order for the special in person or over the phone; hours can change weekly, so call ahead. 602 N Havana St. 509-343-6886. spokaneindians.com

ITALIA TRATTORIA ITALIAN • BROWNE’S ADDITION Known for its warm, welcoming vibe and its fresh, seasonal Italian cuisine, Italia Trattoria is working with the state’s reopening guidelines to maintain everything its loyal patrons love about it. There’s expanded patio dining, and the garage doors are open when the weather permits. Indoor tables have barriers, and all this is supported by ongoing sanitization and noexceptions mask requirements. If takeout is more your thing, you can still order one of their choice wines to accompany your homestyle meal. 144 S Cannon St. 509-459-6000. italiatrattoriaspokane.com

SAFARI ROOM GRILL & BAR • DOWNTOWN SPOKANE Somehow the Safari Room manages to blend the exotic, the opulent and the traditional. It’s a place where you can choose from a huge selection of top-shelf liquors and premium drinks while standing alongside a herd of stained-glass giraffes. At the same time, its menu prides itself on down-home Southern food, like house-smoked barbecued ribs and pulled pork, as well as a selection of fire-roasted flatbreads. Besides adhering to stringent cleaning and mask practices, The Davenport Collection is now offering touchless QR code ordering outside all its restaurants. 111 S Post St. • 509-789-6800. davenporthotelcollection.com

THE SWINGING DOORS SPORTS BAR • NORTH SIDE The Swinging Doors has taken its cleaning efforts to the max. This familyowned sports bar (39 years and counting) hired extra staff and a janitorial service with “forensic cleaning” to make sure their dine-in area is regularly sanitized. If you’d rather get takeout portions big enough to feed a small sports team, try their Bogey Box. It’s six burgers and two pounds of fries with the option to add sodas, beer, ciders or seltzers. Ordering it directly with in-house or curbside pickup is the way to go. They ask folks to please understand that their generous free birthday steak offer is temporarily on hold. 1018 W Francis Ave. 509-326-6794. theswingingdoors.com

Questions? Contact us at backtobusiness@inlander.com

ABOUT Back to business • These weekly pages are part of a local marketing effort in support of the hospitality sector brought to you by leading institutions and businesses to help promote the Spokane County economy, supported in part by Cares Act funding. With the goal of balancing commerce and public safety, you can follow along here in the Inlander, and via the links below, as local restaurants, shops and more share their stories and invite your support. more to come • Through the end of the year, watch the Inlander for special Back To Business guides, along with special editorial sections, sharing more recovery stories and community business features.

Safe business practice resources KindnessNotCovid.org • Financial resources for businesses InlandBizStrong.org