Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business - August 2016

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August 2016

Volume 15 • Issue 8

New restaurants to serve up breakfast all day in Kennewick, Richland BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

Local News

Hastings files for backruptcy, closes stores Page 6

Commercial Real Estate

Rumor Lounge on Clearwater to open soon Page 17

Going Green

Eco-friendly tips, events on Go Green Tri-Cities website page 49

She Said It “This area is big for baby boomers, and boomers are getting old.” - Ami Gunther, vice president at G2 Commercial Construction, Kennewick Page 34

Get your favorite breakfast foods served all day when The Original Pancake House opens in Kennewick and Richland. The 4,500-square-foot Kennewick restaurant will open in early 2017 near Bob’s Burgers & Brews, Hampton Inn and Trios Southridge Hospital off Highway 395. It will be able to seat about 140. This will be BTE Holding Co.’s first standalone restaurant. The company employs just over 100 people and expects to hire on 35 to 40 people at each TriCity restaurant. Co-owner Ryan Medford said his company is negotiating terms of a lease for a property in Richland. “We’re committed to opening two locations in Tri-City area. Ideally Richland will open six months after Kennewick,” he said. Medford said he is excited to join the Tri-Cities community. “We want to be a place where everybody feels welcome and confident that they can enjoy an unmatched breakfast experience,” he said. The popular Portland-based franchise is found in 28 states and has found a niche for providing “a fine dining experience and quality breakfast that’s comfortable for the whole family,” Medford said. It costs about $60,000 up front to buy the franchise plus requires providing an ongoing percentage of the sales, he said. Medford is quick to point out that BTE Holding Co. has complete autonomy and operates as a small business. “It is an important distinction for us because there can be stigmas or ‘big business’ perceptions that come with national franchises,” he said. Medford and his partners did a market analysis of the Tri-Cities and liked what they saw. “It’s exploded in the last 10 years. Commercial and residential growth in the Queensgate and Southridge area — they’ve all taken off,” he said. uPANCAKE, Page 21

Ethan Schatz commutes to work from Benton City to Richland in his Nissan Leaf and doesn’t spend a dime on gas. He gets about 80 miles per charge after using the charging station at Columbia Point in Richland. He said the money he saves on gas is equal to a car payment. (Courtesy Marcus McCoy)

Electric car charging station numbers on the rise, giving drivers more options BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Jeff Clark knew the new five-story, 663space parking garage at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland was going to need some electric-car charging stations. “There is a growing interest in electric vehicles,” said Clark, vice president of support services for Kadlec, at a recent ribbon cutting ceremony for the garage. The garage has two EV Link chargers that can be used free of charge. “Another three are coming from Tesla,” Clark said. All told, the garage has the capacity for 14 chargers. It’s called planning for the future. The website www.plugshare.com shows

there are 23 electric car charging station locations in the Tri-Cities. According to Green Car Reports, Tesla projects 2016 worldwide sales of its electric cars to be between 80,000 and 90,000. The company also believes it will produce 500,000 cars by 2018. Very few people own a Tesla in the TriCities. They can cost upward of $90,000. But many Tri-Citians drive a Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen E-Golf, Chevy Volt, or any number of other electric cars. “What’s not to like about an electric vehicle?” asked Robin Rego, manager, generation project development at Energy Northwest. “I happen to own a Chevy Volt. It’s quiet. It’s smooth. It’s fast.” uELECTRIC, Page 53

Tri-City businesses try to ride Pokémon Go wave BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

Several savvy Tri-City businesses recognize the importance of being nimble to cash in on the Pokémon Go craze. “We’re all fighting obscurity. We’re all fighting to be known. We’ve got to be willing to learn new things,” said Oscar Suarez, marketing director and agent for Legacy One Insurance in Richland. The interest in the popular smartphone game hasn’t died off since its launch last month, if the Tri-City Facebook page devoted to the area’s gamers is any indication. Players continue to post their latest Pokémon finds, and more than 1,300 people are mem-

bers of the group. The smartphone game launched in early July and was heralded for encouraging exercise by getting teens outside to search for imaginary monsters in their midst and prompting interest in area landmarks or public places — called Pokéstops — where players can nab tools to capture the creatures. The game also has drawn its share of criticism. Kennewick police have issued warnings about Pokémon players trespassing on private property after receiving complaints. And the stories about players being injured or robbed are endless. Tri-City businesses just want to reap the economic benefits of the game. uPOKÉMON, Page 4

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