Commentary: What we can’t stop thinking about where we want to shop and eat

Few business issues consume us as much in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley as the ongoing speculation about what restaurants and stores could open in our region and which ones are going to close.

Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News Managing Editor Matt Baney and I recently discussed the topic on the Tribune’s weekly podcast.

The following is an edited, updated and expanded version of our conversation:

Matt Baney: Tell us about some of the businesses that have closed in the LC Valley over the last year or so. And why did those businesses close?

Elaine Williams: We lost businesses in a variety of categories — national chains and independently owned ventures. Among them were stores and restaurants.

Some of the ones that were particularly significant were Grateful Threads Consignment in downtown Lewiston, Tapped in downtown Lewiston, Red Lobster in Lewiston, Shari’s in Lewiston, Eddie Bauer in Lewiston and Pullman Building Supply.

Different factors were in play in each of those cases. Grateful Threads faced tough economics in its business model. Krystle Monda, the owner of Grateful Threads, said she gave the consignors who provided her inventory 40% of what something sold for and the remainder went to the lease, utilities, employee wages and then finally her cut. The average price of an item was $15. So, of that $6 went to the consignor, leaving $9 to cover other expenses.

You have to sell a lot of previously loved jeans to make a living with those numbers. She couldn’t raise prices very much. Good deals on high-quality garments drew customers to Grateful Threads. Monda also couldn’t very easily lower what she gave consignors. They could find a different way to sell their items. And she had competition from nonprofits like Goodwill that pay nothing for inventory because it’s donated.

Bee’s Knees Resale, another gently used retail store, went into the Grateful Threads space. They later moved to Bridge Street in Clarkston, focusing on clothing for women and kids, as well as maternity wear and baby equipment. Monda had a niche in well-constructed, fashionable clothing.

Tapped encountered a number of challenges. The remodel of its more than 100-year-old building cost a lot of money even before it opened. Its Lewiston location is 25% larger than the one its counterpart that’s thriving in Moscow. Lewiston’s bigger size was intended to prevent waits as long as 30 minutes that sometimes occur in Moscow during popular times like weekends.

Plus the owners said the restaurant didn’t succeed in getting enough regulars, who are essential to success. The Mango Tree Indian Kitchen and Tap House has opened in the Tapped space. My opinion is it will do well. The business has experience from operating locations in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area, including one I frequent. The food is consistently good. They have lots of curries, which were really popular at Lewiston’s Thai Taste before it closed. They also have a focus on beer and wine. At least according to one study, Lewiston residents are some of the biggest drinkers in Idaho.

Red Lobster’s Lewiston closure involved issues the chain faced. More than 50 Red Lobsters were shuttered at about the same time. One of the problems was the overwhelming popularity of an all-you-can-eat-shrimp promotion, which according to the Los Angeles Times, “far exceeded the company’s projections.” Red Lobster still has hundreds of other locations in the U.S. and Canada.

With Shari’s and Eddie Bauer, we don’t really know what happened. But Shari’s departure appears to have created an opportunity for Denny’s to enter the market. They filed a building permit application with the city of Lewiston. Delicious food with generous portions at fair prices should be popular in Lewiston. It’s what many locally owned restaurants do very well, including Effies Tavern, Waffles n’More, Bojack’s and Strike & Spare. Denny’s locations are open 24 hours a day, so that may be the chain’s niche in Lewiston. Plus, Denny’s is already in Moscow, so they know the market.

One thing that’s really interesting with Eddie Bauer is that news broke this month that the company that owns it, SPARC Group, is merging with JCPenney, which left Lewiston during COVID-19. SPARC Group also owns brands like Brooks Brothers and Aeropostale.

Pullman Building Supply closed in anticipation of Home Depot opening in Moscow this spring near the Palouse Place mall. Moscow Building Supply is under the same ownership and is still open. A lot of factors were involved. Construction of single- and multi-family residences in Pullman slowed with a declining enrollment at Washington State University, according to the owners of Pullman Building Supply. And more of the housing in Pullman is being constructed by companies from outside the area who used national suppliers instead of local retailers.

MB: What about Big Lots? They are still open, but a sign outside the store indicates it’s closing.

EW: It’s unclear what’s going to happen with Big Lots. Last week, Gordon Brothers issued a news release that it was offering Big Lots leases for sale in 47 states. At the same time, USA Today reported a transaction with Gordon Brothers would allow between 200 and 400 stores to remain open through a transfer of the locations to Variety Wholesalers.

The Lewiston Center Mall is responding to emails involving Big Lots, working to save the Lewiston location, but Big Lots hasn’t shared what its decision about the Lewiston Big Lots is, said Billy Jeffrey Scharnhorst, the mall’s manager.

MB: How about new businesses coming to town? What are some of those and when might we expect to see them open?

EW: We’ve already covered a lot of those. Let’s start with a recap of some businesses that opened in 2024. Planet Fitness opened at the Lewiston mall. Its affordable price point and low-pressure atmosphere seem to be a good fit. Jersey Mike’s Subs opened at the Palouse Place mall in Moscow.

A Hobby Lobby at the Lewiston mall is expected to be open in the spring in a plan that hasn’t changed since it was announced. Like Planet Fitness, that should go over well. We have a large concentration of artists and do-it-your-self enthusiasts in the area who will likely appreciate having a new source for craft supplies. Many of them sell what they make at craft fairs. It’s also important to note that Hobby Lobby carries home decor. There are fewer places to purchase that in Lewiston after the departures of Kmart, Shopko, Pier 1, JCPenney and Macy’s. Being able to see home decor in person before you buy it, I think is particularly important. It’s one of the best ways to confirm the colors coordinate with what you have and the textures meet your standards.

MB: What challenges do brick-and-mortar businesses in the valley face in 2025?

EW: Continuing competition with online businesses, Washington’s minimum wage and the high expectations people have for in-person businesses.

Idaho’s minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, unchanged for more than a decade, and among the lowest in the United States, according to paycom.com. Washington’s was $9.47 per hour in 2015 and is $16.66 per hour this year. That’s the second highest in the United States, behind Washington, D.C., according to paycom.com. Employers throughout the region are affected by that. It’s a short commute for a Lewiston resident to Clarkston or a Moscow resident to Pullman. That means that Idaho employers have to compete with what someone could earn in Washington doing the same work.

Brick-and-mortar, independently owned businesses face a tough road. They need to sell items customers can’t find online or need immediately. And generally in our region, we love bargains, so it’s hard to convince people to pay more just to buy something at a local store. At the same time, people seem to be more likely to expect boutique service at local businesses. And it doesn’t hurt to have a good origin story too, such as how the first jam you made before it turned into a product line was for your 2-year-old with fruit from a tree in your backyard. Succeeding takes more work than most people imagine, but it’s not impossible.

MB: You’ve covered retail business in the valley since 2000. How has the business scene changed in that time?

EW: The biggest change was the departures of Kmart, Shopko, JCPenney, Macy’s and Hastings. The absence of those stores has left a gap in the market for merchandise such as work apparel for men and women and children’s clothing, as well as home decor. Macy’s, by the way, continues to downsize. It’s closing 150 underproductive stores over a three-year period and investing in 350 locations it’s calling “go-forward,” according to a Macy’s news release issued this month.

The vacant spaces at the Lewiston mall are filling, but having the Kmart building and Shopko space empty makes the area look less prosperous because they are large spaces. Repurposing them is complicated, in no small part because of infrastructure. Every business such as restaurants, retail stores, professional offices and small manufacturers have differing and specific needs for electricity, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, water and sewer.

MB: In your estimation, what sort of business is the valley most in need of? Or, do you think there’s a certain type of business that would really thrive in the valley?

EW: I go back to what we lost. Businesses that sell home decor and clothing. I find it really hard to shop for those things online. When I buy clothing online, for example, I often order two sizes. Then I have the expense and inconvenience of returning the one that didn’t fit.

We know how much the region loves restaurants. So the more the better.

On a related but different note, I recommend shopping at the local stores we have. When my husband and I redecorated our living room, we took a Saturday and visited every furniture store we could think of in the region, finding much of what we needed. I love reading. I check with local book stores before purchasing from Amazon. BookPeople of Moscow has a great website. Similarly the innovation and craftsmanship of the goods at the frequent craft fairs we have in the region is stunning. They’re worth checking out.