A new French restaurant, Madeleines Caf & Patisserie, is planned in the former Cucina Cucina Italian Caf space in downtown Spokane.


Madeleines will serve moderately priced breakfast and lunch items including pastries, salads, and sandwiches, as well as espresso drinks, says Deb Green, who will own the restaurant with her daughter, Megan Poffenroth, through a company called La Mere et La Fille Inc. It also will include a bakery and will sell a variety of artisan breads, she says.


Remodeling work is under way at the 2,400-square-foot space in the Crescent Court building at 707 W. Main, and Green says she hopes to open the restaurant in March. Madeleines will seat about 48 people inside and about 60 in an outdoor patio. All of the items on its menu will be available for carry-out. Green says she expects to hire about 12 employees initially.


Green has been in the catering business here for the past 13 years, and has operated Caf MAC in the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture for the past three years through her catering company, Shake, Rattle & Boil. She doesnt plan to continue operating that caf after Madeleines opens.


The museum is reviewing its options, which could involve finding a new cafe operator or downsizing its food service, says Bruce Eldredge, CEO at the museum.


Green says she and Poffenroth have been planning to open a new restaurant for several years, and originally looked at sites on the South Hill, but found that the market seems overly saturated.


We started looking at other locations, and with the boom going on downtown, this seemed like the wisest business move, Green says.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at emilyb@spokanejournal.com.