The Chalet Restaurant has been acquired by two longtime employees of the popular South Hill establishment.

Mike Hassett and Rudy Wegner, who both have worked at The Chalet for over 15 years, purchased the restaurant in late January.

The former managers had talked for years about opening a diner of their own, so when the previous owner offered them the chance to buy The Chalet, they jumped at the opportunity, Wegner says.

“(The previous owner) knew what we wanted to do and that we wanted to keep The Chalet going,” Wegner says.

Hassett and Wegner also assumed the lease agreement for the restaurant, which still has about 15 years left on it, they say.

Located at 2918 S. Grand, The Chalet was founded in 1982. The new owners say it is best known for its breakfast offerings, although it also has a lunch menu and small dinner menu.

The Chalet’s most popular menu items are the biscuits and gravy, French toast, and eggs Benedict, Wegner says.

“We’re not changing much,” Wegner says. “We just want to improve.”

The most notable difference since the change in ownership, was the decision to close the restaurant before dinnertime, Hassett says.

He says the previous owner had said he should have made that change years ago, but it was a tough decision to make.

“We’re starting fresh,” he says. “After costs, it just wasn’t in the cards.”

About 80% of the restaurant’s business had occurred before about 3 p.m., Wegner adds.

The Chalet is now open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Hassett notes that they kept the dinner menu’s dishes for their regular dinner guests.

In general, Wegner says, changes to the menu have been minimal.

“We have that clientele where you don’t rock the boat too much,” he says. “We just want to slowly improve and keep the thing going.”

Some burgers were added for lunchtime, and dishes that were previously offered as limited-time specials and sold well have been placed on the menu permanently, Hassett says .

The Chalet’s version of the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin sandwich, for example, has been a welcome addition for customers, Hassett says.

Other planned changes to the restaurant include minor renovations, like fresh paint, roof work, booth reupholstery, and kitchen updates.

Hassett and Wegner, who have worked multiple positions at The Chalet over the courses of their careers, both still work five days a week as cooks.

“Eventually, we’d like to bring more people in, but it’s about finding the right people who are going to do it the way we like to do it to keep it totally consistent,” Hassett says.

The eatery currently has 12 employees, most of whom work part time.

Wegner, who grew up in Spokane and attended Ferris High School, says The Chalet has been a staple of the South Hill for many years. Much of that success is due to how many regular patrons the restaurant hosts, he says.

“We wouldn’t be here without our Monday-through-Friday clientele,” Wegner says. “Monday through Friday, we know our people. We know the orders that come in.”

It was those same loyal customers who helped The Chalet survive the COVID-19 pandemic, Wegner adds.

Hassett and Wegner plan to increase marketing efforts for the restaurant through social media channels, they say. They also have changed the restaurant’s delivery service to a third-party app called Platter.

Small Bites 

*A new McDonald’s restaurant is being planned in Spokane Valley, at 13414 E. Sprague, on the southwest corner of Sprague Avenue and Blake Road, according to permit information on file with the city. Plans call for a roughly 3,700-square-foot building with drive-thru and dine-in options. The new McDonald’s will be located on the same parcel of land as the former Shopko retail store, which will soon be occupied by a Tractor Supply Co. store, as previously reported by the Journal. The estimated cost to build the new fast-food establishment is $850,000.

*Cascadia Pizza Co. opened last week in Coeur d’Alene, at 1422 W. Appleway. The Maple Valley, Washington-based wood-fired pizza franchise began as a food truck company in 2015 and now has storefronts in five locations, with plans to open a sixth location in Rathdrum, according to the company’s website. The company currently has a food truck serving Rathdrum.