Arcade bar opens near comedy club

 

Gamers Arcade Bar, a bar offering a variety of video games, has opened in a 1,000-square-foot leased space at 321 W. Sprague, says Adam Norwest, co-owner of Tacoma, Wash.-based parent company Bark Entertainment LLC.

Norwest, whose company also owns Spokane Comedy Club at 315 W. Sprague, says the bar will have more than 20 arcade games, ranging from 1980s games to modern day games. The game selection includes Donkey Kong, Mortal Kombat, The Simpsons, and air hockey. 

The full bar will offer specialty drink named after “nerd culture,” such as drinks dubbed The Homer Simpson and Captain America, 30 beers—all in cans, and soda and juice, he says. 

Gourmet hot dogs, a veggie dog, and gluten-free options also will be served, he says. 

“We want to introduce people in their early 20s to games they may have never seen. We want to bring back games for people who are in their 40s that they used to play,” he says. 

“The idea is to have a fun place where you can have a drink, get some food, play a few games, relax, and just enjoy yourself,” says Norwest.

Gamers Arcade Bar is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m. It employs five people, says Norwest.

—Samantha Howard

 

Law firm changes its name, moves offices

 

As her practice has expanded, Spokane-based attorney Randi Johnson has changed the name of her law firm and moved to a bigger space, anticipating further growth.

Formerly known as the Law Office of Randi L. Johnson PS, she changed the name of the practice to Lilac City Law earlier this year. Johnson was a sole practitioner before hiring a paralegal and legal assistant in March, says Lilac City Law paralegal Matthew Kimball.

“The goal was to not sound so singular in name as the firm prepares to grow,” Kimball says.

He says Johnson expects to hire at least one more attorney in the near future to help the firm navigate its expanding caseload.

Lilac City Law recently moved from 600 square feet of shared office space at 221 N. Wall to close to 1,100 square feet of space on the sixth floor of the Paulsen Center, at 421 W. Riverside in downtown Spokane, Kimball says.

Johnson, who started the law firm in April 2013, focuses on Social Security disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and veterans’ benefits.

Plans call for the firm to begin moving into client preparations involving wills, trusts, and estates, specifically family wealth planning with emphasis on children’s protection plans, Kimball says.

        —Kevin Blocker

 

Pizzeria relocates during fire repairs

 

While fire reparation at Allie’s Vegan Pizzeria & Café’s original north Spokane location continue, the restaurant is preparing to open next month in a temporary spot on the South Hill, says owner Atania Gilmore.

Spokane-based commercial real estate brokerage NAI Black handles leasing for the North Side building, at 4803 N. Nevada, which suffered extensive smoke and water damage stemming from a brush fire in early June. While repairs to the original location are underway, Gilmore says she is working to open Allie’s in another of NAI Black’s properties, at 1314 S. Grand, in mid-September.  

Gilmore estimates damages to both the building and the loss of inventory to be in excess of $250,000. 

“It’s an older building, and rebuilding it to code is going to take some time,” she says. “Repairs will probably take until the end of this year to complete.” 

She says the 1,600-square-foot South Hill location is slightly smaller than the Nevada Street space. She says the location is also in the midst of some plumbing updates and equipment setup, to prepare for the September opening.

“I think it will be excellent spot for us, and it has the potential to become a second location once repairs are completed,” she says.

Prior to the fire, Gilmore says the business’s vegan ranch dressing had just been accepted by Huckleberry’s Natural Market and Yoke’s Fresh Markets for retail sale. 

“That was something we were really excited for, and will be working on once I have a certified kitchen again and can get the product on the shelf,” she says. 

Meanwhile, Gilmore says she has been participating in area markets and festivals to keep the business actively cooking for its regular customers, as well as catering events for select groups such as River’s Wish Animal Sanctuary.  

 “We’ve been really humbled by the community support, donations, and well wishes. It’s really helped us get through these uncertain times,” she says. 

      —LeAnn Bjerken 

 

S.S. Beryl restaurant renamed, updated 

 

The owners of the former S.S. Beryl restaurant, at 6404 N. Wall, have changed its name to match changes they’re making to its interior. 

Liz Nelson, her husband Curtis, and business partner Todd Phelps purchased the 3,000 square-foot building and the business through their company, Nelson & Phelps Hospitality in October 2015, and have since been working to update it. The restaurant has remained open as remodeling continues.  

Nelson says the group of owners decided to rename the restaurant, The Barrel Steak & Seafood House, to reflect their vision better.

“We wanted to focus on a new ‘barrel’ theme,” says Nelson. “Nothing about the restaurant had been changed since 1982, so there is still a lot we’d like to do.” 

She says for now just the kitchen, bathrooms, and back patio have been remodeled, but the bar and dining areas are soon to follow. 

Nelson says Nelson & Phelps Hospitality is working with Russell Page Architects, of Spokane, on a new design for the restaurant, which it hopes to start working on by the end of next year. 

“It’s going to take time. For now, we’re still working on design, but in the meantime we’ll be updating small things like paint, carpeting and furniture to freshen things up a bit,” she says. 

Nelson estimates the total cost of the restaurant’s remodel will be close to $100,000.

As part of the updates, Nelson says the new owners have made significant changes to the restaurant’s menu. 

“The old menu was too broad, with not a lot of fresh ingredients. Now we have different daily and weekly specials to help ensure we’re using fresh, quality items from local markets,” she says. 

Nelson & Phelps Hospitality owns five other Spokane-area restaurants, including The Steelhead Bar & Grille, Morty’s Tap & Grill, Selkirk Pizza & Tap House, The Fieldhouse Pizza & Pub, and The Screaming Yak. 

—LeAnn Bjerken