Online talk show here adds live video

Spokane Talks Online, an online business and news radio and podcast station that launched a year ago, launched a weekly live video stream, called Spokane Talks Live, on April 13, says Spokane broadcast veteran Kent Adams, STO’s founder and executive producer.

The program, which will originate from STO’s downtown Spokane studio every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m., will feature conversations on current topics, and is intended to be fun and informational, Adams says. He and other STO hosts will host the program.

“Our focus from the beginning has been audio conversations, on a variety of local topics,” Adams says. “The success we have there has indicated it’s time to up our game and include more live conversations and include HD (high-definition) video streaming.”

He adds, “Unlike most local TV and radio news—given their time restraints—we’re able to explore a topic or subject in more detail. Our viewer/listener is the connected business or community person, so we’re live on all our audio platforms, plus live video on YouTube and KHQ.com.”

Spokane Talks Online offers a variety of talk shows, most 30 minutes in length, covering local business and happenings, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Rotating locally-focused conversations with STO hosts and guests include “Business Talks,” “Startup Spokane,” ”Better Health,” “Real Estate Radio,” “House to House,” “Digital Media,” “Positive Politics,” and “Spokanimal Cares,” among others.

During the evening hours, the station offers music from the 1940s and ’50s from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by hits from the 1950s and ’60s from 8 p.m. to the following 7 a.m.

—Kim Crompton 

Barbershop opens along North Monroe

Spokane barber Jay Troutt and his wife, Brianna Troutt, have opened their own shop—Classic Cuts LLC—in 1,000 square feet of space at 2311 N. Monroe.

Troutt has hired fellow barber Gabe Jensen, as the two most recently worked as barbers together at Headhunters barbershop in NorthTown Mall for the past few years.

The shop opened for business Feb. 23. Troutt says he’s not in a hurry to bring on additional barbers at this time.

“It’s got to be the right fit,” Troutt says of any future hires. “We’ve got a lot of space and have room to grow. We’ve got our regular customers, and I think word is getting out because now we’re getting two to three walk-in customers a day.”

Classic Cuts is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, Troutt and Jensen say they schedule appointments outside those time periods for customers who make arrangements at least 24 hours in advance.

Troutt, a Lewis & Clark High School alum, says he started barbering for a living about six years ago. He says he’s always wanted to run his own barbershop.

“I was getting to a point where I really had to start looking at what I like to do and trying to fit that into how I could make a living at it,” he says.

“I like socializing. I like being around people, and once I started cutting hair, I knew I had made the right choice. It’s nice to do work where you’re not looking at a clock counting down to when it’s time to go home,” Troutt says.

—Kevin Blocker

Brewz on Barker opens in the Valley

Joe and Caroline Ciokewicz have opened a new restaurant called Brewz on Barker in 1,500 square feet of space at 18723 E. Cataldo in Spokane Valley.

Just north of Interstate 90 off Barker Road, the space in which Brewz on Barker opened was most recently occupied by the GTX Truck Stop & Convenience, says Caroline Ciokewicz.

Ciokewicz says the couple originally planned to open a walk-in coffee shop at the location before discovering there was a full kitchen on the premises. 

“The idea to do a restaurant pretty much took off from there,” she says.

Brewz on Barker currently has six employees, and Ciokewicz says she and her husband hope to employ 10 to a 12 people there as word about the business spreads.

The restaurant specializes primarily in breakfast but also serves lunch and dinner, including pizza, hamburgers, and sandwiches. It also serves beer and wine in the evenings.

Hours of operation are Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. and closed Monday.

“Business has been sporadic. People that used to stop at the gas station have discovered us, but Thursday through Sunday we’re slammed,” Ciokewicz says. “It’s going to get busier as time goes on and more people find out we’re here.”

—Kevin Blocker

Cole’s Fine Foods adds restaurant

Gluten-free food store Cole’s Fine Foods has expanded its space at 521 E. Holland to include a restaurant. 

Jeanine Cole, who co-owns the business with her husband, Eric, started it as a carry-out and retail space specializing in gluten-free foods. 

The store has been leasing its current space in the Holland Retail Center. When the bay next door became available, the Coles decided to expand into it. The business underwent some $60,000 worth of remodeling to create the restaurant side. Through the expansion, it has doubled its space to a total of 2,600 square feet.

The store’s retail side also is still open, selling gluten-free baking mixes and more than 150 other items. 

Cole says the restaurant’s menu includes freshly made gluten-free pizzas, baked foods, granola, and cheese balls, and will be expanded to introduce hamburgers, gourmet grilled cheese, fries, onion rings, salads, and more. The restaurant also has a license for beer and wine.

“Everything is made from scratch. Nothing is canned,” she says. “We offer grass-fed beef and high-quality Amish meats and cheeses.”

The business currently has a 13-member staff, some of whom were hired specifically for the expanded restaurant space. 

Cole’s is open Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturdays 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday’s 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The business also offers catering services with prices ranging from $14 per person to $31 per person. 

—LeAnn Bjerken

Clothing reseller starts second store

Re-sale clothing franchise Hut no.8 is in the process of opening a second outlet here. Franchisee Patrick Sweeney says the store opened earlier this month for buying purposes, building up its inventory. 

He says he hopes to open it for retail sales on April 23. 

Hut no. 8 is the latest store under the Florida-based Goin’ Postal Franchise Corp. brand to be launched on a national scale. 

The stores specialize in buying and selling used brand-name clothing and accessories at up to 70 percent off retail prices. 

The new store here is located in the Sullivan Square shopping center at 15412 E. Sprague, in the space formerly occupied by Star Nails.  

Sweeney says the 2,700-square-foot space has been remodeled with new floors, ceilings, dressing rooms, and countertops. 

“Our store doesn’t feel like a place that sells used merchandise,” he says. “It has much more of a clean, fresh, beachy vibe to it.” 

Sweeney opened the first Spokane store 2 1/2 years ago, at 6210 N. Division. 

“I decided to open a second location for many reasons, but mostly because I could see a need for what we do in the Valley,” he says. “I think the need is great enough, and the market is big enough to handle another store.”

Sweeney says the business’s first store here has about 11 employees, and he hopes to hire at least 10 for the new store. 

—LeAnn Bjerken 

Waxing studio  opens on South Hill

Melissa Haeder has opened a business named Mode Waxing Studio in 2,000 square feet of commercial space at 1337 S. Grand Blvd. on the South Hill.

Five estheticians and three massage therapists currently work at the studio, at the intersection of 14th and Grand above the 14th & Grand Salon.

An esthetician herself since 2007, Haeder says it made good business sense to merge a variety of services under one roof. In addition to Brazilian wax—the complete removal of hair in the pubic region—estheticians perform eyelash extensions, facials, and peels, she says.

“Two of the massage therapists are dear friends. When I began talking about starting my own business, they expressed interest in coming onboard,” Haeder says.

Despite the different services offered, Haeder says Brazilian wax is the studio’s specialty. She believes she’s hired a staff of skilled estheticians.

“There are a lot of horror stories and fears around Spokane,” Haeder says. “There are estheticians that are performing Brazilian wax that probably shouldn’t be. And there are those people who don’t want to pay for quality service.”

A Brazilian wax costs $57, bikini wax is $25 and an “in between” runs $42, says Haeder. Eyebrows run $15, facials start at $70, and eyelash extensions start at $120. Massage rates start at $55, she says.

Studio hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Sunday.

—Kevin Blocker