Long Ear in Cd’A moves to larger site

The Long Ear, Coeur d’Alene’s 43-year-old independent music store, has moved to larger quarters, says Deon Borchard, who co-owns the business with her husband, Terry.

The store now operates in 4,800 square feet of space at 1620 N. Government Way that formerly was occupied by Phil’s Army Navy Outdoor store. The Long Ear had occupied 3,000 square feet of space at its longtime store site at 2504 N. Fourth.

The store carries 20,000 compact disc titles, which Borchard claims is the largest selection of CDs in the Inland Northwest. It also has a large selection of new and used vinyl records, she says.

In addition to the owners, the store has three full-time and two part-time employees.

Borchard says the Long Ear isn’t adding employees immediately, although she expects the new location to lead to increased sales volume.

With the larger space, the Long Ear also is expanding its inventory of lifestyle items, she says.

“We’re able to carry quite a few new things we weren’t able to carry before,” Borchard says, “including a lot more clothing.”

She describes the clothing designs as bohemian or hippie, including tie-dyed tops and flowery skirts.

“We have a wonderful selection of novel jewelry, backpacks, purses, headbands, and hysterical socks,” Borchard adds. “We’ll expand even more fully into lifestyle products with a larger selection of home decorations, tapestries, and posters.”

Most lifestyle products are fair-trade items, and a portion of the proceeds from many of them are donated to humanitarian and environmental causes, Borchard says.

“We’re on the lookout for things that improve the planet, not just mass-marketed, normal things.”

—Mike McLean

 

Bar, music venue gears up downtown

A new bar and music venue, called The Reserve, is gearing up downtown in a 3,000-square-foot space in the 120 N. Wall Building where the Vault Social Club formerly operated. 

Joe Cline, promotions and booking manager for the venue, says prior to its grand opening on New Year’s Eve, the space underwent a month’s worth of renovations totaling about $25,000. 

“Renovations included redesign and installation of booths from the old Ridpath Hotel tower restaurant, custom-made dining tables, and a complete resurfacing of the existing bar,” he says. 

Cline says a new sound system also was brought in, and a stage there was reconfigured to allow for live music as well as DJ shows, and big-screen projectors were added for motion art and graphics displays on the walls. 

The business offers a full bar and small food menu that includes appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and burgers. The Reserve space also is available to rent for group events, and offers catering.

 “At this point, the business is still very young,” he says. “We plan to bring in some exciting acts soon, with the goal of building a community and making this a space for both artists and fans to come together and enjoy events,” he says.

Cline says the space has a 289-person capacity, which he hopes will enable it to attract more national acts looking to play in a more intimate setting. 

The Reserve is open Sunday through Wednesday from 4 p.m. to midnight and Thursday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Roaster to open  cafe on Monroe

Vessel Coffee Roasters LLC, a Spokane-based coffee roasting business, plans to open its first coffee shop at 2823 N. Monroe. 

Sean Tobin, who co-owns Vessel with Ike Bubna, says the shop doesn’t yet have a name, but he and Bubna hope to open it next month. He says the company has invested about $150,000 in remodeling the 3,000-square-foot space, which includes a 500-square-foot attached garage. Along with the retail operation, the company’s roasting and packaging operations will be located there. 

“We have been operating a small roaster in that (garage) space since December 2015,” says Tobin. “Once the café is open we will be installing a larger roaster out front so people can watch the roasting process as it happens.” 

Vessel Coffee Roasters produces several types of coffees, which it sells on its website as well as at some local venues such as Revel 77 Coffee, The Bartlett, and Spaceman Coffee. The company intends to expand its offerings soon to include seasonal coffee varieties. Tobin says the café also will offer pastries and other food items.  

The business already has hired five baristas and one production assistant, whose job will be to assist in the roasting and packaging process. 

Vessel Coffee began as the business proposal of four students, one from Gonzaga University and three from Whitworth University. Three of them sold their interest to the fourth, Tobin, who later brought on Bubna. 

As the company’s director of coffee, Bubna handles aspects of product quality and café management. Tobin serves as the company’s creative director, managing advertising, communications, and aesthetics. 

—LeAnn Bjerken

 

Istanbul Tailoring  to shutter its shop

Istanbul Tailoring owner Mortaza Shams says he will be closing his business in the NorthTown Mall in the coming weeks.

Shams opened the store, located next door to Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters on the mall’s second floor, on Dec. 15 in roughly 750 square feet of space.

“Unfortunately, we’ve just not had enough business and can’t afford to stay open,” says Shams of the tailoring business that also sells Middle Eastern-style fashions for men and women. “I thought this would be a good location. The store is surrounded by as many as 30 fashion retailers, but what I’ve learned is that there isn’t a demand for tailoring.”

Despite what he believed to be a good location, Shams says there hasn’t been nearly as much foot traffic in the mall as he first thought.

“I’ve talked to many current and former business owners here who say there just aren’t as many people shopping in the mall as there used to be,” says Shams, who says he invested $15,000 to get the business going.

Shams is a native of Afghanistan who moved to the states four years ago.   

He says he had success as a tailor in Istanbul, San Diego, and Los Angeles before relocating to Spokane. For now, he says he doesn’t plan to attempt to operate another tailoring business in Spokane.

—Kevin Blocker