2 new restaurants, a pub and pottery studio plan Tri-Cities openings

Wendy Culverwell
·3 min read

Former TeaHaus shops in Kennewick and Richland are being repurposed and will open with unrelated new tenants in coming months.

WaFd Bank, aka Washington Federal, will open a branch in TeaHaus’s old Kennewick space while Chicken & Bowl has applied for a beer and wine license for its old Richland spot.

Both TeaHaus spots closed about a year ago.

WaFd Bank

Signs displayed on the the building at 5331 W. Canal Dr. advertise it as a new location of a WaFd Bank to be opening soon. The building, formerly one of two TeaHaus locations, is currently being remodeled.
Signs displayed on the the building at 5331 W. Canal Dr. advertise it as a new location of a WaFd Bank to be opening soon. The building, formerly one of two TeaHaus locations, is currently being remodeled.

Seattle-based WaFd Bank will open its first Tri-Cities branch at 5331 W. Canal Drive, a newer retail center west of Edison Street, according to permits issued in October by the city of Kennewick to convert the old bubble tea shop into a financial services center.

Brad Goode, senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for WaFd, said the bank was drawn by the growing Tri-Cities market. WaFd recently opened a new branch in the Spokane area.

Goode said the 3,800-square-foot branch will open by mid-February and will offer a complete line of retail services as well as business bankers. It will have a drive-thru and an ATM.

WaFd operates in eight states.

Chicken & Bowl

A Chicken & Bowl restaurant has moved into the former Teahaus location at 530 Swift Blvd. in Richland.
A Chicken & Bowl restaurant has moved into the former Teahaus location at 530 Swift Blvd. in Richland.

Chicken & Bowl, operated by Kiju Corp., is slated to open at 530 Swift Blvd, according to a license to serve beer and wine application filed in November by owners Yoori Nah and Bumki Hong.

The building shares a parking lot with Flight Tap & Table, which is operated by former TeaHaus co-owner Jose Casados. Flight opened in the two-story restaurant space originally constructed for Dupus Boomers Downtown, a failed attempt to create a family-friendly restaurant around the 1940s Hanford cartoon character.

Dupus Boomers operated from 2016-2017 and the space remained empty until Casados stepped in.

Chicken & Bowl is targeting a January open. The simple menu will focus on chicken dishes and bowls. It will cater to customers seeking to-go orders for lunch and dinner.

Tomi Sushi & Ramen

Tomi Sushi & Ramen has placed a sign at the former Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant location at 122 S. Ely St. in Kennewick.
Tomi Sushi & Ramen has placed a sign at the former Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant location at 122 S. Ely St. in Kennewick.

There will be no third act for the Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurant in Kennewick.

Tomi Sushi & Ramen will open in the former Dickey’s spot, 122 S. Ely St., which overlooks Highway 395 in central Kennewick in the shopping center formerly anchored by Safeway.

Dickey’s opened not once but twice at the Kennewick location. The original opened in 2015 and closed in June 2019 after the state Department of Revenue filed tax warrants for unpaid taxes. It reopened in 2020 under new ownership, along with Dickey’s spots in Richland and Pasco.

It closed again this fall.

The new business, Tomi Sushi & Ramen, will be operated by Chao Liu, Zhiyi Li and Junbo Li, according to a business license application. Its application to serve beer and wine is pending. The city of Kennewick authorized modest interior upgrades in late November.

Casa Pottery opens

Casa Pottery at 224 W. Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick is close to announcing its grand opening in late 2023
Casa Pottery at 224 W. Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick is close to announcing its grand opening in late 2023

Casa Pottery has opened at 224 W. Kennewick Ave. in downtown Kennewick.

The pottery studio is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday and is operated by Christian and Dulce De La Mora.

Blackthorne Neighborhood Pub

Blackthorne Neighbourhood Pub has opened in the former Davids Shoes store at 201 W. Kennewick Ave in downtown Kennewick.
Blackthorne Neighbourhood Pub has opened in the former Davids Shoes store at 201 W. Kennewick Ave in downtown Kennewick.

Blackthorne Neighborhood Pub announced its long-anticipated opening in downtown Kennewick.

The British-themed pub took over 201 W. Kennewick Ave., the retail space formerly occupied by David’s Shoes.

It is operated by Neil Darwen and Shane Dozhier, who spent months converting the shoe store into a lounge. Blackthorne serves craft beverages, food and offers a family-friendly if moody atmosphere.

Hours are noon-9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday, and noon-8 p.m., Sunday.

Follow its progress at blackthornepub.net on on Facebook @Blackthornepub or on Instagram.

Dutch Bros donation

Dutch Bros donated $8,400 to Columbia Industries. The total reflects the Oregon coffee chain’s Oct. 27 Day of Giving event. Owners donate $1 from every beverage sold that day..

Columbia Industries is a Kennewick nonprofit that provides recreational, employment, training and other services to people with disabilities and barriers.

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