Biz Bits: Dinner and a show
Apr. 2—This story has been updated from its original version to correct the distance between Columbia Bank and Umpqua Bank in Pullman.
A chef in a red hat and black shirt and trousers plays a rhythm with two spatulas on a hibachi grill before he begins to juggle the kitchen utensils at Koi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi.
Smiles appear on the faces of people seated around the grill, most with their eyes glued on the chef waiting for what happens next. Soon the drama intensifies when flames erupt from oil the chef squirts onto the grill.
In minutes, the chef delivers chicken, beef, shellfish and vegetables to the diners' plates and sometimes directly into their mouths.
The interaction between the chefs and customers at two hibachi grills during dinner hours is part of the atmosphere the owner of the new restaurant hopes will entertain diners and turn them into regulars.
"They make the customers laugh and have some fun," said Kadek Mas, the owner.
The menu at the restaurant was developed to appeal to individuals with a variety of tastes.
A selection of more than 25 dinner entrees prepared on the hibachi grill includes filet mignon and chicken ($26.95), shrimp and scallops ($26.95). The entrees come with mushroom soup, salad, mixed vegetables and fried rice.
Sushi as well as bento boxes, a collection of multiple items served in boxes with compartments for each one, are other options.
Similar to the grilled food, the sushi is prepared at a bar and has seats just feet away from where more than 20 types of special rolls are assembled. One of the most popular is the Lewiston special ($16.95), Mas said.
It is filled with lobster salad, cucumber and mango, wrapped in soy paper and topped with avocado, crab meat, eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise.
"The customers love to see the chefs cooking in front of them," Mas said.
The dinner bento boxes range from $19.95 to $23.95. Each one is anchored with a feature such as tofu and vegetables or jumbo shrimp and comes with miso soup, salad, a California roll, two pieces of gyoza (a type of dumpling), two pieces of shrimp tempura and rice.
"It's a combination of everything," he said.
Koi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi, at 1407 Main St., is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Mattress Firm expands in Moscow
MOSCOW — One customer at Mattress Firm in Moscow recently visited four times, laying on many of the 45 mattresses in the store before making a final decision about what to buy.
Like many shoppers at the recently opened store at Palouse Mall in Moscow, he was stressed, said Kristi Lowry, the store's floor manager.
He wasn't sleeping well because the mattress he owned was uncomfortable. And he didn't want to spend a lot of money just to get a replacement that had the same problems, she said.
Such dilemmas are common, Lowry said.
"They're sleeping miserably," she said. "They have no idea what's even out there because they might not have shopped for a mattress in decades."
The staff at Mattress Firm in Moscow and the chain's 2,440 stores around the country have plenty of ways to assist, she said.
The company's website has a trademarked tool called "MattressMatcher," to help customers identify possibilities that can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
The tool asks questions about the reason for a new bed, primary sleep positions and if temperature, pain, allergies or tossing and turning interfere with people's sleep.
Once the search has been narrowed, Lowry encourages customers to test any of the options in the store. That approach, she said, was pioneered at the first Mattress Firm, which was opened in 1986 by four men in Texas with a showroom and a pickup truck they used for deliveries.
Every employee receives more than 200 hours of training when they are hired to become what Mattress Firm calls "Sleep Experts" and take additional training as they advance in their careers, she said.
The instruction teaches them about the store's brands such as Tempur-Pedic, Sealy and Beautyrest as well as new technologies.
One type of mattress made by many brands that's popular now is cooler when people first lie down, Lowry said.
Then the mattresses pull away excess body heat and release it later in the night if needed as sleepers' heart rates slow as they rest, she said.
There's also strong demand for mattresses designed to fit adjustable bases that allow people to elevate their heads, feet or both and lines of mattresses that fit beds in recreational vehicles, Lowry said.
"We can guide you through the store and help you narrow the selection down," Lowry said.
Mattress Firm is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The address is 2016 W. Pullman Road between Target and Ross Dress for Less in a space that previously held Christopher and Banks and part of Hot Topic.
One office of Columbia Bank in region closing following merger
PULLMAN — The brick-and-mortar footprint of an area bank is shrinking after the merger of Columbia Banking System and Umpqua Holdings Corp.
The last day of operations at a Columbia branch at 795 SE Bishop Blvd. in Pullman is June 2, according to an email from Umpqua Bank.
Its operations are being moved to a Umpqua bank branch about 1.7 miles away at 225 N. Grand Ave. in Pullman. All former Columbia bank branches will be transitioned to the Umpqua brand.
No other former Columbia or Umpqua locations are closing in north central Idaho or southeastern Washington at this time, according to the email.
"We continue to review how our customers engage with us and manage our footprint accordingly," according to the email.
The discontinuation of the Columbia branch in Pullman is one of the less than 50 that were announced after the merger closed on March 1.
"The vast majority of impacted customers will have access to locations within 1 or 2 miles of their current locations," according to the email.
Customers are expected to benefit from the merger, according to the email.
"Our customers will enjoy greater access to local expertise and enhanced banking tools, services and convenience," according to the email.
The company headquarters of the combined bank is in Tacoma. It has more than $50 billion in assets and more than 340 branches in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, California, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, according to its website. Among them are offices in Clarkston, Lewiston, Moscow, Grangeville and Colfax.
Lewiston family selling donut business to go in new direction
A mobile donut food truck is for sale with its owners hoping to find a buyer who can capitalize on the loyal following they've cultivated at events like the Avista NAIA World Series and Lewiston High School football games.
Lil' Manz truck sells coffee and mini donuts coated in cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or both.
"We will train you, but it really sells itself," according to a recent Facebook post by Reca Thomasson, an owner of the business. "The only reason we are selling is that we just don't have the time to do it justice."
Thomasson, a kindergarten teacher at Centennial Elementary School in Lewiston, has run the truck with her son, Joey Thomasson, since the family purchased it in 2019. He has recently landed a full-time job.
Those interested in the truck can private message Lil' Manz on its Facebook page for more information.
The Thomassons are well-known in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley. Joey Thomasson founded Joey's Blankets of Courage, Strength and Hope in 2014 when he was in elementary school. The not-for-profit group has made and donated hundreds of custom fleece blankets for cancer patients.
A month after the Thomassons purchased Lil' Manz, Matt Thomasson, Reca's husband and Joey's dad, died of a heart attack. Family, friends and community members rallied around the Thomassons and helped them get Lil' Manz going while they coped with the loss.
Worker shortage topic of event
A presentation titled "Where are the Workers?" will be the keynote address at the Clearwater Economic Development Association's annual meeting this month.
The speaker will be Sam Wolkenhauer, an economist with the Idaho Department of Labor.
"Idaho is experiencing unprecedented job growth and a continued decline in the unemployment rate," according to CEDA's website. "The pressure and competition for businesses to find the talent they need to help their business grow and thrive has become a top concern among industry leaders."
The event will be held 5-8:30 p.m. April 27 at the Clearwater River Casino Event Center at 17500 Nez Perce Road, just east of Lewiston. It starts with a no-host social followed by the dinner and program at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $37.50 per person and can be reserved at clearwater-eda.org.
CEDA is a not-for-profit group that helps communities in north central Idaho with long-term strategic planning, infrastructure upgrades, small business loans, job retention and employment growth.
Teens for hire: Chamber helps organize event for job seekers and employers
A reverse job fair at Clarkston High School April 11-13 will give employers an opportunity to recruit students who plan to seek jobs immediately after graduation.
"We recognize the Lewis Clark Valley, like many communities all over the country, has more job openings than applicants," according to a newsletter from the Lewis Clark Valley Chamber, an organizer of the event. "The (chamber has) heard our members loud and clear; you need workers."
The chamber is accepting requests to participate through Tuesday by email at events@lcvalleychamber.org.
In the first three days of the event, students will meet in small or large groups with participating employers they have selected in advance.
After the presentations, students will be matched by Lynn Mason, the school's DECA advisor, with employers that interest them based on information they provide in a general application.
Preliminary interviews with employers will happen on April 13 and will give students the opportunity to learn if they want to proceed with additional steps in the hiring process.
Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.
