Charcuterie deli opens + $10M electrician training center + New West Richland pizza shop

A union training center taking shape near Marineland Village in Kennewick will set the stage to double the number of apprentice electricians in the Tri-Cities.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 112 and the National Electrical Contractors Association are building a two-story, 26,000-square-foot Joint Apprenticeship Training Center (JATC) at 142 N. Edison St., in Kennewick.

Crews began preparing the 1.5-acre site for the $10 million project in January.

The steel frame is being erected now. Travis Swayze, IBEW 112 business manager, said the center will be ready for apprentices in March.

Before that, though, IBEW and NECA plan a grand opening attended by national officers and, he hopes, political leaders from both both Washington and Oregon.

“We expect it to be a really big deal,” he said.

Design West was the architect for the JATC. It’s being built by an all-union crew, with DGR Grant Construction serving as general contractor. The JATC is next to IBEW’ 112’s 17,000-square-foot Kennewick meeting hall. That $3.4 million project was built in 2019.

The new training hall will replace the union’s existing facility on Gage Boulevard, where tight quarters limit it to its 280 apprentices.

“We’re just maxed out,” Swayze said.

He said the program already bumped up the number of apprentices it accepted this year to 62 in anticipation of the new facility coming on line.

IBEW 112 receives about 500 applications a year. It will begin recruiting the first class to start at the JATC this fall. Swayze expects to accept up to 80 people.

NECA’s inside wireman apprenticeship program includes a mix of classroom and job-based training. Participants begin earning paychecks, benefits and building retirement savings on the first day.

“This is an avenue for a really great career,” Swayze said.

Online applications are currently closed. Watch for openings at jatc112.org.

Papa Murphy’s comes to West Richland

There’s a new Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza in town.

Justin Duarte and Jennifer Phillips, the partners who franchise the Vancouver, Wash.-based pizza chain in the Tri-Cities, opened the area’s fifth outlet at 1589 Bombing Range Road.

The new shop is near the West Richland branch of Gesa Credit Union, on July 17. It is open 10 a.m.-9 p.m., daily.

Unlike most franchises, Papa Murphy’s is based in Washington state.

The Vancouver company has built a following in North America for its fresh, you-bake business model.

Duarte is a Papa Murphy’s veteran who began with the company 17 years ago in Hillsboro, a Portland suburb in the company’s backyard.

He came to the Tri-Cities in 2014 as an area supervisor and set out to build a local network. His business includes two Papa Murphy’s in Richland and one each in Pasco and Kennewick.

More are coming, he promised. Since it doesn’t cook or freeze food, Papa Murphy’s is a flexible tenant that can move into almost any retail space because it doesn’t need vent hoods or other kitchen systems. In West Richland, it’s in a new strip mall next to a jiu jitsu studio and near a dog grooming shop.

Duarte said Papa Murphy’s itself asked him to open the West Richland location, citing growth and demographics. The company franchises about 1,500 shops in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Middle East.

Charcuterie truck now a restaurant

Roma Charcuterie, which began as a truck serving area wineries, has opened Roma House, a brick-and-mortar restaurant, deli and grocery at The Parkway in Richland.

Owners Roberta Chalaris and Marina De Albuquerque held grand opening festivities July 13 at 617 The Parkway in Richland.

Roma House offers a full deli case, charcuterie trays and gourmet grocery while serving a menu of small bites, cheese plates and more.

It partners with Wit Cellars, Eternal Wines and Tirriddis for its wine selection and has a selection of craft beer.

Chalaris and De Albuquerque are interior decorators who were inspired to create the charcuterie truck when they craved cheese to accompany wine during a tasting trip to Red Mountain.

The restaurant, deli and grocery in Richland is the next evolution of the truck-based business.

“Our aim is to offer products that are unique to the area while actively supporting local wineries and breweries,” Chalaris said.

Business hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

Go to romahouse.net.

Numerica opens in Pasco

Numerica Credit Union has opened its newest branch, at 2307 W. Court St., Pasco.

It replaces the former branch at 1817 W. Sylvester St.

The new branch features an open floor plan, game station with iPads for children, a refreshment bar and 24/7 access to its drive-up and walk-up ATMs.

Opening festivities are planned from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday.

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