Tod Stephens: The Dirt: Kindred & Co.opens book store-bistro concept in Post Falls
Mar. 1—A 14,000-square-foot bookstore opened Thursday in Post Falls that includes craft coffee and a bistro.
Business partners Elizabeth Harrison and Selinna Maesau said they created the space, at 851 E. 4th Ave., to connect people.
"There's something so special that can happen over a good cup of coffee or a shared plate with friends," Harrison said in news release. "That's what we wanted to bring to Northern Idaho."
Maesau, who will manage the business, previously told The Spokesman-Review that bookshelves will hold around 20,000 titles, comprise 8,000 square feet of the building and span two floors. The other 6,000 square feet is dedicated to the bistro, seating, conservatory and a community room that can be reserved for events.
"Every aspect of Kindred was intentionally and thoughtfully created with connection in mind," Maefau said in the release.
The two have been best friends since they were 15. They share a love for traveling where they find motivation for the cuisine of their bistro menu.
"The French items on our menu are kind of like an ode to our travels we've had in Paris and around France," Maesau said in a previous report.
The menu consists of sandwiches, salads and shareable items, like charcuterie boards, which can be found at tapas bars or French restaurants. The cuisine is typically served on a large wooden board and includes preserved foods, meats, cheeses and served with crackers or bread.
Harrison said the business will not include a typical wait staff, but, instead, patrons will order at the counter.
When the two business partners travel, they make it a point to visit bookstores — partly because of their vested interest in them and to conduct research.
"We wanted to take everything that we liked from other bookstores and make it our own," Harrison said in previous reports.
The location will employ about 15 workers, Maesau said.
The rooftop deck will act as outdoor seating for the bistro until the business' second year of operation when the two hope to turn it into event space.
The estimated cost of the building was $5 million, according to permits submitted to the city of Post Falls in May 2022.
Monroe Project
Developers will soon meet with the city of Spokane regarding plans to renovate a property on Monroe Street, across from the Central Spokane YMCA.
According to city records, work would include façade improvements and efforts to turn the property into a 15,316-square-foot retail space.
Nick Czapla, chief operating officer for L.B. Stone Properties Group, said the building can easily be divided to host two tenants. Retailers have not been chosen, because the company has not marketed the property, he said.
"We pulled it off the market, because we want to beautify it first. People will look at it and won't be able to see it as anything better, because its such an ugly building," he said, and added the previous owner of the property at 1023 N. Monroe St. operated an automotive repair shop in the space.
When the company earns a building permit from the city and a construction timeline is established, it will begin looking for tenants.
"The interior will pretty much be built to suit," he said. "Retail in that area is definitely lacking, and we think it's a great building with unique features like wood trusses in the interior."
Czapla said a meeting is scheduled with the city on March 7. Though it is early in the permitting process, he anticipates renovation work to take around three months.
It is unclear how many tenants will occupy the space. According to a listing on the company website, the space is divisible. Plans show two separate entrances to be installed on the building's north wall.
Currently, the property is zoned for manufacturing use. A change-of-use application has not been submitted, according to city records.
The plot was purchased by L.B. Stone Properties in 2022, for $2,425,000 according to county records.
Renovation efforts are estimated to cost $250,000, according to documents submitted to the city.
On the northern portion of the property is a paved area that will be replaced with a parking lot that will include landscaping islands, lighting and ramps so the property is in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, plans showed.
The sidewalk on the eastern edge of the property, along Monroe Street, will also be replaced. Tree wells will be added to the sidewalks.
New siding, brick work and anti-graffiti paint will be implemented on the exterior of the building.
A canopy connected to the western wall of the building will be demolished and replaced with more parking stalls, according to the submitted documents.
