Biz Buzz: Manager of old restaurant explains what is happening to vacant building
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Do you want to know what’s happening on the east Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered.
Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BRIEF
RIGBY
Old restaurant manager says there is a lot of interest in vacant building
RIGBY — It’s been nearly a year since the Me ‘n’ Stans restaurant in Rigby closed its doors. Many people are still wondering why it closed and what’s going on with the business.
Donae Colborn was the manager of the restaurant. He says they closed earlier than planned last May.
“We closed our doors on a Sunday in May, but then they started tearing out all the street lights in town,” Colborn tells EastIdahoNews.com. “We wouldn’t have been able to get a customer in the door with all the equipment and the dirt, so we made a dang good decision to close a few months early.”
The street lights were being removed in connection with the construction of the Maverik gas station. The original plan was to close in August, but Colborn says the owner, Stan Colborn, made a split-second decision to close in May.
Donae is Stan’s son.
Donae says it wasn’t necessarily intended to be a permanent closure, but the timing just happened to coincide with the construction project.
“(Stan) was getting old and decided he’d had enough of it,” Donae says.
Donae says Stan is now 83-years-old and had owned the business since the 1980s. We tried reaching out to Stan but he was not available for comment.
Meanwhile, Donae says the building is up for sale and there are a few interested parties.
“We’ve had quite a bit of interest in the building. We haven’t had anything firm or actually had an offer yet.”
We hope to have more information soon. Stay with EastIdahoNews.com for updates.
BIZ BITS
POCATELLO – The physicians and staff at Teton Vascular Institute in Pocatello hosted a grand opening of their new building Thursday. The building represents the latest advancements in vein treatment technology. Teton Vascular Institute is located at 444 Hospital Way, Bldg. 100 Suite 111.
IDAHO FALLS – People nationwide have heard his voice, but now people in Idaho will see his face. Well-known BYU Radio host and relationship coach Matt Townsend is hosting Date Night in Idaho Falls Saturday, April 21 at 7 p.m. EastIdahoNews.com will be speaking with him about this event later this week. Stay with us for more details.
REXBURG – Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter appointed BYU-Idaho Professor Tim Rarick to a four-year term on the Idaho Board of Health and Welfare. Rarick teaches in the Department of Home and Family and is co-founder of the family life education blog FamilyGoodThings.com.
TECH TALK
IDAHO FALLS
Why local experts say solar power is becoming popular energy option
IDAHO FALLS – For decades, people didn’t have a choice about where their power came from, but now things are changing.
Growing interest in renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, is allowing some locals to take power generation into their own hands.
It’s been nearly a year since Idaho Falls homeowner Kim Hanson decided to become a solar customer.
Hanson was leery of opening the door when Blue Raven Solar came to his house last July.
“One of my Schnauzers took off and I told them I wasn’t interested,” Hanson told EastIdahoNews.com.
After they helped Hanson chase down his dog, Hanson decided to hear them out. He was intrigued when they told him solar power would not cost him any more than what he was paying his utility company. They also told Hanson they would install the solar panel system for free.
But it’s the concept of renewable energy that appealed to him most.
RELATED: Power companies create electric charging station route for car owners
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
IDAHO FALLS
This building used to be an LDS church but now it’s a healing sanctuary
IDAHO FALLS – In the middle of a residential street in Idaho Falls is an old brick building. Longtime residents of Idaho Falls remember the 90-year-old structure as the old Third Ward building for an LDS church congregation.
But it’s been more than three decades since the building served that function. Today, it’s a medical clinic owned by Dr. Jeff Baker called The Healing Sanctuary.
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