Biz Buzz: The most read business stories of 2021 - East Idaho News
Biz Buzz

Biz Buzz: The most read business stories of 2021

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Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.

BIZ BUZZ

IDAHO FALLS

Here are the business stories you liked most this year

IDAHO FALLS – We’ve made it through another year of bringing you the latest business news.

Whether it’s a new restaurant, a medical clinic or a foam party company, entrepreneurism is alive and well in eastern Idaho and the business sector is strong and vibrant.

It’s inspiring to watch people like you do what they’re passionate about and contribute to the growth of the local economy. Here’s to another great year in 2022.

As 2021 comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to look back on the most-read Biz Buzz stories of 2021, beginning with No. 10.

Note: The total reads here are from the website only, not the app.

10. Idaho Falls couple opens foam party business (July 21)

holly cruz and sidney wynn
Holly Cruz and Sidney Wynn, owners of Foam King Rentals, pose for a photo in front of their foam pit. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 9,457

Holly Cruz and her boyfriend, Sidney Wynn, of Idaho Falls, opened a seasonal business in May called Foam King Party Rentals. A foam party consists of an inflatable 13-by-13-foot pit that is 3 feet deep. It has a bouncy floor, similar to a bounce house. A solution is mixed with water inside the pit, and a giant fan blows air on it, creating a bubbly foam that quickly fills up the pool. Read the full story here.

9. Local couple opens family restaurant in Ririe (June 23)

south fork
Nicoleta and Levi Hill of Ammon opened South Fork Restaurant at 235 Main Street in Ririe in June. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 10,221

Levi and Nicoleta Hill of Ammon opened South Fork Restaurant at 235 Main Street in Ririe this summer with the intent of providing a menu that has something for everyone. Levi describes it as a high-class joint with a menu that includes salmon, pasta, meatloaf, steak and the signature South Fork Burger, which Levi says is one of the biggest sellers so far. Read the full story here.

8. Rexburg couple opens restaurant near golf course (Sept. 22)

gees and burger
Whitney and Clint Gee are the owners of 9 Iron Grill, which opened in June next to the Teton Lakes Golf Course. | Courtesy Whitney Gee

Total reads: 10,338

Clint and Whitney Gee opened 9 Iron Grill in June next to the Teton Lakes Golf Course inside the old Redd’s Grill at 722 North 12th West. Although it serves a lot of golfers during the summer, Whitney says it’s open to anyone seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes a variety of wraps, salads, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, steak and more. Read the full story here.

7. Family-oriented pub and grill opens in Idaho Falls (Feb. 3)

Total reads: 12,294

Mac ‘n Kelly’s Pub & Grill at 1560 Lindsay Boulevard offers an award-winning menu of 20-30 different dishes that includes burgers, sandwiches and pasta. We sampled some of the menu items last month, which you can watch in the video above. In addition to an award-winning menu and bar, the business offers a variety of activities for a family night out together. The slot car racetrack is pretty popular, with competitions happening weekly. There is also a stage and dance area where local bands perform and customers can participate in an open mic/karaoke night. An arcade, along with pool, foosball and darts are available as well. Read the full story here.

6. Major renovations underway at Heise Hot Springs (May 26)

new heise swimming pool
A renovation of the outdoor pool at Heise Hot Springs wrapped in September. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 12,322

After construction delays, Heise Hot Springs officially reopened with a new swimming pool, splash pad, heated water slide, dressing rooms and other amenities on Sept. 18. Resort co-owner Brennan Reed told us in May he was shooting for a July 1 opening. Based on what we’ve seen, customers seem to be enjoying the new look. Read the full story here.

5. Owners of family-owned beef business seeing greener pastures after turbulent year (July 7)

paige and rick
Paige Nelson, left, and Rick Miller are siblings who co-own ML Brand Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef business based in St. Anthony. They sell Prime and Choice grade Black Angus beef through their website. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 12,621

Paige Nelson of Rigby opened ML Brand Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef cattle business in St. Anthony, with her brothers, Rick and Zak Miller, in May 2020. Despite a nationwide beef shortage due to COVID-19, Nelson says the company has weathered the storm. Many people got wind of her business and started reaching out for locally-produced beef and Nelson tells EastIdahoNews.com they’ve gotten more customers than ever since the story was published in July. Read the full story here.

4. Popular chain opening its first eastern Idaho location this month (June 9)

wing stop
Wing Stop opened at the end of June inside the old Kiwi Loco building at 3198 South 25th East in Idaho Falls. | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 13,229

Wing Stop, known for its selection of buffalo-style chicken wings, opened in June inside Sagewood Plaza in the building formerly occupied by Kiwi Loco at 3198 South 25th East in Idaho Falls. The menu includes 11 different flavors of traditional bone-in and boneless chicken wings. Some of the most popular flavors are the classic hot, lemon pepper and spicy Korean. Other menu items include chicken strips and fresh-cut fries from potatoes grown on Wada Farms in Idaho Falls. Read the full story here.

3. Local theater planning to reopen soon after being closed for a year (March 17)

edwards cinemas 2
Edwards Cinemas reopened in April after a yearlong shutdown | Rett Nelson, EastIdahoNews.com

Total reads: 13,387

Many people in eastern Idaho rejoiced at the thought of being able to go out to the movies again when movie theaters reopened. Edwards Cinemas in Ammon reopened in April with a showing of Marvel’s “Black Widow.” All furloughed employees were brought back and the business seems to have bounced back without any major repercussions. Read the full story here.

2. Authentic Italian restaurant opening in eastern Idaho next month (May 12)

Total reads: 14,320

Though Mama Fla Authentic Italian Cuisine was supposed to open in June, it didn’t actually open until Sept. 24 due to staff shortages. The restaurant is at 385 River Parkway next to the Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce and offers a casual dining experience with a variety of pasta dishes made fresh daily. EastIdahoNews.com sampled some of the menu items earlier this month in the video above. Read the full story here.

And the No. 1 business story of the year is…

1. New development project in Rigby getting mixed reactions from community (Jan. 27)

Total reads: 14,970

Andrew and Jorelle McClellan with Silvercreek Realty Group partnered with Hailey-based developers Triumph Group to buy a 32-acre parcel of land on State Highway 48 across from Rigby High School. The name of the project is Farmington Station and will include a mix of multi-family and single-family homes on the back 10 acres, with commercial property occupying the rest of the space. A movie theater is one of the things that’s in the works and the other tenants will be determined as the project gets underway. Jorelle told us in the fall the first phase of the project is likely to begin this spring. Read the full story here.

If you have a Biz Buzz item you want to share, send it to rett@eastidahonews.com. Remember to use “Biz Buzz” in the subject line. Also, don't forget to sign up for the free Biz Buzz email newsletter.

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