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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
MENAN
Old Watson’s Bar is now a steak and seafood restaurant serving hundreds of customers every day
Courtesy photo
MENAN – When Leo Hancock and his wife Danielle Dexter moved to Rigby in 2016, they didn’t intend to open a business. But fate dealt them a different hand.
It’s been more than a year since the couple opened Teton House, a steak and seafood restaurant, in the old Watson’s Bar in Menan. Now they’re serving people all over the valley and even other states.
“People will come from Boise just to eat here. It’s becoming fairly common,” Hancock tells EastIdahoNews.com. “You’re driving 20 minutes out of Idaho Falls to get here, so when you get here your expectations are high. My food quality better meet those.”
Customers seem to be impressed. Hancock says they serve hundreds of customers every day. Sixty percent of them come from Idaho Falls and 30-percent are from Rexburg, Hancock says. He’s also seen people from Montana and Wyoming stop by.
Part of the appeal of the restaurant, according to Hancock, is the history. The building began as a bank in 1910. People in the area remember it as Watson’s Bar.
After moving here from Washington two years ago, Hancock and his wife learned the old building was for sale. They met with the owner and ended up catering his Christmas party.
By the first of the year, in January 2017, they decided to buy the building. They opened March 17, 2017 and within two months were serving customers seven days a week.
“The community did not want a bar. With their support, we’ve been able to turn this into a more fine-dining, upper class steakhouse and seafood restaurant,” Dexter says.
Teton House is located at 3563 E. Menan-Lorenzo Hwy. They are open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and close at 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
On Sundays, they serve breakfast from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. but are open until 6.
Hancock says they’ve been working with the Menan city council to legalize liquor sales. Teton House will soon be offering beer, wine and cocktail drinks. They are also looking into opening another location.
“So many people come in (asking me to move closer to where they live). We are entertaining a couple different locations,” says Hancock. “Maybe in the St. Anthony area or Blackfoot area.”
BIZ BITS
IDAHO FALLS – Members of the community are invited to attend an open house of the Healing Sanctuary at 187 E. 13th Street in Idaho Falls. The event is happening Saturday May 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is an opportunity to see the transformation of a historic building into a functional and integrative medical clinic.
RIGBY – Townesquare Dental in Rigby is having a free dental day Saturday May 19 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patients will be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Services performed will include Filling, Extraction or Cleaning. Patients must be 18 or older. Townesquare Dental is located at 527 Rigby Lake Drive, Suite B.
BOISE – Idaho Gives exceeded their $1.5 million goal for nonprofits. More than 10,700 Idahoans donated more than $1.5 million to 570 nonprofits last Thursday as part of Idaho Gives, the state’s largest 24-hour online fundraising campaign. A total of $1,558,838.76 in donations was collected for Idaho nonprofits, compared to $1,379,406 in 2017. Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and Hawaiian Island earned the most donations and the Idaho Humane Society received the most donors.
IDAHO FALLS – Five east Idaho schools have been awarded an Ultimate STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) grant, worth up to $10,000, to enhance and supplement their STEM learning courtesy of Idaho National Laboratory. In addition, three Extreme Classroom Makeover grants worth up to $5,000 were awarded in southeast Idaho. Statewide, nine STEM Mini grants worth up to $500 were awarded.
IDAHO FALLS – There’s no doubt about it – fears surrounding electric vehicle technology are fading fast. According to AAA’s new survey, 20-percent of American drivers say that their next car will likely be an electric vehicle. The top motivations to switch from a gas-powered vehicle are concern for the environment, lower long-term costs, and access to cutting edge technology.
The following Mother’s Day shopping tips are provided by the Better Business Bureau.
Jewelry: Ads on social media may seem official, but scammers can easily make websites and advertisements look similar to popular brands. Make sure you know what you’re getting by reading the full description and checking to see if you are on a safe and secure site.
Special dinners and outings: Don’t be deceived by promotions. Mother’s Day is a popular time for online promotions, but most have terms and conditions. Check that you’re getting the savings and the deal you expect.
Floral Arrangements: Visit your local florist or research on BBB.org to find a trustworthy business to create quality bouquets. Compare prices to see if that “Mother’s Day Special” is really a deal.
Gift Cards: Search the card’s packaging and the card itself for any fees, expiration dates, and terms and condition. Some organizations charge service fees or will limit the gift card to “in store only” purchases, making it useless for online shopping. Before purchasing a gift card, it’s also wise to look into the retailer’s financial condition to make sure they aren’t closing their stores.
IDAHO FALLS – Discount food stores are a dime a dozen in other states and communities, but until recently, there wasn’t a discount food store in Idaho Falls.
Jacob Johnson opened Johnson’s Discount Foods about four and a half years ago.
