Biz Buzz: Popular burger joint to open in Idaho Falls
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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 BRIEF
IDAHO FALLS
Redd’s Grill opening inside Shilo Inn next month
IDAHO FALLS — For the last several years, customers and connoisseurs of Redd’s Grill have enjoyed the cuisine in Rexburg.
Now the owners are opening another location in Idaho Falls.
Owner and general manager David Rail tells EastIdahoNews.com they’ll be opening March 2 inside the Shilo Inn where Keefer’s Island and O’Callahans used to be.
“We’re excited about growth and excited to be in Idaho Falls,” Rail says. “It’s a huge undertaking for us, but we’re just excited to be part of the community here.”
A grand opening is being planned later in the month, but the exact date has not yet been determined.
Redd’s Grill offers 23 different “gourmet hamburgers,” as Rail calls them. The cheeseburger is the most popular item, but some of the other burgers are The Viking, a salute to the Ricks College Vikings. It includes three layers of beef with a different type of cheese in between each layer.
The restaurant also offers a barbecue burger with onion strings, the jalapeño cheddar burger and an Aussie burger, which includes pickled beets and pineapple topped off with a fried egg.
One of the restaurant’s distinguishing features, Rail says, are the home-style fries.
“We call them home-style because they’re not fresh-cut in that they were cut a day or two ago instead of that day. We put them through a process that makes them crispier,” says Rail.
Redd’s Grill also offers its own original fry sauce.
Rail opened the Rexburg location in 2016 after several years of operating a food trailer.
Rail and his wife both serve on the board of the Madison Education Foundation for Madison School District, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that raises funds for educational programs and activities for students. One of the things they do in that role is provide concessions for the Madison-Rigby rival games. When they first started volunteering years ago, Rail says his wife was assigned to the popcorn popper.
“She had so much fun working it, she went on eBay without telling me and (bought one),” Rail says.
From there, they started looking at ways to make money on their own at local events. They started selling popcorn and candy, and later nachos and burgers. The business continued to evolve and people started asking them where their restaurant was.
“We’d point to the trailer and say, ‘Right there,'” Rail says.
They eventually opened a restaurant at the Teton Lakes Golf Course at 722 N. 12th West in Rexburg. Rail says customers have been supportive.
“We’re constantly getting new people every day, and we’re drawing people from Idaho Falls,” he says.
One of the Rail’s biggest catering events for the last several years has been the Southeast Idaho Bridal Fair at the Shilo Inn Convention Center. The restaurant and kitchen space had been sitting vacant for more than a year after Keefer’s Island closed in August 2018. The Rail’s had an opportunity to take it over and officially entered an agreement with Shilo Inn earlier this week.
“We were looking for a catering kitchen because our catering business is starting to take off,” Rail says. “Things just grew from there and honestly, things have just fallen into place for us. The whole south side of the building is going to be ours, as of (Monday) night.”
The Shilo Event Center is now the Snake River Event Center, and the bar space — operated by Redd’s Grill — will now be known as The Flying Goose Grill & Lounge. The restaurant will open for breakfast daily at 6 a.m. to accommodate hotel guests and will close at 10 p.m. It will operate Monday through Saturday with shortened hours on Sunday.
Learn more on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
BIZ BITS
Former atomic workers invited to free senior cooking class
IDAHO FALLS – Former Department of Energy workers, including former Idaho National Lab and Argonne-West workers, are invited to Nuclear Care Partners’ upcoming senior cooking class. This course will give workers the opportunity to learn how to make easy and nutritious meals that they can prepare and enjoy at home. Sponsored by The Good Samaritan Society, this cooking class is free to all former atomic workers. A local skilled chef will demonstrate cooking techniques and show those in attendance how to make simple and healthy recipes, Multiple recipes will be taught along with tips for nutritious eating. Ingredients will be provided so people can try out their cooking skills at home. The class will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 840 East Elva Street in Idaho Falls. Call (208) 715-3024 to RSVP.
Rigby Chamber gearing up for annual farmer merchant banquet and they’re asking for your support
RIGBY — The annual farmer, merchant and community recognition banquet is happening Tuesday, March 17 at Rigby Middle School and the Rigby Chamber of Commerce is asking you to donate items, which will be sold in a live auction. Anything you can contribute — from food items to gift cards — is appreciated. Kirk and Becky Coates from Blue Mule Auction Company in Shelley will be the auction’s masters of ceremonies. The auction begins at 6:30 p.m., and dinner at 7. Please drop off your items at First American Title in Rigby. All proceeds benefit the Rigby Chamber. If you have any questions, call Brandy at (208) 745-8107.
Enrollment at BYU-Idaho grows
REXBURG – Official winter semester enrollment totals at Brigham Young University-Idaho show growth among our total population of students who are continuing to pursue their academic goals. Statistics released for the Winter 2020 Semester show a campus enrollment of 19,211 students. In addition to this number, 4,793 campus-based students are taking online courses or fulfilling internships away from campus, for a total of 24,004 campus-based students furthering their academic pursuits, a 1.4 percent increase over last winter’s enrollment of 23,698. Online courses have allowed for enrollment growth without students having to be on campus.
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