New coffee shop and breakfast restaurant opening in Rigby soon
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RIGBY — After many requests from locals for a coffee shop and breakfast restaurant in Rigby, a new cafe is opening up.
Cafe Catalina’s is one of four tenants moving into the new retail space on Farnsworth Way where Tam’s Old-Fashioned Burger restaurant once stood. The other tenants have not been determined and the interior of the building is still under construction, but owner Michael Fillmore tells EastIdahoNews.com he anticipates opening in mid-April.
“As long as (Brent Butikofer, the realtor who owns the building) isn’t getting any (issues or delays) on his end, I should be able to (open) by then,” Fillmore says.
A grand opening will coincide with the restaurant’s opening, which will be announced at a later date.
Cafe Catalina’s will offer a variety of artisan roasted coffees and teas, including espresso, cappuccino, latte, mocha, hot chocolate, milk and juice. There will be some breakfast and lunch items as well. Breakfast items include scones, muffins, cinnamon rolls, breakfast burritos, sandwiches and waffles. The lunch menu will be more eclectic, ranging from soup and mixed vegetables to various fish, chicken and steak dishes.
“I call it a new American cuisine, kind of a mix of everything,” Fillmore says.
Fillmore currently lives in California, but he grew up in Idaho Falls and Sugar City. He’s traveled all over the world and worked as an executive chef at multiple high-end hotels in Seattle several years ago. His desire to open a restaurant in Rigby stems from his memories of going to Me’n Stans with his parents.
“My grandpa (once) had a jewelry store called Fillmore Jewelers on B Street (in Idaho Falls) which is now the back end of the Snake Bite restaurant. We’d drive from Sugar City to Idaho Falls and often stop at Me’n Stans in Rigby. That was a great little breakfast place,” says Fillmore.
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Prior to the sale of the old Me’n Stans building in September, Fillmore tried negotiating a price with the owner to purchase it.
“He just wouldn’t come down on his price from what I thought it was worth,” he says.
The demand for a new eating establishment in Rigby prompted by the closure of Me’n Stans fueled Fillmore’s passion to open a new restaurant, but he also wanted an excuse to see his parents more, who are getting older.
Fillmore became interested in the new retail space shortly after construction began last summer. He worked with Brent Butikofer at Idaho Business Properties to lease 1,200 square feet of space for his restaurant concept.
“Even though we’re starting out with very little square footage on the inside, it is going to have a drive-thru window (to serve people on their way to work in the morning). We’ll have a small sit-down space inside for people who want to come in for some eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes and waffles,” Fillmore says.
Fillmore is considering expanding Cafe Catalina’s, depending on the response when it opens. He is also looking to open other restaurants in eastern Idaho in the near future.
Cafe Catalina’s is near D.L. Evans Bank and Beloved Fashions clothing store. It will serve breakfast and lunch only and will be open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit the website for more information.
