Dunkin' Donuts opens in Utah; expansion planned into Idaho

This map indicates that Dunkin' Brands is developing other Western states before it comes to Idaho.
Link: http://www.dunkinfranchising.com/franchisee/en/whatsavailable.html#availability.

I know a lot of BizMojo Idaho readers salivate at the thought, so it is my great pleasure to report that a franchisee has opened Utah's first Dunkin' Donuts store and plans to open 15 more.

I was in Salt Lake on Sunday and saw the place, at 200 E. 400 South, with my own eyes. I resisted the temptation to buy a dozen donuts for the road. I had already eaten two servings of cobbler at a picnic, so my appetite was in remission.

The franchisee for the Salt Lake store at 200 E. 400 South is Sizzling Platter, a Utah-based restaurant management company. Sizzling Platter operates Dunkin' Donuts locations in Texas and manages restaurant locations across seven western states. Besides Dunkin' Donuts, they are involved with the Little Caesars, Sizzler, Red Robin and Hoppers Grill & Brewery brand. It operates Sizzler in Idaho Falls and was the operator of the Ruby River, which closed in 2009.

While Dunkin' Brands (also the owner of Baskin-Robbins) has been expanding aggressively in Asia, the Western United States have been a void. In fact, the company pulled out of California in the late 1990s and acknowledges that it faces some challenges regaining market share there.

Here's a link to a story that ran in April in Bloomberg Business Week: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-11/america-dunkin-donuts-next-frontier And here's a quote from the article that ought to bring joy to anyone who occasionally longs to have the front of his shirt covered with powdered sugar: Expanding west means California, as well as the 12 states back home still sans Dunkin' Donuts: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. By 2015, about two-thirds of the chain’s new U.S. stores will be in the western part of the country.

Middle Market companies report widespread need for more skilled workers

Source: Deloitte Development LLC

Here's an interesting story I found on Slate this morning and shared immediately with my friends at Eastern Idaho Technical College (and now I'm sharing it with you):

Want to help the economy? Don't get a four-year degree

The author's case is that American manufacturers are dying for skilled labor. The takeaway quote is from Chris Buch, sales manager for Omega Plastics, a Detroit-based company:

"American students need more encouragement to learn manufacturing skills," he said. "They need encouragement from higher education institutions telling them to look into manufacturing — there’s a home there for just about anybody."

A related link comes from a story July 2012 story in Bloomberg Business News: Companies Say 3 Million Unfilled Positions in Skill Crisis: Jobs.

As we debate the future of education in Idaho, these might serve as the basis for discussion. I would be curious to know how many Middle Market companies -- companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion -- there are in Idaho and eastern Idaho in particular.

The parapet of D Street: Imposing, medieval

Photo by Melissa Bristol

There's nothing like getting a different view of something. Here's the old pump tower at the D Street Underpass project looking positively medieval from down in the hole that's being dug for the new bridge's footings. Indeed, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" fans might imagine a French soldier up there, heaping invective on King Arthur ("I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.") 

The project is expected to be completed in June 2014. Here is a link to information about the project on the city of Idaho Falls' Web site: http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/public-works/engineering/construction-projects.html

New Whitewater chef plans sleeker look, casual contemporary menu

Joel Henry, the new chef at Whitewater Grill

Chef Joel Henry says he hopes to have the Whitewater Grill on River Parkway opened back up by the middle of August. When it does, it will have a new menu and a sleeker look.

"We want to modernize it without making it cold," said Henry, 32, who grew up in Traverse City, Mich. It was there that he became executive chef of Poppycock's at age 21. He attended the Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, R.I., but thinks there is no substitute for working in an actual restaurant kitchen.

"I believe in old-school no-frills cooking," he said. "It's a trade. You can go almost anywhere and get a job."

No-frills doesn't mean no imagination, however. "If you're not creative enough, there's no reason to be doing what you're doing," he said.

The new Whitewater menu will feature what Henry calls Casual Contemporary American food. He also plans to remodel the back of the restaurant into a tapas bar featuring small-plate dishes.

Next spring, the remodel will include the addition of a deck on the roof, where people can truly "eat by the tumbling waters." When that's finished, the restaurant will be able to handle 145 diners. Henry anticipates employing 15 people when everything is at full capacity.

To contact him, e-mail whitewatergrill208@gmail.com.

Apartments for seniors coming to Snake River Landing

Architectural drawings for Bandon River Apartments at Snake River Landing

Northwest Integrity Housing Co. and Thomas Development Co. announced today the development and construction of Bandon River Apartments, a senior apartment community located within Snake River Landing in Idaho Falls. Ground was broken in July, and the first unit is expected to open in the first half of 2014.

Bandon River will offer rental housing for eligible individuals over age 62. It is part of the second phase of residential development within Snake River Landing, following the construction of 34 single-family homes. Snake River Landing plans several other home types and residential options within its 400 acres.

“Building a new apartment community in Snake River Landing is an exciting opportunity for us to expand our eastern Idaho business platform,” said Tom Mannschreck, president of Thomas Development Co. and Northwest Integrity Housing Co.

Thomas Development Co. has developed Rosslare and Summerhill Apartments, as well as the Earl Building and 357 Constitution Plaza in Idaho Falls. “Our company takes great care to select the best locations for our apartment communities. Snake River Landing exceeds our selection criteria,” he said.

For more information about the Bandon River apartments, please call Thomas Development Co. at (208) 343-8877.