Vendors sought for 'Boo at the Zoo'

The festive lights last year at "Boo at the Zoo."

Summer will be with us another month, but the days are getting shorter, back to school sales are happening and the Tautphaus Park Zoological Society is once again seeking vendors to participate in “Boo at the Zoo,” Oct. 28, 29 & 30.

Now in its 15th year, “Boo at the Zoo” is a “merry, not scary,” family-friendly Halloween event that attracts more than 10,000 guests. One popular element is the trick-or-treat stations throughout the zoo, sponsored by local businesses and organizations.

The event also features more than 500,000 lights, dozens of inflatable decorations, nightly costume contests, crafts and games. Depending on sponsorship levels, vendor promotions include radio, website, social media and print. Vendors will also be listed in the zoo’s Animal Challenge Newsletter,  which reaches more than 1,300 members.

Vendor fees are $100 for businesses, $50 for non-profits. Booth space is limited, so haste is advised. All proceeds, after expenses, are donated to the Idaho Falls Zoo.

For more information about the event, visit the zoo online — Tauthphaus Park Zoo — or contact Laurie Gravatt at (208) 612-8421 or tpzs@cableone.net.

Panera Bread plans bakery-cafe in Idaho Falls

An artist's rendering of what the remodeled property might look like.

Panera Bread, a national chain of bakery-cafes, has filed paperwork with the city of Idaho Falls indicating it plans to open in part of the vacant CD World building on Hitt Road.

The papers, filed with the Idaho Falls Building Department in late July, represent the first step in the process. The real estate broker, Mark Bottles Real Estate Services of Boise, is still looking for a tenant to lease space on the north end of the 8,970-square foot building, at 2820 S. 25 East.

As of June 30, Panera Bread had 1,926 bakery-cafes in the United States and Canada, operating under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread Co. and Paradise Bakery & Café names. Going by the company’s Web site, this will be the first Panera Bread between Fort Collins, Colo., and the Boise area. The company’s development strategy calls for franchisees to open a number of units, typically 15 bakery-cafes over a period of 6 years. They must have a proven track record as restaurant operators, net worth of $7.5 million and liquid assets of $3 million.

Panera Bread began on the East Coast in 1981 as Au Bon Pain Co. In 1993, Au Bon Pain purchased Saint Louis Bread Company, a chain of 20 bakery-cafes located in the St. Louis area. In 1999, all of Au Bon Pain's business units were sold except for Panera Bread, and the company was renamed Panera Bread.

In 2007, Panera Bread purchased a majority stake in Paradise Bakery & Café, a Phoenix-based company with more than 70 locations in 10 states, mainly in the west and southwest). The Company purchased the balance of Paradise in June 2009. Since then, it has reach a market capitalization of $4.5 billion. Panera Bread has been recognized as one of Business Week's "100 Hot Growth Companies" and the Wall Street Journal's Shareholder Scorecard in 2006 named it the top performer in the restaurant category for one-, five- and ten-year returns to shareholders.

Construction Solutions files plans for new headquarters

Construction Solutions Co. has filed plans for a new building in Ammon, at the corner of 14th North and Terrill Drive.

Operating from an office on McNeil Drive, the company has been active in the area for more than three years. “We just thought it was time to move into our own building,” said Jared Turner, who is partners with Eric Wall and Jim Turner in the company.

Turner said business has been growing for the company. They built the new D.L. Evans Bank at Sandcreek Commons in Ammon, and did remodels for Apple Athletic Club and McAffee Security at Snake River Landing. On the restaurant side, they built the Carl’s Jr. restaurants in Idaho Falls, the Noodles and Co. shell on Hitt Road and have been involved with NPC International, which operates over 1,250 Pizza Hut units in 28 states.

They plan to break ground on the new building in the next few weeks and have it done by early 2016. Located on 1.4 acres, it will be 8,050 square feet and divided into four sections. Construction Solutions will use one section for office and another for its shop and lease the other two sections to tenants, Turner said.

Hobby Lobby opens long-awaited Ammon store

Jami Ingle of Idaho Falls at the Ammon Hobby Lobby store opening Monday.

The long-anticipated opening of Hobby Lobby went off this morning, with refreshments and a ribbon cutting by the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber Ambassadors, but the line that marked the opening of next-door Cabela’s in May were noticeably absent.

Store Manager Brad Bassett, who moved to the area from Phoenix, Ariz., a few weeks ago, said there were about 30 people outside at 8:30 a.m. Once the formalities were finished, slightly after 9, the 50,000-square-foot store was officially open for business. Bassett said the store employs about 55 people, down from the 87 who were needed to get it up and running.

Store Manager Brad Bassett

As noon approached, the number of customers continued to grow. Buying a 30-by-40-inch frame for a mirror in her living room, Jami Ingle of Idaho Falls said she was glad the wait was over.

“I was excited to find a frame this big,” said Ingle, who has made trips to the Hobby Lobby store in Logan Utah. “I think it’s great. I’m excited that it’s finally here.”

Mid-store, with a shopping cart that was filling up with artificial flowers and gifts, Kathy Peterson said she had come more out of curiosity. “It’s the new store in town, you know? You’ve got to check it out.”

Peterson said she thinks the Idaho Falls-Ammon area has crafts-crazy people to support any number of stores like Michaels, Porter’s, JoAnn Fabrics and Hobby Lobby. “I think competition is a good thing, no matter where it is,” she said.

Although the majority of customers late Monday morning were women, there were men in the store. Brad Christensen, a member of the Ammon City Council, said he’d stopped in out of curiosity.

“It looks like there’s a lot of enthusiasm for it,” he said.

Christensen also said he planned to buy something for his wife, Nicole. “Something to decorate the living room, probably. She’s always decorating,” he said.

Old Family Dollar store on South Holmes to reopen as Dollar Tree

The old Family Dollar store on South Holmes Avenue, which will reopen soon as Dollar Tree. (Trevor Paesl photo)

Today's entry in the "Inquiring Minds Want to Know" Department comes courtesy of Trevor Paesl, who was curious about the work going on at the closed-down Family Dollar store at 1875 South Holmes Avenue. Trevor was even kind enough to send a photo for us to use.

In a quick call to the City of Idaho Falls Building Department, we learned it's being remodeled to become a Dollar Tree. A certificate of occupancy is expected to be issued next week.

Although the Family Dollar on North Woodruff near WinCo Foods has remained in business, the South Holmes store has been closed since spring 2014, when the company announced it was having problems. Family Dollar’s shareholders approved in January a $8.5 billion takeover bid by Dollar Tree, turning down a competing offer from Dollar General.

The merger had to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission, and that approval didn't come until earlier this month, when Dollar Tree and Family Dollar announced they'd agreed to sell 330 Family Dollar stores, settling a complaint that their proposed merger had the potential to hinder competition.