New Shoshone-Bannock Casino opening set for Feb. 13

An artist's rendering of the new Fort Hall casino

 The Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel has announced Feb. 13 as the date for the opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting at it new casino.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes broke ground in 2017 on the 85,463-square-foot casino addition, connected to the west side of the Shoshone-Bannock Hotel and Events Center.

Beginning at 11 a.m. the ceremony will include remarks from tribal leaders, casino hotel executive staff and project management team members. Celebrating the cultural significance on a project this size, the program will feature traditional dancing and an honor song from a drum group. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a celebratory ribbon cutting will take place, to symbolize the project’s
completion and that the property is open for business. At that time, the public will be invited in to experience the new gaming floor.

The celebration will not end there, however. On Saturday, Feb. 23, the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel invites the public to participate in the grand opening celebration. During the day, multiple promotions, activities, entertainment and giveaways will be highlighted. Details will be released regarding specifics, times and where guests can find additional information.

For questions or quotes, please contact Andrea Todd at andrea.todd@shobanhotel.com.

In addition to the casino floor, there will be an addition to the north side of the event center, more than 300 new parking spaces, a new bingo hall, buffet and lounge.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes owns and operates three gaming properties including the Shoshone-Bannock Casino Hotel, Sage Hill Casino and Travel Center, and Bannock Peak Casino and Truck Stop. The economic growth plan continues to evolve for the health and benefit of the tribal membership and the eastern Idaho region.

Idaho Falls airport reports sharp jump in passengers in 2018

More than a quarter-of-a-million passengers traveled through the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) during 2018, according the most recent numbers compiled by airport personnel.

The total of 320,000 passengers is an increase of more than 30,000 passengers from 2017, reflecting a 10 percent increase over the previous year and the highest totals for the airport for more than a decade.

“Those passenger figures are pretty significant, especially when you consider we were closed for an entire week this year to renovate the runway,” said IDA Director Rick Cloutier, in a press release from the city.  “Had we not been shut down during that time, those number would have been much higher.”

With the exception of Boise, more than twice as many passengers used IDA in 2018 than any other regional airport in Idaho.

IDA currently has seven non-stop destinations to serve Idaho Falls travelers, which is more destinations presently offered at any airport in Idaho with the exception of Boise.  In 2019 there are already additional available seats on larger aircraft that are scheduled to fly through Idaho Falls with additional frequency.

In addition to the recently improved runway and taxiway at IDA, the airport has also upgraded passenger amenities, renovating the restaurant on the main floor and adding the first-ever restaurant with beverage service to the secure, upstairs section of the airport.  Future improvements are also in the works, including expanding the number of passenger boarding gates, improved traffic and security and a new baggage claim.

“We are working very hard to try and bring even more flights and additional airlines to Idaho Falls,” said Cloutier. “Our renovations and improvements are all part of that effort.  It takes time, for sure, but we are working every day to bring more destinations to the residents of Idaho Falls and provide a premium experience for our passengers.”

Idaho Falls ShopKo store to continue operation as company pursues bankruptcy

The Idaho Falls ShopKo store appears to have escaped the bankruptcy axe.

The Green Bay, Wisc.-based retail chain announced this week it was closing more than 100 stores across the Midwest and West, including three in western Idaho and 13 in Utah. But the Idaho Falls store, at 800 East 17th Street, and its store in Pocatello, both of which date back to the mid-1980s, were not on the list of stores closing as part of the company's restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (Link: http://info.shopko.com/closing-locations.pdf)

The stores remaining open are to be sold through a court-supervised auction process. Company spokeswoman Michelle Hansen said Thursday the retailer is exiting the pharmacy business and has already sold many of its pharmacies to Kroger, CVS and other buyers. The Idaho Falls and Pocatello locations were not included on the list of ShopKo pharmacies that have already changed hands.

Hansen said the pharmacies should remain open under Shopko until a buyer emerges. She said Shopko will post updates at http://info.shopko.com. She said Shopko will notify customers when a pharmacy will close and to where their prescriptions have been transferred.

Founded by a pharmacist in 1962, ShopKo went public in 1991. It was purchased by Sun Capital Partners, a private-equity firm, for about $1.1 billion in 2005. The company has operated 363 stores in 24 states, according to its website, and operates a regional distribution center on Gowen Road near Interstate 84 in southeast Boise.

"This decision is a difficult, but necessary one," Russ Steinhorst, Shopko's CEO, said in a press statement. "In a challenging retail environment, we have had to make some very tough choices, but we are confident that by operating a smaller and more focused store footprint, we will be able to build a stronger ShopKo that will better serve our customers, vendors, employees and other stakeholders through this process."

Idaho Falls logs first commercial business permit application of 2019

The old Pizza Hut building on West Broadway

I've worked at many papers that had a "First Baby of the Year" promotion, in which the family of first baby born at the local hospital would receive all sorts of prizes from the hospital and local businesses. The family would get its photo on Page 1, and everyone would saw "Awwww ..."

Here's the BizMojo Idaho equivalent, albeit with no prize other than the incomparable value of publicity: The First Commercial Business Permit of 2019. And the winner is ...

Jeff Maier, who is undertaking an estimated $100,000 remodel of the Pizza Hut at 1970 West Broadway. The square footage is 2,674, and the contractor is Black Enterprises LLC of Boise. The only other detail is that the remodel is restaurant to retail.

The old Pizza Hut building in question has been empty since the business relocated to the nearby Iron Oak Retail Center. We'll keep you posted as we learn further developments.

Bank of Idaho opens Boise branch

Jeff Newgard

Bank of Idaho has expanded westward, opening its newest location, in downtown Boise's CenturyLink Building, Jan. 7.

This will be the bank's eighth full-service branch. Bank of Idaho started as Bank of Eastern Idaho with its first branch in Idaho Falls in 1985.

Adhering to the company's business model, the Boise branch will specialize in a consultative approach geared toward helping small businesses by building long-term, personal relationships.

“We work hard to learn about our customers," President and CEO Jeff Newgard said. "We strive to gain a deep understanding of their goals and aspirations so we can anticipate their needs and give them the right tools to succeed. Then we make decisions at a local level, which sets us apart from
large-scale institutions."

The Bank of Idaho Boise team will be made up of familiar faces from the area: Tony Vahsholtz, v.p.
area commercial manager; Melissa Montierth, retail branch manager; and Rob Cochems, credit
analyst. More hires are expected in the next month.