Kennewick loses longtime pasta place. And restaurant reopens after $1M remodel
The food and beverage scene is changing up in the Tri-Cities with a longtime Kennewick favorite pasta restaurant moving locations and another Richland shop opening a second location.
Here’s a look at some of the changes and more:
▪ Pacific Pasta & Grill is moving across the river to a new location at 603 Goethals Drive in Richland.
It already has closed its doors on Grandridge Boulevard in Kennewick and selling surplus furniture and supplies.
“Our landlord was selling our building and after some soul searching and business analytics we decided a smaller location would serve us better and allow us to serve all of your much better,” Pacific Pasta wrote in a Facebook post. “We are very excited to move in a remodeled building and be part of the Richland community.”
Pacific Pasta and Grill owners Mary Sue and Jim Hui have been operating the family-run business for 16 years. The location on 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd. was the home of Nothing But Noodles until they ended the franchise agreement and renamed the restaurant in 2012 and started operating independently.
The Grandridge building is 3,425 square feet while the new location nestled between the area between Lee Boulevard and Stevens Drive is 2,538 square feet, according to the Benton County auditor’s website.
The owners aim reopen in Richland in early December. The building has been vacant since the former tenant, Mid-Columbia Market CO-Op closed in 2017.
Online: pacificpastaandgrill.com or Pacific Pasta’s Facebook page
▪ The Taco Bell on the corner of George Washington Way and McMurray Street has reopened with a whole new style.
The store shut down in September for a $1 million renovation that gutted thfe store in the first major overhaul since it opened in 1991. Baxter Construction was the general contractor on the project that greeted customers again the day before Thanksgiving.
“From a customer’s stand point, everything is entirely new from the floor to the studs,” said John Arthur, president of Yakima Restaurants, a family-owned operation that owns 10 Taco Bells in Washington — including the one on George Washington Way and another on Road 68 in Pasco.
The drive-thru now can hold about double the number of cars it did previously and includes an exit lane. The menu also is only the second Taco Bell under Arthur’s ownership to include a digital menu board — one that Arthur says enhances customers experience and it allows more flexibility.
The Richland store also is now linked with third-party delivery apps, and a curbside delivery system is being working out for a future rollout.
However, customers will have to wait to eat inside or pickup orders — regardless of Washington’s COVID business guidelines. Arthur says that the company is keeping its dining rooms closed for safety.
“We’ve asked employees frequently about how they feel having someone come in for dining, and it’s been a resounding no,” Arthur said. “We want our employees to feel safe.”
A grand opening is planned for the future, but when and what it looks like will depend on how the pandemic looks like in coming months.
▪ Novel Coffee Co. known for serving caffeine and snack seekers in the lobby of the Richland Public Library has opened a second location near Howard Amon Park.
The new shop at 710 George Washington Way, Suite B-B continues to sell Boba - or bubble teas, coffee drinks with with monikers such as the Typewriter with white chocolate and caramel, a Blank Page with vanilla and cinnamon and the Script Writer with espresso and dulce la leche.
The library location is temporarily closed until 2021 because of the pandemic.
Online: novelcoffee.co or Novel Coffee’s Facebook Page
If you know of a retailer, restaurant, coffee shop or other business that is opening, closing, expanding, remodeling or changing its focus, send an email to reporter Allison Stormo at astormo@tricityherald.com.
This story was originally published December 1, 2020 at 5:00 AM.