10 new Tri-Cities restaurants, food trucks and more that opened in 2025
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- Tri-Cities welcomed a wave of local restaurants, lounges and food trucks in 2025.
- Local entrepreneurs launched niche concepts while chains like Chick-fil-A were added.
- Some businesses added second locations. Others were new offerings.
The Tri-Cities has a reputation – not entirely undeserved – for preferring chain restaurants and franchised fast-food spots.
But 2025 held some bright spots for several local entrepreneurs who poured their hearts and souls into offering diners more unique options.
Here are some new eateries and lounges that opened in the past year.
Solar Spirits Cocktail Lounge
Solar Spirits Cocktail Lounge opened at 702 Suit B The Parkway, between The Social and Ethos Bakery Cafe in Richland.
The chic, moody lounge is backed by the owners of the sun-powered distillery that shares its name. It serves cocktails, beer, wine and food.
Owners are Brett Spooner, Todd Coleman, Patrick McKennon and Kurshed Sharifov, among others.
Sun-powered distillery makes bold bet on Tri-Cities cocktail lounge and bottle shop
Non-Fiction Pasco
John Bookwalter, owner of J. Bookwalter Wines and two Richland restaurants, and Jeffrey Ballard, his operations manager, teamed up to open a sandwich boutique in November.
Non-Fiction Pasco is at 2713 N. 20th Ave., in Pasco’s Conover Park, near Columbia Basin college and the Tri-Cities Airport. It joins sister restaurants Fiction @ J. Bookwalter and Fable Craft Bar.
On the menu: Sandwiches made on fresh-baked bread as well as soup, baked goods and coffee drinks.
Bookwalter returns to its Pasco roots with upscale soup and sandwich shop.
Summer’s Hub of Pasco
Owner Chris Corbin opened the second edition of his Summers Hub food truck plaza this fall at 6120 Burden Blvd., at the entrance to Gesa Stadium in Pasco.
Corbin is betting that lightning will strike twice after the original Summer’s Hub in Kennewick became a major destination for food trucks and their customers in the Tri-Cities.
Opening day set for hot new food truck hub in Pasco
Grumpy Monkey Cookie Co.
Kassie Norris, a lifelong baker, mother of six and bodybuilder, opened Grumpy Monkey Cookie Co. in March at 910 S. Columbia Center, near Yogurt Beach and StarCycle at Hansen Park.
Grumpy Monkey aims to bake a better cookie than its national rivals. It also leases space to other businesses, most recently Whipped Cupcakery, and is a licensed commissary kitchen to support food startups.
Openings: Homegrown gourmet cookie shop opens Tri-Cities storefront
Cafe Con Arte
Saul Martinez created Cafe con Arte in downtown Pasco as a coffee house, art gallery and community gathering spot. In 2025, he expanded to Kennewick by opening a service window at The Vault in Columbia Center mall.
The Vault is an art gallery and artisan market established by Nathan Robles and Matt Blatman. It is near JCPenney and the children’s play area on the northwest end of the mall.
Popular Pasco cafe opens in special new spot at Columbia Center mall
Lazeez Mediterranean
Lazeez Mediterranean opened at 1257 Giuer Ave., Richland, serving a mix of Middle Eastern classics.
Look or falafel, hummus, gyro, kebabs, shawarma, wings, sauces and desserts.
Follow Lazeez on Facebook or go to lazeezmediterranean.com.
Cuba Libre
Cuba Libre, a food truck serving authentic Cuban Food, moved to Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village, 325 E. Columbia Gardens Way on Kennewick’s waterfront, in early December.
Owners Yeny and Rafael Najarro Romero debuted earlier in the year at a separate location. The family created their business in the former Tumbleweeds Mexican Flair truck.
Specialties: Croquettes, Cuban stews, sandwiches and authentic Cuban coffee.
The Local
The Local, a Hawaiian-inspired food truck, moved to its new permanent home at Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village, 323 E. Columbia Gardens Way, on the Kennewick waterfront, in October.
Owners Kristal and Race Osterman purchased the truck from Rachel and Scott Lundegard, who initially established the business on Edison Street near Kamiakin High School.
Specialties: Shoyu chicken, Kahlua pig, Hawaiian beef, Kansu chicken and Spam musabi.
Openings: New spot for Hawaiian-inspired food truck
Kagen Cox’s next chapter
Kagen Cox and his wife Jennifer sold the popular creperie in Richland to focus on their new venture, Kennewick’s Rockabilly Roastin Co. The former Kagen’s Crepes was rebranded under new ownership.
Cox, a serial entrepreneur, purchased Rockabilly following the unexpected death of its founder, Trafis Jordan, a close friend of the Cox family. They took over the business in early 2024 but kept quite until 2025, deciding it was time to “make some noise.” Rockabilly is at 101 W. Kennewick Ave.
Kagen moves on from flagship crepe shop to ‘make some noise’ at Rockabilly.
Pizza Speedway
The drive-thru pizza opened in April at 525 N. Edison St. near Kamiakin High School.
The independent, local business is owned by Charles and Amy Sleater, who also operate the Li’l Firehouse Coffee stands.
Specialties: Speedy pizza and energy drinks served at a drive-up window.
Other hot openings
Wake Up Call Coffee
The Spokane coffee chain opened its 14th local coffee stand in November at 590 Gage Blvd., at Leslie Road. The coffee stand is small, but the effort to prepare the former gas station site was nothing short of monumental.
Wake Up Call caps a years-long project to remove the gas station, underground storage tanks, and remediate pollution on site.
Chick-fil-A
We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the most-anticipated new eatery of the year was indeed a chain restaurant: Chick-fil’A.
The Atlanta-based chicken chain built its first restaurant at 7009 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick
It opened June 19. Its two-lane drive thru has been packed ever since.
Opening day: Long anticipated 1st Tri-Cities Chick-fil A will open this week
Favorites that closed in 2025
2025 saw several local eateries close.
Restaurant veterans Maigh and Will Willingham opened Public House 255 in the former Fat Olives in Richland in January 2025. The venture fused the best of Northwest cuisine with Southern flavors in the familiar setting at 255 Williams Blvd. Sadly, it closed in December.
2025 also saw bow outs by Moonshot Brewery, which closed its Richland location to focus on its original spot in Kennewick
And popular cider house D’s Wicked Cider closed its doors, as well.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.