Pacific NW iconic fish & chips restaurant reopens in Tri-Cities 8 months after fire
One of the last freestanding Skippers Seafood ‘n Chowder restaurants is back in business after a devastating fire in 2024.
The Kennewick Skippers reopened Feb. 14, nearly eight months after a grease fire damaged much of the kitchen at 3307 W. Kennewick Ave. last June.
Hilda Torres has managed the Kennewick Skippers spot for almost 23 years. The kitchen was rebuilt with new fire suppression and other equipment, including a spacious new range hood. The dining room got a fresh coat of paint and seafaring decor to go along with the theme.
Torres said there was never any doubt the restaurant would reopen. Once commonplace across the Northwest, Skippers has about three freestanding locations in Washington and a few dozen of what it calls its “Fleet Grab & Go” locations.
The Tri-Cities location, which is owned by Angel Garcia, is easing into its second act slowly. It did not officially announce its opening or revive its Facebook page, which has been dormant for five years. Customers still visibly flocked to the door, with some turned away by its cash-only policy.
Torres said that’s temporary. A card payment system should be up and running by the end of February. She said there will be a grand reopening ceremony at some point.
The menu is unchanged, offering a mix of wild caught Alaska pollock fish and chips, clam chowder shrimp, clam strips and bread bowls.
Business hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant has a new phone number as well, 509-221-1136.
Firehouse Subs reopen
Firehouse Subs, a national franchise, announced that all of its Tri-Cities locations have reopened following a change in ownership.
Making Dough LLC operates Fire House Subs across the city, with hours of 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., daily.
Firehouse operates five local shops with one each in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland and Burbank.
Miss Tamale expanding
The home-grown Mexican food business is expanding to a second location.
The new spot will open May 1 at 6447 Keene Road near the West Richland municipal complex and Dutch Bros. Coffee stand.
Leticia and Mark Whitten launched Miss Tamale as a home-based tamale business using her family recipes. The original store opened in 2018 at 701 B The Parkway in Richland. Follow Miss Tamale on Facebook.
Pasco Spudnut Shop to open
Spudnut, the iconic Richland bakery, plans to open its latest satellite in Pasco on March 4.
Mike Bishop, co-owner, announced the newest version of Spudnut will open at 8425 Chapel Hill Blvd. in Pasco, which happens to be the 77th anniversary of the Sputnut Shop brand in the Tr-Cities.
Sputnut, once a multistate chain, bakes with potato flour. While the brand has contracted, it’s held onto a devoted fan base in the Tri-Cities.
Richland natives Mike Bishop and Ryan Pierson bought the business from its longtime owners in 2023 and set out to expand to the greater metro area.
The original Spudnut is at Uptown Shopping Center in Richland, facing Williams Boulevard. The new owners opened a Kennewick shop at 5216 W. Okanogan, off Edison Street, north of Kamiakin High School, in October.
Follow its growth at on Facebook at The Spudnut Shop fan-page.
Closed
Taestea Boba quietly closed the shop it opened in May 2023 in the old Ethos Bakery location at Keene Boulevard and Queensgate.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 9:54 AM.