Feed your five-alarm craving. Li’l Firehouse open in Richland

A local coffee chain has added a second location, a lunch menu and has big plans to open more spots across the Tri-Cities.

Li’l Firehouse Coffee, owned by Amy and Chuck Sleater, made its Richland debut last month the former Bomber’s Drive-Thru, 895 Stevens Drive.

The two-store chain aims to expand to as many as six locations. It is pursuing a second Richland site in the Queensgate area, and is working on up to three more spots at yet-to-be named locations in 2019, according to manager Sam Chesnut.

The Sleaters opened the original Firehouse, 3708 W. Clearwater Ave., in Kennewick, on Valentine’s Day 2014 and named it in honor of Chuck Sleater’s firefighting family. He is a firefighter at Hanford. Amy Sleater was a former barista and full-time mother who wanted to open a business.

The opportunity to expand into Richland came up this fall. Bomber’s Drive-Thru owner David Sligar decided to retire and had listed the business for sale.

The 712-square-foot building was constructed in 1955 and has previously housed a Tastee Freez outlet.

The couple secured the local landmark and converted it into a coffee house, opening the latest Li’l Firehouse in October.

Li’l Firehouse offers a full line of coffee drinks and pastries, bagels from Redmond-based Blazing Bagels and breakfast sandwiches. It also makes energy drinks Chesnut called unmatched in the Tri-Cities.

The menu is heavy on fire-related names, from Backdraft Breve and Smokin’ Mocha to the Extinguisher from its energy drink menu.

The Richland opening brought a new kind of customer to Li’l Firehouse — a lunch crowd.

It responded by expanding its food offerings with grilled cheese sandwiches made on bagels and a variety of paninis.

“We get hit pretty hard by the Richland lunch,” Chesnut said.

Li’l Firehouse employs 13 at its two locations. The Kennewick and Richland locations both are open from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Follow it on Facebook.

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This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Feed your five-alarm craving. Li’l Firehouse open in Richland."