Outback Steakhouse gets $500K facelift, Richland gets new tamale shop

Outback Steakhouse has finished a year-long project to update its Canal Drive restaurant.

The Kennewick outlet underwent a $500,000-plus facelift that remodeled the interior last fall and the outside over the summer.

All that remains is some landscaping work, said Brad Barker, the Richland-based operations director for Evergreen Restaurant Group.

Bellevue-based firm operates Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grills under franchise agreements with their parent companies.

The family-owned company operates in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota. It has several emerging businesses in Arizona and Utah, as well.

The Kennewick renovation include new furnishings, lighting, an open floor plan, upgraded restrooms and an expanded lobby. Barker said the overall effect is a clean, modern vibe for the Australian-themed business.

Barker said the back-of-house operations such as the kitchen are routinely updated with new kitchen equipment and weren’t part of the current remodel.

The Kennewick restaurant first opened in 1997. The 6,000-square-foot building was custom-built to house Outback Steakhouse and was turned over to Argo Colonnade LLC and leased back by Evergreen.

The restaurant is at 6819 W. Canal Drive and remained open during the remodel. It employs 70.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays. Follow it on Facebook@OutbackSteakhouse.Kennewick.TriCities

In Richland, Leticia and Mark Whitten opened Miss Tamale, their second business at The Parkway, this month.

The newest addition is at 701 The Parkway and is a literal stone’s throw from The Parkway icons such as Stone Soup Cafe, Porter’s Real Barbecue, Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery, Graze and Ms. Rhoda’s Wine Garden.

More importantly, it is neighbors with Mark Whitten’s massage therapy business, which fronts Jadwin Avenue. Whitten moved to Richland in 2003 to start the practice, which now employs 10.

He met his future wife on vacation in Mexico.

She eventually moved to the U.S. and the couple started both a family and a home-based tamale business.

Opening a restaurant was the dream, but they put it on hold while Leticia raised their three daughters, now 17, 14 and 12.

They took initial steps toward their dream about five years ago, only to be delayed slightly when they discovered they were expecting a son, now 2 1/2.

“She had time to perfect her recipes,” Whitten joked.

Opportunity surfaced when Seoul Sushi in The Parkway closed.

Whitten always loved owning a business at The Parkway. His landlord owned the sushi building and needed a tenant.

“It’s like all the stars lined up and then a pig flew by,” Whitten said.

They leased the old sushi restaurant and gutted it save for the grease trap. The couple invested about $100,000 to open Miss Tamale, most of it on credit.

Miss Tamale sells tamales from Leticia’s own recipe. Whitten calls it an authentic blend of traditional flavors and non-traditional fillings such as bean and cheese, vegan, beef and cheese and more. She does not use lard.

It will add tacos and other Mexican fare in the future but the Whittens are focused on the basics to start.

They hopes to develop a breakfast crowd, as well with morning-focused tamales and burritos with eggs.

Whitten said he’s looking forward to raising The Parkway’s next generation of entrepreneurs. His daughters have already contributed to the family business..

“It will be their first jobs,” he said.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Tamales are sold fresh or frozen and are available for eating in or taking out.

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This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 12:56 PM.