Exclusive | Long-vacant Richland Red Robin may soon be rubble. 2 restaurants may replace it

Since the Red Robin in Richland closed 20 years ago, the restaurant site on one of the busiest streets in Tri-Cities has struggled to find a tenant to bring the once popular spot back to life.

But recent plans filed with Washington state reveal that the building could be torn down to make way for two new eateries.

Panda Express recently included a site plan in a request for an environmental impact study for 924 George Washington Way, formerly the site of a Red Robin from 1981 to 2002.

After that, it sat vacant until 2004 when the City Buffet opened. The buffet enjoyed a 10-year run before shuttering.

The new site plan shows the company wants to demolish the old Red Robin and build a 2,600-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru near the edge of the property by the Wendy’s restaurant.

Also, a second, 2,400-square-foot building could house a future restaurant on the corner of the property where George Washington Way meets Newton Street. It’s unclear if Panda Holdings intends to sell or lease the second building.

They would also replace the parking lot to account for traffic flow for the two drive-thrus.

Panda Holdings, the parent company of Panda Express, could not be reached about its plans for that site and a proposed new restaurant in Pasco.

The only Red Robin in Tri-Cities is on Columbia Center Boulevard, south of the mall in Kennewick.

Sale pending

An attempted to turn the restaurant into a Western-themed bar & grill called Luke’s was in the works for a while, but never opened.

The property, owned by Dan Houston, currently listed with a $1.75 million selling price is shown as “pending sale.” It was built in 1954 and owned by members of the Houston family since at least 1981.

With a taxable value of $312,600, the property has been accruing about $3,400 in taxes each year while sitting vacant.

Pasco Panda Express

There’s another new Panda Express location planned in Tri-Cities.

Panda Holdings also has filed paperwork with the state for an environmental survey for a new restaurant that at 1525 W. Court St. in Pasco.

It would be a few blocks east of Captain Grey STEM Elementary School.

The site is currently a lot that contains an unoccupied credit union. It was sold in January to CFT NV Developments for $600,000.

CFT NV shares an address with Panda Holdings, according to business filings and the site plan submitted to the city of Pasco.

That plan, if approved, would see the old credit union building torn down, and replaced with a Panda Express at the intersection of Court Street and North 16th Avenue.

Panda Express currently operates four restaurants in Tri-Cities. They are in Richland in the Vintner Square center at Queensgate; Pasco on North Road 68 in front of the Walmart Supercenter; Kennewick at Clearwater Avenue and Highway 395; and inside Columbia Center mall in Kennewick.

This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.

Cory McCoy

Tri-City Herald

Cory is an award-winning investigative reporter. He joined the Tri-City Herald in Dec. 2021 as an Editor/Reporter covering social accountability issues. His past work can be found in the Tyler Morning Telegraph and other Texas newspapers. He was a 2019-20 Education Writers Association Fellow, and has been featured on The Murder Tapes, Grave Mysteries and Crime Watch Daily with Chris Hansen.