Jimmy John's coming to Coeur d'Alene

Freaky, fast, fresh and fun!

That's how Ben McFarlane describes the Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich store he'll be opening in Coeur d'Alene later in February. The 69-seat eatery will be in the 1,740-square-foot corner space between Big Lots and Wing-Stop in the Towne Center mall at Appleway and Government Way. (We seasoned folks originally knew the corner as Monkey Wards, or Wards or Montgomery Wards). Check Tidbits below for a, uh, tidbit on this location.

"Fresh" is the key word for the meats, veggies and breads for the sandwiches, McFarlane emphasizes. He discovered Jimmy John's at a Spokane outlet and pursued the interest for a store here. Originally from Dallas, he came to North Idaho from Kalispell, Mont. His wife Jill is from Hope and his father Graham McFarlane is a co-owner.

Options at Jimmy Johns, which has about 1,000 stores and headquarters in Illinois since 1983, include 8-inch subs, giant club sandwiches and several side items. They also offer catering, fast delivery and company gear (online) such as caps, shirts, boxers and jackets. Hours will be about 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The store will have 25-30 employees. Check www.jimmyjohns.com.

Saltwater Emporium opens today

Anything that anyone would want for a saltwater fish feature is available at Saltwater Emporium, which opens today at 8879C N. Hess St. (a new building across from WalMart off U.S. 95 in Hayden).

The inventory includes many varieties and sizes of saltwater fish, corals, live rocks, food, nutrition, aquariums and their equipment, salt, chemicals, test kits and literature. Two large tanks display the fish as well as observation tanks of a shark and a stingray. Services include maintenance, rentals and free monthly classes.

Owner David Stevenson said his family has had saltwater and tropical fish for more than 50 years and grew into coral propagation and captive breeding. He's helped by his mother Lesley Stevenson and has lived in North Idaho and Western Montana all his life.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday. Check www.saltwateremporium.com. Phone 762-3474(fish).

'You rule' at JAMMS Yogurt

The slogan at JAMMS Frozen Yogurt will be "Where you rule" because the customers will decide the flavors, toppings and sizes of their orders.

The new store should open soon at 3500 N. Government Way in the upper level of the mini-mall on the corner of Neider Avenue near Sportsman's Warehouse and Costco. Options will include several yogurt flavors and more than 50 toppings. The grand opening, to be announced soon, will grant a percentage of the sales to Children's Village, which JAMMS will partner with for future activities.

Originally from Kenai and Wasilla, Alaska, owners Joe and Lora Seaman and their five children came to North Idaho in 2003. With six employees, JAMMS hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Check JAMMS Nation on Facebook.

This week's Tidbits

• With ice on our hilly, curvy driveway, I stopped to buy traction sand. The hardware store salesperson whispered that I ought to try kitty litter. It works fine. Get the cheap stuff.

• Shirley & LaVerne's Thrift Store on Fourth Street has closed.

• Last week I hinted about a blood business. That clue should flow for readers next week.

• Speaking about bodily stuff, this week I got a gold crown instead of fillings for a bad tooth. Now a geezer myself, I wonder what undertakers do with gold teeth if a person is cremated. More on this later.

• Did you ever notice the diagonal property line in the Jimmy John's-Fed Ex corner? It's there because many years ago a railroad line cut through here and did the same by the convenience store at Fourth and Appleway.

• Contact Nils Rosdahl at nrosdahl@cdapress.com.