Resurrection of the Rainbow

HAUSER LAKE - The Rainbow is being resurrected on Hauser Lake.

Tracy Paola, who spent her childhood on the lake, plans to reopen the colorful, iconic resort as Paola's Rainbow Resort in May.

"I want to get back to the bare bones of this place," Paola said on Friday while taking a break from sanding the wood furniture on the deck overlooking the lake. "It always has been the Rainbow to me and always will be."

Unlike some owners who unsuccessfully attempted different themes in recent years at the former brothel, Paola is returning to the roots of chicken-fried steak and a family and fishing atmosphere.

Paola said one of the first questions she is asked is why she thinks she can make the business flourish while others in recent years floundered.

Her answer? "My experience," she said.

Paola formerly worked for popular local restaurants Tony's, Capone's, Curley's and, most recently, Sargents.

"I've learned from a lot of great people," she said. "My parents also owned restaurants growing up, so I was setting up banquet tables when I was in elementary school."

Most of her experience has been tending bar and as a waitress, but she said she can also cook.

"Just don't ask me for a poached egg," she said with a smile. "You may as well ask for scrambled."

Paola said the Rainbow will be open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Menu items will include burgers, steaks and salads. Paola said she plans to obtain former owner Bob LaRue's chicken-fried steak recipe and call it "Bob's chicken-fried steak" on the menu.

"Breakfasts will be $6 to $10," she said. "Nothing on the dinner menu will be more than $20."

The business will be closed from January through March.

"It's cold those months - they stink for the bar business - and this building is hard to heat," she said. "I think that (heating bills) is why previous people had a hard time making it."

Paola will have two pellet stoves, one roaring at each end of the business on cold days and nights. She is applying for a liquor license as a commercial waterfront resort, which allows her to close the business during slow months.

Paola said the resort will include a game room, lounge and family dining area. The wooden walls will stay and be decorated with historic photos of Hauser Lake. Karaoke will be held twice a week.

The Rainbow comes with a lot of mystique.

Paola - and previous owners - share stories of a ghost in the building. Paola even puts a glass of wine at the end of the bar to make her feel at home.

"I've seen her," Paola said. "It's a younger woman in an older white dress. She doesn't like noise. I was sanding and the sander became unplugged multiple times. So I close the doors and go outside now. I quit playing music for her at night. She's closed doors before. I feel bad because she's here by herself."

When asked if having the ghost around is good or bad, Paola said, "She just comes with the building. If it was me, I'd stay as well because I love the view of the lake."

Several people have owned the property, including longtime Hauser resident Oly Johnston, who owned it for more than 20 years.

Spencer E. Garten built the building as his family's home in the 1890s. Previous business names included The Club, Cliffhouse Resort, Rainbow Inn, Thirsty Moose and Blackjack Lil's Saloon and Grill.

Paola said when Curley's on Highway 53 was a train depot, buggies would bring men to the brothel. The upstairs of the building features tiny bedrooms - a sign of the past.

The inn had a fire bell in the 1970s to alarm residents across the lake of an emergency.

An accordion divider was used to separate the dance floor from the bar so city council meetings could be held at the inn before a city hall was built. The inn was known for having one of the largest dance floors in the area. It was also a popular out-of-state partying spot for Spokane residents. It has been the hub of numerous fundraisers and fishing tournaments over the years.

Paola said she collected 108 bags of leaves around the place, so she's giving it TLC and sweat equity before opening. Her boyfriend, Dean Slater, a fisherman in Alaska, will be part-owner.

"He told me more than once that, 'I'm not going to quit my day job,'" she said. "He'll be more of a supportive partner than a working partner."

Paola said she plans to start with about 10 employees before adding on as demand increases.

She said she can't wait to return to the place where she has a lot of fond memories.

"I want to retire behind my own bar and not someone else's," she said.