Sorry, but you’ll love this

It’s never good to open a new issue with an apology, but we owe you one already.

We apologize because we’re going to make you uncomfortably hungry with this issue. Until you can sneak out of work or exit through the secret passageway out of your castle, you’re just going to have to read about some tantalizingly tempting local food and not be able to do a darned thing about it.

This being a business publication, there is of course a full smorgasbord of stories behind the menu items — some dramatically different approaches to opening eateries and luring customers.

In one case, a couple conquered the Midtown Coeur d’Alene dining scene by opening a restaurant, then another, then another and then another — each very different from the others. You’ll understand why when you read about the Bassos, who love to create and hate to be bored.

You’ll learn about an experienced businesswoman whose successful Jamba Juice experience has sprouted a rather unpredictable branch; a pizza food truck at Prairie Pavilion in Coeur d’Alene. From healthy fluids to Italian pies might not seem a natural transition, but trust us: The owner knows what she’s doing. She knows what customers want, and she knows precisely how many slices of pepperoni need to be on every pepperoni pie. Now, that sounds like a recipe for business success.

There’s also a piece about a Post Falls deli that has flourished despite the boss’s antipathy toward advertising (full disclosure: this publication is financed almost completely by advertising). Despite that attitude giving the editor indigestion, the food sounds so darned good that a visit is imminent. Here’s hoping the owner doesn’t object to free advertising.

— Mike Patrick, Editor