The heat is on
Co-owner of Las Brasas Mexican Grill in Hayden, Ivan Guitron, stands in front of his food truck in the Prairie Pavilion on Wednesday. He and his staff have closed early several days this week because inside temperatures reached close to 120 degrees.
ELLI GOLDMAN HILBERT/Press
Normally bustling with customers during peak planting season, Aspen Nursery, located at 6075 E. Commerce Loop in Post Falls is temporarily closed due to extreme temperatures. Wednesday afternoon, the only sounds heard were the sprinklers. Aspen will reopen Tuesday July 6.
ELLI GOLDMAN HILBERT/Press
Near-record heat has put a chill on a number of local businesses, forcing some to cut hours or close down temporarily.
Even though summer is high season for many business profits — it’s the peak tourist season, after all — temperatures near 110 have made life almost insufferable.
Summer is when many of Coeur d’Alene’s businesses experience their heaviest traffic but with temperatures topping 108 degrees on Monday, they have closed their doors.
“We’ve worked in the heat before, but nothing this hot,” said Ivan Guitron, co-owner of Las Brasas Mexican Grill. “My employees are getting lethargic.”
He closed Wednesday at 2 p.m. and after being open in the mornings, might close in the afternoons as long as the heat wave lasts.
Las Brasas is one of the food trucks in Prairie Pavilion, 7777 N. Heartland Drive.
Guitron said it was around 120 degrees for staff working the grills Tuesday.
Extreme temperatures place a burden on equipment: air conditioners, freezers and refrigerators. But Guitron said the health and safety of employees is the bigger issue.
“Being closed for even half a day affects our goals,” Guitron said, “but money doesn’t mean anything compared to our employees.”
At Seasons of Coeur d’Alene, a restaurant located at 209 Lakeside Ave., the dining area was closed Monday through Wednesday.
General manager Daniel Bentley said his concern is the safety of his line cooks. Swamp coolers keep cool air flowing for kitchen staff but simply can’t keep up with the heat.
“The AC is only so big,” he said.
Seasons resorted to opening doors leading from the kitchen to the dining floor, to keep air flowing. The din of the kitchen was too intrusive to keep the dining area open.
Seasons lounge and fire-side is still operational. They expect to reopen for regular dining today.
At Aspen Nursery in Post Falls, business has completely halted. Among other things, Aspen provides the city of Coeur d’Alene with the floral hanging baskets adorning the length of Sherman Avenue.
“We deal with living things — employees, customers, plants and trees,” said co-owner Jarrod McKee.
Normally a bustling time for the retail/wholesale company, Aspen Nursery is closed through July 6.
“We want to be there to serve the community,” McKee said, “but we have to be conscientious of our employees.”
To keep inventory alive, watering schedules are increased. Following the July 4 holiday, temperatures are expected to be back to the lower 90s, which is fine — for both plants and humans.
