Anyone thirsty?: Coeur d'Alene woman launches bottled water brand

COEUR d’ALENE — As a lifelong athlete, DeeDee Short never liked her choices of beverage at competitions, which usually involved choosing between energy drinks or water in single-use plastic bottles.

So, Short created her own brand of bottled water called Drink H20.

Drink H20 is unlike other bottled water companies, Short said, in that there’s no “ingredient list” of additives in the water, which is purified through reverse osmosis and charcoal filtering, and is bottled in BPA-free aluminum cans.

“All we wanted to do was put good, clean, pure water in a can,” Short said.

Even the slogan of Drink H2O is simple: “Anyone thirsty?”

Despite its simplicity, Short said the catchphrase is also a call to action.

“We want people to get hydrated, be informed about their water choices and do something with that information,” Short said.

A core belief of Short's — and Drink H2O — is that everyone should have access to clean, fresh water. She hopes to partner with a well-digging company in the future to help reach communities where access to drinking water is more difficult.  

“Everyone should be able to trust the water that comes out of their faucets,” Short said. “It’s the one commodity that should be in every person’s hands.”

Drink H2O is selling for around $1.39 or up to $2 at several area grocery stores and markets, including Pilgrim’s Market, Super 1, local coffee shops; and Harvest Foods and My Fresh Basket, both in Spokane.

In Short’s view, the potential of Drink H20’s reach is "limitless."

“I want to be like the Redbull of water,” Short said. 

Now the TidBits

New and Upcoming

•  Starting in June, local chefs Lesa LeBeau, Troy Chandler, Kailee "K" Carr and Kim Lehr will begin hosting a slate of cooking classes at The Chef's Table Cd'A, located at 2775 N. Howard St. in Coeur d'Alene. More info to come.

• Capriotti's, a sandwich shop specializing in cheesesteaks, turkey subs and more, is set to open a new location at 264 S. Beck Road in Post Falls. The grand opening is slated for Tuesday, May 20. 

•  Alani Bakery is a new, locally owned bakery at 291 E. Appleway Ave. in Coeur d'Alene.

• The former Idaho Independent Bank on Government Way is being converted to Kootenai Health Pharmacy.

•  208Massage&Spa is now open at its new, larger location at 714 W. Appleway Ave.

• An O'Reilly Auto Parts store is being constructed on the northeast corner of Seltice Way and Pleasant View Road in Post Falls.

• A new locally owned restaurant, Moon River Thai Kitchen, is now open at 212 N. Seventh St. in Post Falls. The restaurant is currently in a soft opening phase and is planning to hold a grand opening in the coming weeks.

• Indigo Urgent Care at 151 W. Prairie Ave. in Hayden is set to open June 6. For more information, check www.indigohealth.com.

• Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers is eyeing a September opening for its proposed location at 498 Beck Road in Post Falls. 

• Rapid Fire Disc Golf has moved to a newly remodeled retail space in the Whistle Stop Plaza at 2700 E. Seltice Way, Suite 13 in Post Falls. The new store is open seven days a week with hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 208-262-8152.

• Beginning this month, Harris Audit, Tax, and Advisory is rebranding under the new name Sorren. The firm has an office in Coeur d'Alene and six offices in total throughout Idaho.

• As part of Washington Trust Bank's ongoing remodel work at the Coeur d'Alene branch location, the drive-up window will be closed for about four weeks as of April 28. The lobby will be open until 6 p.m., and the ATM will be accessible by walk-up only.

• Opening this month at 312 N. Fourth St. (formerly Wellness Bar), Copow Foods will bring a new cafe concept that serves coffee, brunch, organic smoothies, juices, build-your-own micro bowls and organic grab-and-go meals.

• Relic Moon is expected to be open at its new location at 305 E. Locust Ave. by the end of May. 

• Serving "authentic Mexican BBQ flavor," El Jefe Grill is eyeing a June 12 opening at 405 E. Best Ave. Suite 104 in Coeur d'Alene. For employment opportunities, email sam@treehouserei.com.

Ongoing Projects

• Work has gotten underway on Northwest Boulevard between Emma Avenue and West Davidson Avenue, where a four-story Residence Inn has been proposed by CDA Hotel Inc.

• A new health clinic that will accept new Medicare and Medicaid patients, called North Idaho Family Practice, is set to fully open in August. NIFP is located at 1101 E. Polston Ave. Suite B, Post Falls. Patients will have the option to schedule online at NorthIdahoFP.com or by calling 208-747-1776. All ages are welcome.

• A pinball hall is in the works for Coeur d'Alene on North Fourth Street. More info to come.

• Bricks and Minifigs, an authorized LEGO® retailer, will be opening a Coeur d'Alene store location sometime in the coming months.

• Marketplace@Miles, described as a "new product vendor mall," is set to open sometime in June at the southeast corner of Government Way and Miles Avenue in Hayden. Spaces in a variety of sizes are still available for retail vendors, with additional onsite storage offered. Information is through Commercial Real Estate Consultants at 208-691-5328 and www.marketplaceatmiles.com. More details to come as the grand opening draws closer. 

• Idaho Central Credit Union, or ICCU, will open a branch location in Rathdrum. More details to come once construction gets underway.

•  A 7-Eleven is taking the place of the former Wells Fargo building at Government Way and Appleway Avenue.

• After some delays, updates on the Early Dawn Commercial Center at the Highway 41 and Early Dawn intersection should be available next month. Anyone interested in remaining commercial spaces should contact Danny Davis of TOKcommercial.com (208-691-6003).

• The Raising Cane's restaurant company has applied for a site development at 201 Neider Ave. in Coeur d'Alene. Located in front of the At Home store off U.S. 95, the chicken-chain building will be 3,368 square feet with a dual-lane drive-through. Other potential businesses coming to this area include Nothing Bundt Cakes, Jersey Mike's and a Sleep Number store. 

• A mixed-use building, "Nonna," is planned for 102 E. Fourth Ave. in Post Falls. Mother-daughter Laura and Kelsey Horn will have commercial space on the main floor with a Miss Dazee's brunch restaurant. The three upper floors will house 33 apartments with 25 covered parking spaces and 18 on-street spaces. Developers include DCI Engineers, Kartchner Engineering, Facet Engineering, HDG Architecture with Michael Mannhard, Aubrey Plaisance and Monique Vang. 

• Coffee Warehouse will be in a 50,000-square-foot building under construction at 4291 W. Poleline Ave. off Pleasant View Road in Post Falls. Opening sometime in 2025, sales will be open to coffee stands and shops with business licenses and the general public. It will also offer delivery options. Check www.thecoffeewarehouseinc.com.

• A retail and manufacturing business primarily for outdoor products, Yozzy Overland will move sometime this year from 9044 W. Prairie Ave. (Suite 107) to the new building off Huetter Road and north of Interstate 90. The new location will have a large showroom, warehouse and manufacturing space. John Yozamp is company founder and CEO and is assisted by Brady O'Neil and Morgan St. Onge. Phone 208-262-7216. Check www.yozzyoverland.com.

• Two new buildings for the Local Markets company are expected to open this year at the intersections of Best Avenue and 15th Street in Coeur d'Alene and Highway 41 and Hope Road in Post Falls. The Markets will have an emphasis on produce, fresh flowers, coffee and products sourced from local vendors with fresh-made deli sandwiches and pastry bars and premium espresso coffees with drive-throughs. Owned by Andy Singh, the stores are architecturally designed to fit the local landscapes and surrounding communities. They will include gas and electric car charging.  

• A proposed Marriott Hotel will be on about a half-acre at 602 and 612 E. Sherman Ave. The six-story hotel would include 131 guest rooms, 130 parking stalls on the main level and three levels underground, an administration area, a bar, kitchen, lounge, dining area, meeting area, laundry, fitness room and a rooftop patio bar.

• With many options for food and beverages in an elevated space, Rooted Social House is planned for 310 N. Spokane St. in Post Falls.

• A four-story 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel is under construction for the Millworx development on Fourth Avenue in Post Falls.  

• U-Haul Self-Storage is coming to Seltice Way and Herborn in Post Falls.

• Prime IV Hydration & Wellness is set to open soon in Ironwood Square.

Real Estate Opportunities

• Denny Burt, the owner of Burt's Music & Sound, is set to retire along with his staff in June and is seeking a buyer for Coeur d'Alene's oldest music store. Interested parties can contact Burt at denny@burtscda.com.

• The Marcus Anderson building, under construction at 8182 N. Wayne Drive in Hayden, has commercial units to be occupied by Ascent Counseling and Marcus Anderson Family Foundation (now at 8382 N. Wayne Drive). A third unit of 1,508 square feet is available through Marissa McCreary at admin@maffidaho.com. The building should be done soon.

• The Thomas George building, under construction at Third Street and Front Avenue downtown, will be 18 stories. It will comprise 60 condominiums on floors 4-18 with garages, an on-site concierge, a 24-hour gym, golf simulator, an indoor-outdoor pool and a lakeview community terrace. The first floor will have a Union Roasters shop with coffee and pastries. For information, contact Hayden Anderl at 208-964-0234 or hayden@cbinw.com. Check www.haydenanderl.com.

• The Appleway Quarter new building at 295 E. Appleway will have businesses on the ground floor and 24 apartments on the two floors above. The 6,000 square feet remaining could contain one to three units. Contact Chad Oakland at 208-704-2000 or chad@nwidaho.com. Dan Stubbs shares ownership. The apartments (16 two-bedrooms and eight one-bedrooms) will have private decks and share common-area patios, an elevator and garages or carports. The building should be complete next fall by J. Meyer Construction with Momentum Architecture.

• A building with six commercial suites and 44 parking spaces is under construction at 9627 Government Way (the northwest corner with Hayden Avenue). Planned to open sometime this spring, units are still available through Kiemle Hagood Real Estate's Mary Kienbaum (208-770-2589 or mary.kienbaum@kiemlehagood.com) and Chad Burd (208-770-2597 or chad.burd@kiemlehagood.com).

• Four commercial suites on each floor are planned for a two-story building under construction at Fourth Street and Birch Avenue. Three of the main floor suites are office-retail with a coffee shop-bakery-small restaurant. The upstairs has suites of 450-650 square feet. For information, contact Duffy Smock of Windermere Coeur d'Alene Realty at 208-699-5466 or Duffy@windermere.com.    

• The neighboring Anthem Corners project has one of the three suites leased, with two units available. They can be combined for a 3,920-square-foot unit. Contact Joel Johnson of Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller at 208-771-6068.

• A commercial building with three suites is being constructed at 9041 N. Hess St. (just north of Walmart) in Hayden. The suites of 1,100 square feet each can contain retail or office space with easy access and visibility to U.S. 95. Contact Josh Beebe at Coldwell Banker Schneidmiller Realty at 208-699-7980.

• With buildings of 168,000 and 238,000 square feet, The Pointe at Post Falls is at North Beck Road and Pointe Parkway. Zoned industrial, the buildings have deck-high loading doors and eight ground-level drive-in doors. Check Darren Slackman for lease rates at dslackman@naiblack.com. Phone 509-622-3593.

• Two 1,550-square-foot suites with 2,500-square-foot shop areas will be available for lease in Anderl Plaza, under construction at 8512 N. Wayne Drive in Hayden. For information, contact Hayden Anderl at 208-964-0234.

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Have a tip on happenings in the local business world? Contact Hailey Hill at hhill@cdapress.com.