Biz Buzz: 90-Year-Old Business in the Firth Under New Ownership, Being Remodeled – East Idaho News
Do you want to know what’s happening in the Eastern Idaho business landscape? we’ve got you covered. Here’s a rundown of this week’s business news across the Valley.
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The family-owned bar and restaurant in the Firth is being updated for a new generation
July 2017 Google photo of Colette was taken by Charles Stegel
FIRTH – When it closed in 2020, Colette’s Pub at 132 Main Street in Firth had been serving customers for 90 years.
Holly Johnson, who had fond memories of eating hamburgers with her family as a child, recently bought the 1,200-square-foot space and the old theater adjacent to it.
She and her husband, Brian, and their friends, Brett and Janice Olive and Shuris Prestwich, are working on updating it and giving it a fresh, new look. They plan to temporarily reopen Colette in September.
“Our original plan was to open up like this and let people experience what it was like when we were kids,” Holly told EastIdahoNews.com. “Original bar top here – we’re putting a clear coat (of paint) on it because it’s been signed and etched in (over the years).”
A photo of the carving and carving of Colette’s bar. , Google Photo taken by Nicole Bissell in April 2018
The theater part is a shell of a building with some remaining seats from bygone days. It has great sentimental appeal to many in the community, and Holly wants to preserve it.
It will be closed to the public until she figures out what to do with it.
“We would love to use it as an event center if possible. We just want to get people’s opinions and see what they want,” says Holly.
In the next few years, the couple plans to convert the upstairs part of the theater into an apartment.
“We have always loved (this building). It is literally the last old building in our city. Everything else is torn down,” she says. “It sucks so much, but the shell is well built, and We thought, ‘Let’s see if he wants to sell.'”
The person she is referring to is Donnie Collette, the grandson of the original owner. Holly bought the building from her in April, but before that, it had been in the Colette family for generations.
Before Colette, the building was a grocery store. , Historical photo provided by Holly Johnson
It dates back to the early 1900s when it operated briefly as a garage and grocery store.
“We have pictures of the building dating back to 1910, but we don’t know what year it was built,” Holly says.
Grant Colette bought it in 1930 and opened Colette’s Pub. According to Holly, this was the first bar in the state to put Budweiser beer on tap.
“The original Colette bar was in the back. The front wasn’t where it is now,” she says. “Apparently, when they closed the grocery store, they pushed up the bar.”
The history of the theatre is less clear. Holly doesn’t remember what it was called or who owned it, but she does remember the Crystal Mays dance hall was on the top floor at one point.
Part of the thrill of this renovation project for Holly is discovering bits of history as it progresses.
The project is expected to grow and develop over the next several years. Holly eventually plans to do a complete rebuild of the building and expand it with new facilities.
To her, the building is a monument to the city’s history, and she looks forward to keeping it alive for generations to come.
“We wanted to name Colette, and we wanted to do something in the Firth again,” Holly says. “There are no eating or drinking establishments in the Firth except a convenience store and a beverage shop… so we wanted to give people a place to grab a burger for lunch like we always did when we were kids. “
Firth native Howard Hall wrote the song about his memory of visiting his hometown and Colette’s pub in 2020.
biz bits
Electricity company board member appointed to regional post
Doug Schmeier | credit photo
Ashton – Fall River Electric Cooperative board member Doug Schmeier has been appointed second vice chairman of the Northwest Public Power Association’s board of trustees.
The appointment took place at the recent annual business meeting of the NWPPA in Coeur d’Alene. The regional consortium represents more than 155 customer-owned, locally controlled utilities in the western US and Canada. The NWPPA is governed by a 20-member board of trustees consisting of member utility representatives.
Schmier was previously the secretary-treasurer of the NWPPA and former chairman of the Fall River Electric Cooperative Board. He was elected to the board of Fall River in 2010 and is a resident and business owner in West Yellowstone, Montana.
There’s Still So Much to Do in Yellowstone Park
West Yellowstone, Montana – With the recent flooding, a lot has changed in Yellowstone National Park over the past few weeks.
If you’re planning a vacation—or wondering if you should still visit—West Yellowstone, Montana, is open and safe, and there’s still plenty for visitors to see and do.
Activities such as trail hiking or mountain biking on one of the many trails are available within the city itself. Families can get an up-close look at the wildlife at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center (which was recently named a TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice winner).
Vacationers can also join the Wild West Rodeo or go on a Guided Horseback Ride.
Click here to know more.
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