By JAMES EIK
Staff Reporter
Upgrades at Spoko Fuel are nearly complete, with a new Arby's restaurant set for its grand opening and a remodeled convenience store interior ready for use.
Since last month, the restaurant has been operating under a soft opening. Spoko Fuel operations manager Dale Spencer described the opening as a test run for the restaurant, where there was almost no advertising. This way, the staff could train and garner experience in a low-pressure environment.
A grand opening is scheduled for Friday, April 13.
Arby's general manager Rudy Valles said getting a basis for the crew was important.
“We wanted to lay the foundation for making orders,” he said.
Valles, who has worked in the industry for 18 years, took seven weeks of training in Vancouver, Wash., for the position. He oversees 38 employees and five managers at the restaurant. For the staff's five-day training session, employees were split into two groups, which were set for day and night operations.
Spencer said the restaurant is a healthier alternative for military members, which adds to its appeal. The franchise is also fairly popular in the Northwest, with two of the top five stores in the nation in Spokane, he said.
Providing a quick service to military members is also a welcome challenge, Valles said. With some of the base personnel, lunch periods are fast.
“They can trust us to come here and they're not going to wait a long time to get back on base and go back to work,” he said.
The customer base for Arby's, Valles said, is different. In the short time since its trial run, the restaurant has already seen a regular core group of customers. Even so, the type of service provided at the restaurant tries to live up to the brand's style.
“We can be more relaxed with them,” he said. “It's not a big machine. We can be friendly with them and get to know their names. It's a different world, working with this brand.”
For Valles, the customers help to make the job fun.
“It's a lot more fun. The food is fun to make, the customers are more fun and the employees are more fun. It's just a happier thing all the way around,” he said.
Since its soft opening, Spencer said the crew has already exceeded its sales figures by a good percentage, which will only grow once it's fully operational.
“We've been really impressed with the staff,” he said.
As a part of the opening ceremonies, free giveaways will take place between the restaurant and the Spoko Fuel convenience store. The Spokane Tribe has enlisted some radio support and will hold some prize drawings while offering some deals on meals at the restaurant.
“It'll be all hands on deck,” Valles said.
In addition to Arby's the interior of Spoko Fuel was remodeled into a lounge. Previously, a small deli occupied the space, which would have conflicted with the restaurant.
Now, it serves as an area to unwind. Free Wi-Fi is also offered.
In addition to the interior, the gas pumps received new LCD screens and a program which adds higher protection to credit card transactions.
Spencer said future improvements at the location would first take place through infrastructure development. There is a possibility for manufacturing and retail operations to occur on the property once that is in place.
“Once we get all of that done, then we can be off and running,” he said.
James Eik can be reached at [email protected].
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