Rising Sun takes French fare to Kalispell
It’s time to say “au revoir” to one of
Whitefish’s favorite restaurants.
Breaking the hearts of croissant- and
benedict-lovers across town, the Rising Sun Bistro on Wisconsin
Avenue has decided to move their operation south to Kalispell. The
French-style eatery’s last day here was Sept. 25, ending a six-year
run at that location.
They will re-open in October at the
former The Knead Cafe building in Kalispell on Second Avenue West.
The move is being made to give the restaurant more stability.
Jennifer Griffith along with her mother
Sally Racine Truscheit and Peggy Kirby purchased the restaurant in
October 2005. Since then they’ve had five different property
managers. The building was put up for sale recently, and since then
they’ve been on a month-to-month lease.
“The ‘for sale’ sign is bigger than our
sign,” Griffith said. “Our waiters spend more time talking to
customers about whether or not we are for sale than the menu. It
was obvious that if we wanted to stay open and build our product,
we couldn’t stay in this location.”
The owners looked around Whitefish for
a building to call home, but they couldn’t find an appropriate
place with a kitchen.
Then the Knead building fell into their
price range. The Kalispell location will give them the long-term
stability they need to plan weddings and cater events, Griffith
said, as well as continue their booming restaurant business.
They have painted the restaurant the
same blue and yellow as the Whitefish location and will keep the
same home-like atmosphere. The entire staff will move and the menu
won’t change. The new building does have a kitchen about four times
the size of the Whitefish restaurant, which will allow them to
offer even more, including crepes year-round.
Seating at the new building will double
in size to a capacity of 120 and they purchased the beer and wine
license.
Griffith says the move south is bitter
sweet.
“We’ve been here a long time, and we’ve
enjoyed it,” she said, “but it was time to make a business
decision. Our goal is to do really well in Kalispell so we can move
back to Whitefish one day.”
Until then, Bistro lovers can get their
fix through Urban Gourmet. The Bistro will package salads and other
menu items for sale at locations in Whitefish. They will also
package entire meals for 2-6 people to heat and serve, but those
will only be available in Kalispell.
The Bistro will keep the same phone
number after the move. For more information, contact 862-1236.