Restaurant to reopen in Coulee Dam

The Melody Restaurant in Coulee Dam will reopen sometime later this year.

Coulee Dam Councilmember Karl Hjorten reported that negotiations for a lease on the restaurant property have been completed and he expected the new business to open within eight to 10 weeks.

The operators of the business will be the Moreno family, with members in Coulee Dam, Boise, and Long Beach, Calif,

Hjorten said Juan Moreno, who has been associated with another local restaurant, will be operator of the facility. Family members Luis Moreno and a sister, Veronica Moreno, will also be involved.

Hjorten said the restaurant will feature American cuisine and start out open for breakfast and lunch.

The restaurant was formerly owned and managed by Bob and Julie Worter, and has been vacant for several months.

The new owner has been in negotiations with the town for some time and will be redoing the interior before opening.

The town of Coulee Dam owns the building the restaurant is located in. The building also houses the Village Cinema and Riverview Lanes.

Hjorten, who helped negotiate the lease, said the new operator would pay $950 a month, plus 10 percent of gross sales. Hjorten said that the town was giving the Morenos three months of rent in exchange for “cleaning the facility up.”

Also associated with the new restaurant will be Nohemy Moreno, a daughter, and Anna Tabit, who will be a hostess at the firm.

Juan Moreno couldn’t be reached for comment.