These Boise restaurants were to be demolished for a chain. Now it’s all for sale
Picture a swinging wrecking ball — frozen in midair.
More than a year after the clock began ticking for two familiar buildings at the Boise Spectrum, a last-minute stay of execution has been granted.
Chick-fil-A no longer plans to scrape the former El Tenampa and Johnny Carino’s restaurants to make room for the chain to build a new location, according to Melanie Nielsen, retail associate with real estate agency CBRE.
Instead, the popular chicken chain from Atlanta, Georgia — which recently purchased the properties — has put them on the market for sale or lease.
Chick-fil-A did not disclose the reasoning behind its change of heart regarding expansion to the Spectrum, Nielsen said. But the chain previously had filed paperwork with the city seeking permission for the project.
“We’re looking for either a user or a buyer with vision,” Nielsen said “to either repurpose the current properties or kind of reinvent those corners to further improve the Spectrum property.”
El Tenampa, 7802 W. Spectrum St., closed last year in advance of the expected demolition. Months earlier, its owner had told the Statesman that the restaurant’s “days are numbered.”
The building is now listed as 7,888 square feet on 1.51 acres.
The old Johnny Carino’s, 1700 S. Entertainment Ave., was an Italian chain restaurant that’s sat empty for a decade. It’s offered as 6,474 square feet on 1.34 acres.
The properties are available individually or as a combined 2.85-acre package. Prices are not included in the listings.
The majority of the Spectrum was sold in late 2024 to Fashion Point Newgate LLP, a father-sons partnership in Ogden, Utah. Since then, changes have started unfurling at the entertainment and retail center.
The Regal Boise megaplex — formerly Edwards Cinemas — made significant improvements, including converting one of its auditoriums to IMAX. Meanwhile, the standalone IMAX theater at the Spectrum closed and is available for lease.
Chow Public Market and Eatery at the Spectrum is planning to shutter soon, too, after eight years. The plan is to reimagine most of the space as possibly two restaurants, or a restaurant and a retailer.