You might remember summer days spent sucking all of the flavor out of a Popsicle, leaving only ice left on the stick, but it might surprise you to know this was part of the original marketing plan.

From coffee to groceries and dining to drinks, Cheney’s growing food and drink scene is lighting up the small town and is giving people a reason to visit. With a population of roughly 12,200 and only a quick 20-minute drive from Spokane, Cheney is best known as the home of Eastern Washington University. But who knew that there were so many noteworthy food and drink destinations?

Bolstad studied pastry at New York’s French Culinary Institute, but it is the memories of cooking with her father as he imitated the Swedish Chef and enjoying Scandinavian sweets with her grandparents that influenced her nostalgia-inducing treats as much as her work in a Michelin-starred kitchen and with Seattle’s Relay restaurant group.

In 2017, Katy and Ethan Bean decided to start baking pies with as many local ingredients as possible. Now, Bean & Pie is a mainstay at locals farmers markets and has their own shop in Downtown Coeur d'Alene.

You won’t find Snickers or birthday cake flavors at Spokane Cheesecakes, with chef-owner Thomas Speight opting for real, natural ingredients like berries and citrus at his outpost on Sprague, just east of Downtown. Spokane Cheesecakes instead showcase the simplicity and authenticity of what a good cheesecake can be without compromising flavor or quality.

At The Rusty Mug, you can enjoy decadent chocolates, ice cream, sodas, and freshly brewed coffee in Spokane's Sprague Union District. But unlike most coffee shops, this place also serves nostalgic trips down memory lane. Grab a cup of locally roasted coffee or a tasty truffle and wander around their collection of vintage wares and kitschy gifts.

Founded during the pandemic, Gage Lang and his team started out by delivering their cookies straight to customers around Spokane and the Valley. Breaüxdoo has expanded their offerings from just cookies, now selling full-sized slices of cake and even cookie dough and cake pops.

MiFlavour's flagship store takes its cues from contemporary French retailers, with mirrored surfaces and video screens that tempt you with all of the bakery's sweet desserts. The aroma of coffee and chocolate greets customers as they peruse the carefully curated display cases, full of locally-crafted pastries, gelato, macarons and more!

If you aren’t familiar with Turkish Delight, you might imagine all manner of delicious morsels. This rose-flavored substance halfway between jello and mochi isn't all that familiar to the American palate, but in England, Turkish Delight is a popular Christmas treat.

As the owner of Chaps and Lucky Vintage & Pretty Things, Celeste Shaw is one of the most recognizable personalities around Spokane. While all her outward achievements are enough to keep her busy 24/7, Shaw’s benevolent work behind the scenes doesn’t get as much attention. So it should come as no surprise that in the days following the COVID-19 shutdown, Shaw devised a plan to benefit others. The message being spread was simple, but universal: “food is Love.”

After developing a loyal following at local farmers markets, Annie Stranger and her ice cream company, Sweet Annie’s Artisan Creamery are set to open a shop of their own in Liberty Lake.

What started out as just a first job at age 16 quickly became a passion for Chef Austin Conklin, head chef at Inland Pacific Kitchen in Spokane’s historic Washington Cracker Co. Building. After harvesting nettles at Urban Eden Farm, Conklin returns to the kitchen to whip up an avant garde dessert.