Stilos restaurant closing 8/11/2008 5:16:59 PM

"Things have just gotten so high, and you can only charge so much. I think that's the biggest problem," owner Rhonda Entner said Monday. "We're sad, and we thank everyone for supporting us and wish we could go on."

The fine dining restaurant at 1440 N. Meadowwood Lane is the second restaurant Entner and her son, Patrick Fechser, own in Liberty Lake. Hay J's Bistro, located at 21706 E. Mission Ave., will remain open.

"We truly appreciate the support of the Liberty Lake and surrounding communities and look forward to serving you at Hay J's Bistro," Loren Harris, general manager of both restaurants, said in a prepared statement announcing Stilos' closure.

Stilos is the second restaurant to fail at the Meadowwood Lane location. In 2006, the former Caffe Liberté restaurant closed after a one-year run. The building remained empty for several months before Entner and Fechser leased it to open their second restaurant.

Stilos has been open for about a year and a half. Hay J's opened in 2006.

When Caffe Liberté closed, Entner said she was approached about moving Hay J's into the vacant building. Reluctant to move, she opted to multiply instead, Entner said.

"We thought we'd try, but unfortunately it just didn't work," she said.

Both restaurants feature classic dishes, such as steak Oscar and beef Wellington, and signature meals like coconut halibut and a crab cake sampler.

"It's a freestanding building over there, so it's a little more expensive to run," Entner said of the Stilos location. "It's been a tough decision."

Stilos employs about 20 staff members, and some will be transferred to Hay J's, Entner said.

As for Hay J's, no immediate changes are planned, Entner said.

"Not at the moment," she said. "Everything will be the same at Hay J's."

For more online
To view a letter from Stilos' owners to the community, visit the Liberty Lake Splash blog at www.libertylakesplash.com under the "blog" tab.