Habit Burger and Grill opens first North Idaho location in Coeur d'Alene

A national burger chain has staked a claim on the Appleway corridor, opening Habit Burger & Grill’s first North Idaho restaurant in Coeur d'Alene at 212 W. Appleway Ave., the former Pizza Hut site.

The opening, which happened Wednesday, gives Kootenai County another fast-casual option and puts a familiar chain name into a market where new dining choices can quickly reshape traffic patterns and spending. Habit Burger & Grill says it was founded in Santa Barbara in 1969, and Yum! Brands says the company has grown to almost 400 restaurants nationwide. That scale makes the Coeur d'Alene store a small piece of a much larger expansion strategy, but it also marks a notable local milestone: the brand now has a North Idaho address.

The new location matters well beyond burgers. Restaurant openings often reveal where operators think foot traffic, household growth and disposable income are strong enough to support another dining choice. In Coeur d'Alene, a chain like Habit Burger & Grill adds pressure to nearby independent restaurants and competing fast-casual spots that rely on families, workers and visitors who already have plenty of options. It also adds to the commercial churn along Appleway, where businesses have been cycling through older retail spaces as the corridor continues to evolve.

The store’s hiring effort pointed to the jobs side of the story before the doors opened. Job postings for the Coeur d'Alene location advertised onsite interviews beginning Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The posted wage range was $17.13 to $18.63 an hour plus tips for cooks and $17.13 to $17.63 an hour plus tips for cashiers. For a restaurant opening in a growing city, those wages offer a snapshot of the labor market national chains are willing to enter when they think the customer base can support them.

Local business coverage had described the restaurant as expected to open in late spring or early summer 2026, with the Coeur d'Alene store identified as the first Habit Burger & Grill in North Idaho. The company’s location page now lists the Coeur d'Alene Apple Way restaurant as open, confirming the launch and giving the chain a foothold in a corridor that continues to attract new investment.

For Coeur d'Alene, the opening is more than a new place to order a charbroiled burger. It is another sign that outside brands still see room to grow here, and that the city’s restaurant market remains strong enough to draw national operators into familiar spaces with new expectations for sales, staffing and competition.