Wolf Lodge Steakhouse may rebuild after 2024 Labor Day fire

The Wolf Lodge Steakhouse site east of Coeur d’Alene is still mostly grass and rock, with debris scattered across the former restaurant grounds and a worn billboard nearby reminding travelers what once stood along Interstate 90. But Nicole Martel and Shawn Martel say the landmark may be headed back.

Standing at the property on a gray, windy afternoon, the couple said they want the public to know they are still working toward a rebuild after the Labor Day 2024 fire destroyed the restaurant. Nicole Martel said she would love to say the steakhouse is definitely coming back, but said the project is not yet at the starting line. Shawn Martel said they are trying and doing everything they can. A photo caption accompanying the latest reporting said construction to rebuild the restaurant could begin soon, although no firm start date has been announced.

For Kootenai County, the question is about more than one dining room. Wolf Lodge sat about 8 miles east of Coeur d’Alene on a heavily traveled stretch of I-90, where it served as a recognizable stop for travelers and a long-running local landmark. The location had operated as a convenience store since 1939, a tavern was added in the 1970s, and the steakhouse followed in the 1980s. Its loss removed a business tied to decades of traffic, jobs and roadside identity in the eastern edge of the county.

The fire on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, was ruled accidental by the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office. Investigators said a breach in the flue pipe above the kitchen’s wood-fired grill allowed grease to build up in the flue piping and attic before it ignited and spread through the building. Officials said there were no injuries, but the restaurant was described as a total loss.

The emotional hit was immediate. Community members organized a free dinner for Wolf Lodge employees after the fire, and longtime customers showed up with encouragement in the days that followed. Staff members who had treated the restaurant like a family lost more than a workplace when the building burned.

If the rebuild moves ahead, it would restore one of the most recognizable stops along the Coeur d’Alene corridor and put an empty lot back to work on a road where tourists and locals have passed it for generations. For now, the site remains a reminder of what was lost and how much a comeback would mean to the county’s sense of place.