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City Cast Boise

Sarah Keck and Laurie Pearman describe their meeting as fate. The pair grew up seven miles away from each other in Bakersfield, Calif. and both lived in Caldwell in the 1990s, but didn’t meet until 2022, when they’d both lived in the Ustick neighborhood for four years. But their parallel paths had led them both to the same conclusion: Ustick needed not only a coffee shop, but a place to gather. Earlier this year, they opened 

It would seem you found your footing with each other and the spirit of Common Ground pretty quickly. How did that happen?

“We have this very similar sense of humor and weirdness about us, so it feels like we're naturally sisters or something out of the gate. But I think it was really the shared want for this in the neighborhood. Our goal was so eerily similar, and then as we dug into, like, our histories, that had a lot of similarity too.”

“It’s been magical. A lot of people are like, ‘oh, don't get into business with your friends.’ But for us, I think the goal is so rock solid. And then we just add fun to it and stability."

You knew Ustick needed a gathering space — has the community response met your expectations?

 “Completely exceeded our expectations. We have had time to do zero things since we opened because we've been so busy. What did we liken it to? Oh, a baby giraffe. It’s like the business was the mama giraffe and we were the baby giraffe, and then we were like stumbling around.”

“I’m still surprised, we’re almost a month in and people are still thanking us for opening, for taking a chance on the neighborhood, for investing in the community, because this place is so ready.”

Why the name “Common Ground,” and how does the American flag fit into that?

 “[Points at the large flag on the wall] The flag is actually my dad’s. He passed away in October 2022. He was a Vietnam vet, so this is his dedication flag that me and my brothers got from the Veterans Cemetery when he passed away. [We] received a surprise inheritance from him, and I essentially took that inheritance to start the coffee shop. So it only felt right to have the flag from him up in the coffee shop, you know? I think for the ‘common ground’ portion, we also just want to take back the flag. The flag shouldn’t just be for any specific subset of Americans. We want to show that we are safe people and that our space is a safe space where we can kind of reimagine what the flag can mean.”

 “I’ll just add, above all else, it’s about being a good neighbor. This isn’t about politics, or being polarized, or anything. It's just about a space where we can all come together, get a cup of coffee, and a ritual, and go back to our lives. Like, a positive interaction for everybody, and everybody's welcome.”

3 Questions With the Owners of Common Ground in Boise

3 Questions With the Owners of Common Ground

What Boise celebrities, public figures and key citizens have to say about living here.

3 Questions With Boise Public Figures

3 Questions With

After seven years in a prime downtown location, the sandwich shop Even Stevens has been evicted.

Even Stevens has been ailing for some time; at its peak, the company had eight stores in Arizona, some in Colorado and Texas, the one on Bannock Street here, and its largest concentration in Utah. With the eviction, there are only six Even Stevens left, all in Utah.

They were well known after their 2014 founding for donating a sandwich for every sandwich sold. However, that only lasted two years, and 

former employees have said that the company misled customers

 into thinking they were still donating food to charities.

BoiseDev reported the eviction Thursday morning

, including that the restaurant had recently failed a food safety inspection and “a Boise woman” (

known to most as City Cast Boise lead producer Frankie Barnhill

) had tweeted that she’d paid for food that wasn’t delivered.

It’s not clear what’s next for the location — much less for the now solely Utahn chain. Just off the corner of Bannock at 9th Street, it’s adjacent to Freak Alley on one of the busiest downtown blocks. We’ll let you know when we learn more!

Downtown Boise Sandwich Shop Even Stevens Gets Evicted

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Boise. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Boise Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Last week, I chose the Avery building at 1010 W. Main St. for the “Where Is It?” because I was curious about its history, and what was going on inside. It’s on 

, and the building, along with its neighbors in the 

Lower Main Street Commercial Historic District, were put on the National Park Service’s Historic Register

 in 1980.

Little did I know that a lot of you have fond memories there, not as the Avery, but as the Blues Bouquet bar and music venue. But, having been built in 1910, it has had many names.

Originally the A.S. Tiner building, 1010 W. Main St. housed the New Boz Theater and the Manitou Hotel (which is still visible on the east-facing wall of the fourth floor). But the building was referred to as the Averyl, named after the owner’s granddaughter. Over the years, though, the “l” was dropped from the name, and it became the Avery.

After 50 years, the theater and hotel closed in the 1960s, leaving the three upper floors empty ever since.

. It was a nightclub and bar with musical performances fondly remembered by many Hey Boise readers — but it sounds like it was a pretty wild place, so you might not remember some of the nights.

After officially closing as the Ice Bouquet in 2015, it was purchased by Cal Elliott — a Michelin-star chef, New York restauranteur, and Borah High graduate. He bought the entire building, and hatched a new bold plan for its future.

Developer Michael Hormaechea, Cal Elliott, and his wife, designer Ashley Elliott, have been renovating the building and preparing to open 

. They say it’s on track to open this summer.

The Avery will be a 39-room boutique hotel.

Avery will be a restaurant, with seasonal menus created by Cal Elliott.

Finally, as a nod to its original owners, Tiner’s Alley will be a tavern accessed by the alley behind The Avery.

Because of the building’s historical significance, the 

Capital City Development Corporation has chipped in

 to cover some of the estimated costs of over $14 million for restoration.

This was a real gem to learn about, and I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if there are other renovations going on around town that I should cover.

business

3 Questions With the Owners of Common Ground

Downtown Boise Sandwich Shop Even Stevens Gets Evicted

Get to Know the Avery

Latest articles

3 Questions With the Owners of Common Ground

Downtown Boise Sandwich Shop Even Stevens Gets Evicted

Get to Know the Avery