Big developments and restaurants are always popular with our online readers, and this year’s top online stories are no exception. 

Among them are stories about developments at Costco and Amazon, plans for new restaurants and expansions, and two stories featuring unique homes. 

Here are the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ most-read stories of 2024:

1. Costco (bit.ly/costco-lease, bit.ly/costco-permits): Two stories about the new Costco coming to Richland topped this year’s most-read articles. In March, state Environmental Policy Act paperwork outlined Costco’s plans to develop a warehouse in the Queensgate area of Richland. Permit applications filed in August brought the project one step closer to reality. A lease was signed with the Department of Natural Resources in November.

Construction equipment parked on a former orchard that’s been vacant for years is a tangible sign that a new Tri-Cities Costco is coming. Costco recently signed a lease with the state Department of Natural Resources for 29.48 acres at the corner of Kennedy Road and Truman Avenue.

2. Help wanted: 1,000 Amazon warehouse workers (bit.ly/pasco-amazon-hiring): It was big news when one of Amazon’s long-empty Pasco warehouses opened up over the summer. The company called for more than 1,000 workers in June.

3. Beloved Richland bakery to launch two new shops (bit.ly/spudnut-expansion): Owners of the iconic Spudnut Shop in Richland discussed plans to open in both Kennewick and Pasco in this May story. The Richland shop is staying put.

Ryan Pierson, left, and Mike Bishop are the owners of the Spudnut Shop in Richland. The iconic shop is adding two new locations in Kennewick and Pasco.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

4. Couple ready to make their own mark on Tri-City restaurant scene (bit.ly/public-house-255): In November, a couple with years of experience at Tri-Cities restaurants planned to launch their own in Richland. Public House 255 will open in the building that was previously home to Fat Olives.

After years spent working in restaurants across the Tri-Cities, Maigh and Will Willingham are ready to launch their own. Public House 255 will open at 255 Williams Blvd., Richland, in mid-December.

| Photo by Rachel Visick

5. Andy’s Coffee Break to bring its homestyle favorites to Kennewick (bit.ly/andys-kennewick): Andy’s Coffee Break was set to open on Columbia Center Boulevard after closing during the Covid-19 pandemic, our April story reported. The building was once occupied by Shari’s.

Andy’s Coffee Break is taking over the former Shari’s restaurant building at 1200 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick. The restaurant operated for years off West Court Street in Pasco, closing in that location during the Covid-19 pandemic.

| Photo by Sara Schilling 

6. Chick-fil-A makes plans to build in Kennewick (bit.ly/chick-fil-a-kennewick): February saw plans submitted for the Tri-Cities’ very first Chick-fil-A, set to be built in Kennewick.

7. Canyon Lake owners drive home multimillion deal for golf course (bit.ly/canyon-lakes): In August, we reported the sale of the Canyon Lakes Golf Course in a multimillion-dollar deal. Majority owner Mike Lundgren sold the course to Craig and Chris Eerkes and Scott Mitchell.

Canyon Lakes Golf Course majority owner Mike Lundgren bought into Canyon Lakes ownership 33 years ago. He and the ownership group recently completed a multimillion deal to sell the course.

| Photo by Nathan Finke

8. Major Tri-Cities area employer shutters plant, lays off hundreds (bit.ly/lamb-weston-connell): Hundreds were laid off in October when Lamb Weston closed its Connell plant, one of the city’s two largest employers.

9. This ‘hot mess’ house in West Richland makes HGTV debut (bit.ly/hot-mess-house): A West Richland house was a contender for a $150,000 makeover this April when it was featured on HGTV’s “Ugliest House in America.”

Retta, host of “Ugliest House in America,” tours a West Richland home recently featured on HGTV.

| Courtesy HGTV

10. ‘Very special house’ on the market in Richland (bit.ly/DillmanHouse): A unique north Richland home boasting contemporary architecture was up for sale in October.

A one-of-a-kind home is on the market in Richland. It was designed by James Dillman, founder of what’s now Archibald & Company Architects in Richland and savior of the iconic fingernail stage in Howard Amon Park. The Dillman family lived in the home for 50 years.

| Kristine Kohl Photography