New Yakima restaurant on hold; economic woes blamed

A Salt Lake City firm has delayed its plans to build a national steakhouse-style buffet restaurant in Yakima.

William Tell Inc. purchased 9.5 acres earlier this year for more than $2.6 million. It had planned to use part of the property, located on South First Street north of Washington Avenue, to build a Golden Corral restaurant.

The company had planned to sell or lease the remaining property for potential restaurant and retail tenants.

With the economic downturn, William Tell, which also owns Applebee's and Famous Dave's locations throughout the Western U.S., decided to scale back its expansion plans, said Chris Waddle, a commercial representative for Creekside Commercial, who is serving as the development coordinator and leasing agent for the property.

Golden Corral is open to selling the property for a reasonable price, but also is willing to hold the property through the economic downturn, Waddle said.

"They may still come back and build the restaurant," he said.

Panda Express, a California-based Chinese restaurant chain, already purchased one of the property's parcels to build a new restaurant south of the 1900 block of South First Street, next to the Grocery Outlet. The restaurant is expected to open in the next few weeks, Waddle said.