Family-run coffee shop gives Inkom new place to chill

INKOM, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Small changes in small towns make big ripples, especially in coffee cups.

A new family-run coffee shop in Inkom is bringing new energy to Highway 30.

Nate and Jennifer Solomon opened The Place in early 2020, before the pandemic really hit America. But they were poised to withstand the shut downs; their coffee shop is already drive-through only.

“It’s been steady and good,” Nate said.

Inkom has been home to several restaurants and eateries, but not many stick around for the long haul.

“They just didn’t seem to have the basic things that people order on an everyday basis: sodas, coffees,” Jennifer said.

The couple decided to open Inkom's only coffee shop and restaurant.

The Place serves Leapknot Coffee, an artisan coffee roaster in Pocatello. Nate’s sisters do the baking: bread, cookies and homemade pizza.

The pizza recipe is from a family friend, Jennifer said. 

“It’s a 150-year-old pizza recipe from Italy. He gave us that recipe. The pizza sauce takes nine hours to make,” she said.

While The Place is drive-through only, they have outdoor seating with fire pits and swings to provide people a place to hang out.

“I’ve got a boy that’s a teenager and a couple young kids. We just want our kids to have somewhere to come and the community to come,” Nate said.

The couple comes from a family of entrepreneurs (you'll see the Solomon name on several Inkom businesses), so it's not a surprise they have plans to grow.

“Our future plans are to enclose the patio into a greenhouse. We’ll grow a lot of our own produce and the indoor seating will be inside the greenhouse,” Jennifer said.

The Place is located 360 Highway 30 E, next to the couple's first business, Solomon Training Systems.