A restaurant, wine bar and tap house, the Beardmore Bistro, according to owners Kerri and James Martin, is a “meeting place for old friends, making new friends and welcoming everyone into the community.”

What wasn’t welcome of course, was the pandemic which forced the Beardmore to fully shut down for two months and then to open with limited seating. “It has been such a hardship for our business, but also for the people who love to come here and be with their friends,” says the Martin’s.

While business is slower, the Martin’s are not slowing down in helping their community. Excited to join Columbia Bank’s efforts with the Pass It On Project, The Beardmore Bistro is providing gift cards to essential workers, and Columbia Bank is picking up the tab. “We are passing it on by providing gift cards for essential workers like law enforcement, EMT’s and school teachers,” says Kerri Martin. “They have to work no matter what the circumstances, and with Columbia Bank’s assistance, we will be able to show them a little Priest River hospitality.”