Cow Creek Cafe under new ownership

RITZVILLE – Cow Creek Mercantile and Cafe has new owners, but all the items popular with locals and tourists alike will remain the same.

Arne Braaten and John Freeman purchased the business from Scott and Theresa Fitch the first of the year.

“It’s been a dream of mine to own a cafe just like this, since I was probably 14,” said Freeman, who hadn’t worked in the restaurant industry previously. “It’s just something that I’ve always had that little desire to do. It wasn’t even on our radar when we moved here.”

Braaten and Freeman moved to Lind three years ago, from the west side, and “absolutely...