If you have a DIY project you're working on around the house and need knowledgeable and local advice, River Ridge Hardware in the Audubon-Downriver neighborhood, voted Best Local Hardware Store of 2022 by Inlander readers, is a good place to start.
"My tagline for the store is really 'Neighbors helping neighbors,'" says business owner Larry Myers, who took over the shop in 2017. "We earnestly want to help our customers, and we know that we aren't here without them."
When a customer enters the store at the intersection of Garland Avenue and Driscoll Boulevard, they're greeted at the door and helped with whatever project they're working on, even if they're not exactly sure where to start, Myers says.
"My guys, and myself, love to do that," he adds.
Most of River Ridge Hardware's customers are nearby homeowners or DIYers looking for help and advice on a project, Myers says.
"The value of River Ridge is that it has that local feel," he says. "It's not too big, and it's not too small."
River Ridge is somewhat of an institution in Spokane, with its origins dating to the early 1950s when it was located near the Spokane River on Wellesley Avenue.
Today, the store has three separate departments to help customers tackle any project: hardware, gardening and a rental center. Additionally, River Ridge Hardware is one of the only hardware stores in the country that is also home to a custom picture-framing shop, Frame It Today.
2nd PLACE: Miller's Hardware
3rd PLACE: The General Store
NORTH IDAHO's BEST: Seright's Ace Hardware, Rathdrum
