Downtown’s hip new addition

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff Writer

Chris Dosher grew up in Sandpoint, but he’s best known for opening the Coeur d’Alene vape shop CDA Vape.

The Cloud Cafe, Sandpoint’s newest business, on the corner of First Ave. and Cedar St. Photo by Lyndsie Kiebert.

But Dosher is branching out in his latest business venture, while going back to his roots. Cloud Cafe recently opened in downtown Sandpoint, where vaping, coffee, art and fashion make up the town’s newest storefront.

This new project is thanks to his success in Coeur d’Alene, Dosher said.

“Every bit of growth was from the people leaving my shop satisfied, and then recommending it to their friends,” Dosher said.

He said that satisfaction was thanks to his dedication to high-quality product and attentive customer service. He said he lived and worked in his shop for a year in Coeur d’Alene with nothing but his hard work used to propel the business — with no money for advertising, it was all about good experiences and word-of-mouth, he said.

“That’s huge to me,” he said. “When you have one bad first time at a place, you don’t go back.”

Dosher said he was inspired to open a vape shop based on the expanding popularity of the smoking alternative. Vaping is the act of inhaling vapor produced by a vaporizer, electronic cigarette or similar device.

“I saw the vaping industry on the rise and I saw it as something to maybe help people — help people take a better path,” Dosher, a non-smoker, said. “There (have) been tons and tons and tons of new institutions confirming that vaping is so much healthier than cigarettes.”

Dosher opened CDA Vape three years ago, and after considering expansion, decided on his hometown.

“It’s a small town, but it’s home,” he said. “Plus the space is so good.”

That space is 100 Cedar Street, in the same building as Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, next to the Cedar Street Bridge. While Sandpoint does have vape shops, there is no vaping cafe.

Because Cloud Cafe is just that — a cafe — it will feature not only FDA-approved vaping products, but also coffee and tea. The shop also features art and a clothing line by Dosher’s business partner, Dominic Jones. There’s plenty of seating, a projection screen and dressing rooms.

“I think that the town is really going to like what we have to offer,” Dosher said. “We’re wanting to target the younger demographic.”

But Dosher and Jones realize Sandpoint is not necessarily a town of youngsters, so they said the shop should be considered a place for all ages to use the internet, get something to drink and maybe learn a little more about vaping. One day, Dosher said, he’d like to hold monthly events to feature local artists.

“He’s really amazing at it,” Jones said of Dosher’s ability to provide a quality product and experience with his business. “And this is something Sandpoint doesn’t really have.”

Cloud Cafe is open Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.