The Pocatello area’s restaurant scene is healthy, experts say, and instead of eateries closing because of a shaky economy — it’s competition that has some eateries unplugging the “open” sign for good.

Since late 2016, several restaurants have shuttered, including Black Bear Diner in Chubbuck, and Efresh and Ruby Tuesday in Pocatello.

While the closures had some people thinking it was a downturn for restaurants in the Pocatello area, with each ending came a new beginning for other restaurants like Ketchum Burrito, Abracadabra’s and Las Paloma’s Mexican Grill — all in Pocatello

“The local restaurant industry is growing,” said Dr. Dan Cravens, director of Bengal Solutions — a business consulting program for Idaho State University’s College of Business. “Even though you have a closure every now and then, that doesn’t indicate that there isn’t growth and an unmet demand.”

And in Pocatello, the demand for more restaurants seems nearly limitless. There are over 120 places to eat every day for a population of close to 55,000 people. That equates to one restaurant per 458 people living in the Gate City.

Pocatello has seen an influx of more places to eat since the Great Recession. But the total population has remained relatively flat. What has changed, however, is the amount of money in the pocket of each Pocatello resident, according to Cravens.

“You can definitely get into a situation where you have more restaurants than your population and income base can supply,” Cravens said. “While the population in Pocatello may not have changed or increased by much, what has improved is the amount of peoples’ disposable income.”

Cravens continued, “And if people have more disposable income, one of the areas they will tend to choose to spend that extra money in is restaurants.”

The owners of three new Pocatello restaurants in Pocatello are hoping that the extra money is being spent in their establishments.

Ketchum Burrito, or KB’s, recently opened its sixth store with its new location at 231 West Quinn Road in the building that formerly housed Costa Vida.

KB’s has been serving up award-winning burritos in Idaho since 1993, and is well-known for making a killer fish or shrimp burrito. With more than 11 specialty burritos and a multitude of filling and sauce combinations, the options at KB’s are nearly endless.

Andrea Rangel is the owner of Las Paloma’s Mexican Grill at 249 Yellowstone Avenue in the building that formerly housed El Jacalito. Rangel immigrated from Mexico about 15 years ago and opened Las Paloma’s a little over three months ago.

“My mom had a restaurant in Mexico for 25 years,” Rangel said. “Since I moved to America it was always one of my dreams to open my own restaurant.”

Las Paloma’s serves up authentic Mexican food originating from Sinaloa and Chiapas — the birthplaces of Rangel’s parents. The eatery offers everything from menudo and pozole soups to cheeseburgers and street tacos topped with cilantro, radish, cabbage and guacamole sauce.

“Everything we make is homemade,” Rangel said. “It’s authentic Mexican, not Tex-Mex or American Mexican.”

It doesn’t lack for fans.

“The food is well-plated, it is clean and the people inside are meticulous in detail,” said patron Dennis Eldridge. “To be honest with you, there are too many restaurants in Pocatello, but the standard of Las Paloma’s is a cut above the rest.”

Another new restaurant to bring its magic to the Gate City, Abracadabra’s, will soon open at the former Pizza Hut location at 1151 Yellowstone Ave. A bistro that specializes in breakfast and lunch, Abracadabra’s has one other location in Idaho Falls.

It features specialty items like Captain Crunch Encrusted French Toast, the Deep-Fried Monte Cristo Sandwich, the Open-Faced Philly Cheesesteak, the Chicken and Waffles, and pancakes that stretch across a platter approximately 13 inches wide.

While new restaurants try to establish themselves and survive the ever-changing industry, existing restaurants are taking steps of their own to stay relevant and viable.

The Bridge Restaurant and Lounge, owned by Lisa Willmore and located at 230 West Bonneville Street in Historic Old Town Pocatello, recently started serving brunch on Saturdays.

In addition to the typical brunch cocktails like Bloody Marys and mimosas, Saturday brunch at the Bridge also features specialty crepes made by Camille Gilbert, who sells crepes during the summer months at the Portneuf Farmer’s Market.

Gilbert said this is her fifth year making crepes. She makes both sweet and savory versions, but is only offering savory versions at the Bridge, so far. The savory versions are made from an herb batter and the fillings can include eggs, meats and various vegetables. Turkey Bacon Avocado, Garden Medley, and Sausage Egg and Cheese have been the most popular thus far.

The initial response was wonderful, Willmore said.

“We hope that it just gets bigger and bigger,” she said.

Also, Fifth Street Bagelry at 559 South Fifth Avenue recently decided to open its doors on Sundays in an attempt to offer patrons one extra day of the week to get their bagel or coffee fix.

Restaurant businesses don’t always work out, according to Cravens, but in Pocatello they will never be in short supply, he added.

“Everybody is interested in restaurants because everybody eats,” Cravens said. “Most people know how to cook and have dishes they are fond of and take personal pride in. So they start a business that they are interested in. Because of this commonality, you can always expect to see new restaurant’s coming and going.”