The owner of Ernie's Steakhouse in Lewiston has put the establishment on the market for $3.5 million so that she can move back to her family's ranch.

The asking price includes almost 21/2 acres, the restaurant, furniture, equipment, the building, its patio and a liquor license, which opens the possibility of continuing to run the property as a restaurant or re-purposing it for another venture, said owner Becky Robinson.

The assessed value of the land, building, parking lot and other improvements is $1.78 million, according to the Nez Perce County Assessor's Office.

The parking lot has about 50 more spaces than is required for the restaurant, perhaps enough space for a second business, but not something large, especially considering how steep portions of the lot are, said city building official John Smith.

The property is zoned C-6, a designation that allows more than 20 uses such as stores, car dealerships, financial institutions, car washes, mini-storage, eateries, hotels and professional offices.

"It lends itself to anything," Robinson said. "The view is amazing."

Nothing will change in the day-to-day operations of Ernie's Steakhouse while it's on the market, Robinson said. The restaurant will continue serving its prime rib and other menu items as it works to develop an even larger base of customers.

The restaurant, which employs about 45 people, is profitable and will likely do even better after the completion of the Hampton Inn, just a few blocks away, Robinson said.

Robinson's decision to sell comes about two years after she opened and follows her business plan to put the establishment on the market at some point. She declined to explain why this is the right time to do so.

Robinson ran Ernie's Steakhouse in Grangeville from 2005 until 2010 when it was destroyed by a fire. After that, she decided to try a similar concept in a larger market.

Doing so requires her to be back and forth between Lewiston, where she has a place to stay, and her parents' ranch that's split between White Bird and New Meadows.

Her daughter and her daughter's husband, Angela and Ben Forsman, operate a ranch in the Lewiston area, and her daughter helps in the restaurant.

Robinson's husband, Kipp Massey, and two of her grown sons, Wade Greig and Wyatt Greig, live on the ranch. Her other son, Tyler Rupp, runs Hells Canyon Diesel, a Grangeville business that repairs diesel vehicles.

"My parents (Ernie and Judy Robinson) are very active in their cattle business, and they need their daughter to help them," Robinson said.

Williams may be contacted at ewilliam@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2261.