The opening of Kohl’s department store last week provided the perfect excuse to take a break from columns on bankruptcies, tax hikes, depressed real estate and joblessness.

After all, we don’t get new department stores in these parts very often — and the last one that opened in Bend, Gottschalks, operated about three months before its parent company filed for bankruptcy reorganization in January 2009. It liquidated a few months later.

Kohl’s would appear to be on much healthier footing. Kohl’s earned $991 million in the fiscal year that ended Jan. 30, up from $885 million the year before, two very rough years for retailers, and is a much larger company, at more than 1,000 stores, than Gottschalks ever was.

Gottschalks, a regional chain that had 62 stores before it filed for bankruptcy, reported a $12.4 million loss in fiscal 2007. In its last report from 2008, through its fiscal nine months ended Nov. 1, it had lost $19.7 million.

Let me be clear: I’m no department store expert. The only time I visit one is when I need a pair of pants, a shirt, or other necessity. I’m more comfortable in The Home Depot (love that place), The Duck Store (’84 Oregon alumnus) or Safeway (a guy has to eat).

But my family needed a new toaster and Kohl’s had recently mailed $10-off coupons for anything in the store during its grand-opening period. Combine need, financial incentive, convenience (I pass it every day) and, I admit, a bit of curiosity, and I stepped foot for the first time in a Kohl’s on Wednesday.

I’ll probably offend all savvy shoppers out there by saying that it looks like most other midtier department stores and the prices — from a very untrained male eye — seemed comparable to other big-box retailers.

I walked in expecting it to be more appealing for women than men. After all, a district manager said in a story last weekend in The Bulletin, “(We have) anything she might need — anything besides milk, I guess.”

For many men, shopping’s hard enough without a comment like that…

But Kohl’s has plenty of things for men, including jeans, slacks, shorts, ties, blazers, athletic clothes and sport and dress shoes. Of course, it’s loaded with stuff for her — clothes, jewelry, makeup, etc. — and there are toys, greeting cards, housewares and more.

It seemed well organized to me, but a woman I know didn’t think so. Nonetheless, employees were helpful and friendly as they dealt with the stream of customers exploiting the grand-opening deals Wednesday. At 9 a.m., the store’s south parking lot was nearly full.

No matter its products or prices, the store, which is clean and bright, can be credited for putting 120 people to work, albeit mostly part time, which is better than no time these days. It also has to benefit Bend River Promenade as another anchor store drawing traffic.

The Bend store is among nine the company is opening this spring, which will bring its store count to 1,067.

On a related note, curiosity and convenience (and a son who has wanted to visit since the foundation was poured) also spurred a trip last weekend to Bend’s new Olive Garden restaurant. While I’m no shopper, eating is another matter. I can work my way around unlimited breadsticks with the best of ’em.

Like Kohl’s, no matter what your opinion of Olive Garden, its opening put 166 people to work like our waitress, who had worked in real estate. She and the hostess were friendly, the food was good, the place was clean and the service was efficient, which it had to be to handle the crowds.

Olive Garden has a following. In a Bulletin “retail wish list” survey in January 2007, it was locals’ No. 2 most desired business, trailing only Trader Joe’s, which Bend got in March 2008.

Chain stores and restaurants raise some people’s hackles, but they wouldn’t exist if consumers didn’t demand their products. Kohl’s and Olive Garden provide two more choices for people to spend their money. And isn’t that the American way, choice?

I’ve got another place to shop and another place to eat, which I appreciate. In fact, I might return to Kohl’s when those breadsticks necessitate another pair of pants.