Yakitori Yuchan has a new name: Yuchan Shokudo. The Japanese restaurant is unable to serve yakitori dishes – grilled chicken skewers – because of supply disruptions. The yakitori name became a misnomer. Shokudo — dining hall — is more appropriate.

Yakitori Yuchan opened in 2014 at 109 E St. It specialized in sumiyaki kushiyaki: skewered meat and vegetable dishes that are charcoal-grilled.

“We are still under the same management, and will continue to serve the current menu,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

On June 20, it officially became Yuchan Shokudo. There’s a new sign and website, but a few hiccups with Google, DoorDash and Facebook verifications, Alan Huynh, the restaurant’s operations manager, said Thursday.

Huynh said before the pandemic, the restaurant served 97 items. That number is down to 20. More than half of its dishes relied on specialty ingredients from overseas. Things like squid, eel, takoyaki octopus balls and gyoza potstickers came from Japan or the South China Sea. Its ramen was made in California but used a leavening agent that wasn’t available. Substitutions were sub-par.

But it was the Japanese charcoal shortage that was the killer. Binchotan is a hard, Japanese lump wood that’s cut to fit yakitori grills, Huynh said. “It has a higher and longer-lasting heat than mesquite, and doesn’t have a smoky ash. It was expensive as all heck.”

He used to pay $125 for a 55-pound bag that would last three days. Now, “if we can get it, it’s at least twice that much.” Though you can purchase some variations of the charcoal in the U.S., they are made for large American grills. The log sizes aren’t uniform. They create more smoke, so can’t be used for their indoor grills.

Huynh said they still plan to serve grilled skewers as specials when they can. “We still possess the skill and knowhow, it’s just not feasible as a business model.”

The restaurant is also abandoning the izakaya concept. Izakayas are Japanese gastro pubs where people gather after work for drinks – and snacks like yakitori.

“We were not a to-go restaurant, we were not designed for that,” Huynh said.

But they adapted. Today, patrons order food and drinks at the front counter, instead of with a server. They wait in a line that wraps around the restaurant’s beautiful bar – one that still offers a large selection of premium Japanese sake, whisky and beer.

Huynh wasn’t sure the restaurant was going to make it through 2021. He started the pandemic with a staff of 27. “Now I have nine.”

The costs are still high but it’s hard to pass that on and keep the clientele, mostly UC Davis students. And just as business started picking up, the “summer doldrums,” began, with some students leaving town.

“We’re doing the best we can with what we have,” he said.

No matter what the name, the restaurant has become a staple in my household. I love the donburi bowls, especially the vegetarian Brussels Vegetable Donburi. My family members love the ramen, Maze-men (ramen with dressing instead of broth), noodle stir-fry dishes and specials. Visit its new website at https://www.yuchanshokudo.com/. Check Facebook for its daily menu.

It looks like there’s finally a tenant to fill the former Our House restaurant at 808 Second St. The space has been vacant since the restaurant closed in September 2019.

On June 16, the Chinese restaurant Tim’s Kitchen closed its small eatery at 516 Second St., Suite B. A sign on its old door says it will open at 808 Second St. on July 1. That seems optimistic.

Tim’s Kitchen is not to be confused with Tim’s Hawaiian BBQ next door, which has the same street address – minus the suite number. (I bet delivery drivers are especially grateful for the move.)

To further confuse things, Tim’s Kitchen kept the awning for the previous tenant, Sweet Honey Desserts, which specialized in Asian desserts. That might be why I never noticed that the dessert shop closed, or that Tim’s opened.

According to its website, https://www.timskitchendavis.com/, Tim’s Kitchen is known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes. Some of its offerings are rice or spaghetti plates with baked or stir-fried chicken, pork chops, vegetables or prawns, served in black pepper, tomato, Portuguese or cream sauce. Appetizers include egg rolls, potstickers and chicken wings, popcorn chicken, beef shank, tofu, pigeon and pig stomach. It also offers specialty teas.

I’ll have an update when I learn more.

Bite Feast opened June 19 at 225 G St. The boba tea and snack shop is under the same ownership as Cajun Feast, an Asian/Cajun eatery at 206 Third St., which debuted in January 2020.

Menu items include bubble waffles, waffle burgers, chicken patties with turmeric rice, ginger chicken with turmeric rice, and specialty milk and fruit tea drinks.

During its soft opening, the hours are 3 to 10 p.m. daily. Visit https://www.bite-feast.com/.

Work is underway at the future Dunloe Brewing taproom coming to 610 Third St. Brennan Fleming, the owner, brewer and chief handyman, said he hopes to have it open sometime in July.

The brewery is at 1606 Olive Drive. Dunloe will still serve beer at the brewery once the downtown space opens. The change will allow the brewing operation to expand, while exposing more people to its excellent beer.

I was overly optimistic last week when I mentioned a pending lease for the former Village Pizza & Grill space at 403 G St. Reports are that the prospective tenant backed out.

The new Club Pilates coming to The Marketplace plans a soft opening on June 30 and a grand opening on July 5. It’s at 1361 W. Covell Blvd. in the former GNC spot next to Jamba Juice.

Visit https://www.clubpilates.com/location/davis for details.

Wayback Burgers is still expecting an October opening in The Marketplace, at 1351 W. Covell Blvd., Suite A.

The Connecticut-based company has 166 restaurants in 35 states. The menu features burgers, cheesesteaks, sandwiches, chicken tenders, salads, sides and milkshakes.

I am taking the next week off. Comings & Goings should be back for the July 10 paper.

I keep track of Davis businesses on my Google spreadsheet, which includes more than 325 Davis businesses affected by COVID-19. It’s at https://bit.ly/DavisBusinesses. Email me (address below) to suggest updates.

— Wendy Weitzel is a Davis writer and editor. Her column runs on Sundays. Check for frequent updates on her Comings & Goings Facebook and Instagram pages. If you know of a business coming or going in the area, contact her at wendyedit@gmail.com.