Pier 50 Sushi and Fukumi Chaya x Momo Katsu fill the former Mamma space at 226 F St.

At the corner of Third and F streets, Pier 50 Sushi fills the Third Street side, and offers made-to-order, all-you-can-eat sushi. Fukumi Chaya x Momo Katsu, a Hakata-style ramen and katsu restaurant, is based out of the F Street portion of the building. The company’s social media pages say it will open at 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

Though the 2,500-square-foot outdoor patio has been cleaned up, the restaurant’s owners do not plan to use it for outdoor dining at this time. The spot was widely considered the best outdoor dining space in town.

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“For half a century, we have been honored to grow up with the Davis community and share so many unforgettable moments,” Kay Zhu wrote on Nextdoor.

It’s at 640 W. Covell Blvd., in Anderson Plaza, and is typically open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

→ Shorter schedule: Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine has abbreviated hours this summer, owner Samir Abughannam confirmed.

It’s open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays until the UC Davis students return in mid-September. Sam’s is at 301 B St. in downtown Davis. Regular hours are typically till 7:30, including on Saturdays.

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The chain has two locations in San Jose, one in Berkeley and one in Gilroy. At least one more is planned, in San Diego.

It specializes in smashburgers, which you can order by the dozen, if desired. There’s also fries, shakes and sodas. And its eateries are often open until midnight.

From the looks of the burgers, it doesn’t seem like they will be winning any Davis Burger Battle contests. Two doors down is the popular Tommy J’s Grill, which is my favorite. For smashburgers, it’s Outpost Burger at 330 G St. But they will be popular with students and penny pinchers for sure.

Prices are $1.99 for a plain burger (all come with grilled onions and campus sauce), $2.99 for cheeseburgers, and $3.99 for double cheeseburgers. Sodas are $2.99, shakes are $4.99, and fries will set you back $5.99. One option is a five-patty cheeseburger for $10.99. That gives me heartburn just thinking about it.

You can order a box of a dozen burgers, or several dozen for a party.

→ New owner: In April, I wrote about a fundraiser for the owners of The Paint Chip. Maia Sturges has been dealing with medical expenses from brain cancer treatment. She and her husband Brian have owned the store since 2006.

This month, the store changed hands, back to its founder and the building’s owner, Clint Winger. Winger said the store was on the brink of closing as the family juggled care for Maia.

In 1986, Winger opened the store around the corner, on Third Street, where Zia’s Delicatessen and Manna Korean BBQ are today. It sold Benjamin Moore Paints then. A few years later, he moved it to its current 4,500-square-foot spot at 217 F St., and changed the concept to a craft and custom framing shop.

He’s been working hard to build up inventory for back-to-school needs and the upcoming holidays. The previous owners were having difficulty keeping the store well-stocked.

“My plan is to revitalize the entire store, especially the retail side,” Winger said. (Its framing service has always done well.) He’s adding some new items, like a wide selection of balloons for special occasions.

Winger, who turns 70 next month and lives 3.5 hours north in Weed, wasn’t planning to run the Paint Chip again. But he knows how important it is to the community. He has nine great employees who keep the business going, including his daughter and son-in-law, who recently moved their young family to Davis from Texas.

“It’s not going anywhere,” he said, noting that it’s open seven days a week. “It’s been one of the main questions from customers, with the stock getting so low.”

→ Back to the grind: In March 2025, I wrote about Davis’ 30-plus-year-old skate park getting revamped. Well, it’s almost ready.

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The cafe at 112 B St. was a draw for UC Davis students because of its proximity to campus.

Its last day of business was Friday. I got word of this a couple of days ago but Walthall asked me to hold off publishing so he could notify his landlord. Today, he sent the me the following statement to the community, which he also posted on social media.

“Delta of Venus has closed its doors after an incredible 33-year run of food, drink, music, art and friendship.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to build community with you all. From the first moments to the last, it has been an amazing, magical ride.

“Delta of Venus has always been about the people who come together and share this space. Thank you all so much for filling our lives with love, laughter and memories that will last forever.

“Love you all!”

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Nancy Storm, whose mother-in-law Noni Storm founded the furniture store in 1978, messaged me on Wednesday, saying they have officially closed Design House but plan an “Everything-Must-Go Barn Sale,” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7-12. The property is at 1015 Olive Drive, at the Richards Boulevard intersection. Noni died in 2023.

Todd Storm said his mom’s store started at First and F streets as BAD Goods, where the Regal Davis theater is today. Then it moved to 222 D St., home now to Mabel’s Market.

In 1984, she bought the lot of the former Campus Chevrolet at 1015 Olive Drive, and changed the business name to Design House Furniture Galleries.

“She had an incredible eye for design, and an excellent business acumen,” he said. “Closing the store and selling the property feels like the end of an era. It’s been an honor to … carry on my parents’ legacy all these years in the town I grew up in.”

Todd’s window-covering business, The Perfect Window, remains open at the location. (Meanwhile, Barefoot Yoga found a new home at 1260 Lake Blvd., Suite 106.)

In late June, the real estate company Pilot Midtown of Carmichael purchased the Design House property for $3.1 million. The Pilot Midtown agent, Kirk Khasigian, is also listed as the agent for a neighboring property at 1021 Olive Drive, which is slated for affordable housing.

Pilot Midtown has the property listed for a two-year lease. I left a message early today for Khasigian, hoping to learn more. The 16,000-square-foot industrial/retail space is available starting Oct. 1. The lot is 0.87 acres.

According to the proposal, the 88-unit adjacent project at 1021 Olive would consist of studio and one-bedroom apartments. Fourteen of those would have affordable rents and the remainder would be for affordable to moderate-income households.

All that said, it looks like the Design House property could eventually becoming housing too.

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A franchise of the sandwich chain will fill a space next to Round Table Pizza. Jersey Mike’s website lists the address as 4551, which is the pad near the center’s entrance. I haven’t confirmed if it’s Suite 120 (the former Bank of America financial center), or a smaller, unmarked one next to it. I left messages with the sub chain and Gallelli Real Estate to confirm. Typical Jersey Mike’s shops run 1,200 to 2,000 square feet.

The company is one of the fastest-growing fast-casual restaurant chains in America. It ranks No .1 on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500.

Jersey Mike’s has more than 3,400 eateries in the U.S. and Canada, and this year announced an expansion into the European market, with plans to open 400 stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Its menu includes hot and cold submarine sandwiches, with sides like chips, cookies and brownies. Its most popular sub is The Original Italian, featuring provolone cheese, ham, prosciuttini (Italian peppered ham), cappacuolo (Italian dry-cured pork), salami and pepperoni. Most sandwiches come with onion, lettuce and tomato, plus a blend of red wine vinegar and olive oil, oregano and salt.

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The Good Scoop, a gourmet ice cream shop founded in Davis in 2016, is returning. Owner Steve Clossick is leasing the former Zumapoke space at 730 Third St.

The brand made its debut in Davis in 2016, at 130 G St., Suite C. Citing rising rent, it moved to Dixon in 2019, and has been there since, at 1160 Pitt School Road.

“We are very excited to come back to Davis,” Clossick said via email. “This has been in the works for a while. We have been waiting for the ideal space.” (Zumapoke closed in January.)

Clossick said they never intended to leave Davis. He and the founders – brother and sister Stephen and Marnie Layton – all lived in town. The siblings have since moved, and Clossick is now the majority owner.

They make all their own ice cream. The Dixon store was meant to be an additional location, with a larger clean room, allowing them to expand into wholesale sales. COVID slowed that process, and halted any Davis plans. Today, they sell their ice cream at Ikeda’s markets, the Davis Food Co-op, Taylor’s Market in Sacramento, the Dixon Fruit Market, Bangkok Cafe in Dixon, Guinda Corner Store, and Journey Coffees in Vacaville and Fairfield.

They just took possession of the Zumapoke space, with work starting this month. It’s too early to guess on an opening date but he’s hoping by the end of the year. When it does open, hours are typically noon to 8 p.m. in the winter, and closing at 10 or 11 p.m. in the summer.

“We will still be primarily an ice cream shop but will have other sweet offerings,” he said. “We are looking into different options with regards to fudge, caramel apples, local sodas, and partnering with other sweet shops.”

The Good Scoop uses all natural and mostly local ingredients to make ice cream in 1.5-gallon batches. It highlights seasonal flavors, and always offers a couple of plant-based, dairy-free alternatives. Though its selection varies by month, its website lists the following flavors: strawberry, vanilla, cinilla (cinnamon-vanilla), rocky road brownie, pistachio, Cookie Monster, coffee, coffee and cookies, mint cookie, peach, sweet cream, ube brownie, horchata, birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, cookies and cream, and two dairy-free sorbets: vanilla bean and chocolate brownie.

He said they hope to be home to events, parties, meetings and other community activities. “Davis is a special community, and we want to serve and partner with as many people and organizations as possible.”

→ Sole survivor: A reminder that our town’s last dedicated shoe store, Sole Desire, remains open at 801 Second St. Its space has been listed as available for lease for months, but its employees insist it’s not going anywhere.

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The brand made its debut in Davis in 2016, at 130 G St., Suite C. Citing rising rent, it moved to Dixon in 2019, and has been there since, at 1160 Pitt School Road.

“We are very excited to come back to Davis,” Clossick said via email. “This has been in the works for a while. We have been waiting for the ideal space.” (Zumapoke closed in January.)

Clossick said they never intended to leave Davis. He and the founders – brother and sister Stephen and Marnie Layton – all lived in town. The siblings have since moved, and Clossick is now the majority owner.

They make all their own ice cream. The Dixon store was meant to be an additional location, with a larger clean room, allowing them to expand into wholesale sales. COVID slowed that process, and halted any Davis plans. Today, they sell their ice cream at Ikeda’s markets, the Davis Food Co-op, Taylor’s Market in Sacramento, the Dixon Fruit Market, Bangkok Cafe in Dixon, Guinda Corner Store, and Journey Coffees in Vacaville and Fairfield.

They just took possession of the Zumapoke space, with work starting this month. It’s too early to guess on an opening date but he’s hoping by the end of the year. When it does open, hours are typically noon to 8 p.m. in the winter, and closing at 10 or 11 p.m. in the summer.

“We will still be primarily an ice cream shop but will have other sweet offerings,” he said. “We are looking into different options with regards to fudge, caramel apples, local sodas, and partnering with other sweet shops.”

The Good Scoop uses all natural and mostly local ingredients to make ice cream in 1.5-gallon batches. It highlights seasonal flavors, and always offers a couple of plant-based, dairy-free alternatives. Though its selection varies by month, its website lists the following flavors: strawberry, vanilla, cinilla (cinnamon-vanilla), rocky road brownie, pistachio, Cookie Monster, coffee, coffee and cookies, mint cookie, peach, sweet cream, ube brownie, horchata, birthday cake, strawberry shortcake, cookies and cream, and two dairy-free sorbets: vanilla bean and chocolate brownie.

He said they hope to be home to events, parties, meetings and other community activities. “Davis is a special community, and we want to serve and partner with as many people and organizations as possible.”

→ Sole survivor: A reminder that our town’s last dedicated shoe store, Sole Desire, remains open at 801 Second St. Its space has been listed as available for lease for months, but its employees insist it’s not going anywhere.

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Owner Christopher Fairman’s husband, Jake De La Hoya, reached out to me with the news. But I still had questions for Fairman. Today, I have his answers. He hopes to have it open as soon as mid-September.

Question: Can you give me more information about the food you plan to serve? Some examples of menu items?

Answer: The menu is inspired by my favorite meals, my travels and the people who have shaped my life. We’ll be serving sandwiches, salads, shareable appetizers, rotating daily specials and weekend brunch.

Every menu item has a story behind it. For example, one of our sandwiches, Le Patrice, is named after my mom. It’s a smoked salmon sandwich with crème fraîche, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli and balsamic reduction on a baguette. It reminds me of going to La Bonne Soupe Café in Sacramento with my mom when I was younger. Those memories inspired the sandwich.

We’ll also have plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. One of my favorite sandwiches is a tofu sandwich inspired by a trip to Portland. I’m not vegetarian or vegan myself, but I find myself eating that way surprisingly often because I genuinely enjoy those kinds of dishes.

Ultimately, I want there to be something for everyone.

Q: Will it be counter or table service?

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Now I have news on what will replace the downtown Davis restaurant at 113 D St.

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On Tuesday, the store at 1790 E. Eighth St. had a sign on the door saying it was closed temporarily for a family emergency. Someone was seen packing up boxes. On Wednesday, an eviction notice appeared on the storefront.

Owner Brian Roy purchased the store from Melissa Showalter in June 2024. It specializes in tabletop games, and hosts in-house events for games like Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

When I reached Roy by email, he confirmed the news. “We are hoping to find another location but for the moment, we will be closed and at most possibly fulfilling online orders.”

Comings & Goings acquired a copy of a notice Roy posted to staff Thursday morning on the private Davis Cards & Games Discord server.

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As I’ve reported, it’s filling the former Black Bear Diner space at 255 Second St. Umnartyutithum and his two partners are excited about the 4,300-square-foot space – more than twice what they had at Cindy’s.

The diner operated from 1973 to 2022 at 4823 Chiles Road. In its latter years, it was serving Thai food along with American diner favorites. Butter & Basil’s concept is similar but it’s a nicer, larger space with room for more offerings.

“I always intended to go back to Davis,” he said. He was holding out for a place with a parking lot.

The 61-year-old native of Thailand said he’s excited to bring his American and Thai cooking back to town. He still operates a Thai restaurant, Thai Terrace, in Sacramento.

“You cannot find old style cooking anymore.” He said much of the food served at chain diners is precooked and reheated, and the gravy is made from a powder.

“No one does biscuits and gravy from scratch anymore, but that’s what we do at Cindy’s, everything from scratch. Our customers can tell the difference.”

(He still calls it Cindy’s even though he came up with the great new name, Butter & Basil, which spotlights key ingredients in American and Thai cooking.)

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It’s a soft opening. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

This is the company’s second cafe. Owners Rob Watson and Ryan Harden founded Camellia Coffee in 2016, at 1200 R St., Suite 120 in downtown Sacramento. They also have a private production space off Broadway in Sacramento.

The Sacramento cafe is also open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Harden said Davis hours may change based on demand.

The company is known for its quality and consistency, Harden said. “Breakfast sandwiches are made to order, and our coffee is unique to us.”

Besides traditional coffee drinks, the Davis cafe offers bagels with optional avocado, Ginger Elizabeth jam or “hooked-up”: with scallion-dill cream cheese and smoked salmon. The two-egg omelet breakfast sandwiches are made on a brioche bun with cheese, scallions and cholula aioli with bacon, sausage, veggies or a combination thereof, and optional avocado.

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Last month, I announced the former owner of Cindy’s Kow Thai had signed a lease for the old Black Bear Diner spot at 255 Second St. in Davis. Now, we know what it will be called: Butter & Basil.

“A new name, the same warm hospitality, and delicious food you know and love,” owner Jerry Umnartyutithum said in a social media post. “We are planning to open in early September, and can’t wait to welcome everyone back.”

It said it will serve “delicious, traditional-style cooking,” featuring classic breakfasts, juicy burgers, fresh sandwiches, homemade pies, delicious cakes, premium coffee, and authentic Thai food.

The new location is 4,300 square feet, more than twice the size of the former Cindy’s, which operated from 1973 to 2022 at 4823 Chiles Road. It was a regular diner for the bulk of its existence. In its later years, under Umnartyutithum’s ownership, it changed into a Thai restaurant in the evenings. That 2,100-square-foot building was torn down to make way for a Chipotle, which could open as soon as this month.

He operates another Thai eatery, Thai Terrace, at 1596 Howe Ave. in Sacramento. Some former Davis regulars make the trip to eat there.

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“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all your support over the years,” he said. “Your encouragement has made this new chapter possible, and we look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new friends very soon.”

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Work started June 28 on the former Ace Hardware housewares building at 240 G St. It’s being turned into a mixed-use site with retail on the ground floor and apartments above.

My business column covers housing developments only if a retail project is being replaced or added. This one, and The Lumberyard project I write about next, checks both boxes.

The 22,000-square-foot building will be replaced with a six-story one with about 139,000 square feet. Plans call for ground-floor commercial spaces with six live/work units, and 120 apartments in five levels of residential above. Six units are designated as affordable housing – one per floor. There will be one level of underground parking for 80 cars – some of them stacked with a mechanical parking system. The flats would be a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units.

In a social media post, the city wrote: “Starting June 28, builders will perform some work inside the building as well as removing sections of the roof, and will lend the vacant building out to the Davis Fire Department for some drills the week of July 20.” Demolition is scheduled to begin the week of July 28 and continue for 60 workdays.

During the demo, the sidewalk along the property on Third Street and the alley behind Woodstock’s Pizza will be closed to pedestrians for about 10 days. For safety, parking spaces around the property will be reduced, too, but portions of the G Street lot will remain open.

The developer is 240 G Partners LLC of Oakland. To read more about the project, visit this page on the city’s website.

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The Davis Cindy’s opened in 1973 at 4823 Chiles Road. The American diner franchise changed hands a couple of times. When it closed in 2022, it was operating as a morning diner and evening Thai restaurant called Cindy’s Kow Thai. The owner continues to operate a Thai eatery, Thai Terrace, at 1596 Howe Ave. in Sacramento. A lot of Davis fans make the trip.

Last year, the old Cindy’s building was demolished for a Chipotle. I have an update on that project later in this column.

Umnartyutithum called me last week, excitedly sharing the news: “Cindy’s is back!” But the lease wasn’t official. Black Bear still needed to terminate its lease, and the Cindy’s owner had to sign his. Late Monday, broker Steve Boschken of Boschken Properties confirmed that those were done.

Boschken reached out to Umnartyutithum after reading Comings & Goings. “Thank you for connecting Jerry and me, He is such a wonderful person,” Boschken said today. “We are thrilled to have him back in Davis.”

The new eatery is not going to be the same as Cindy’s.

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Another Sacramento coffee company is expanding to Davis. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters has a lease for the last remaining space in The Davis Collection.

I’ve been noting for a while that the new shopping center needed a coffee house to round out its offerings. The Davis Collection replaced University Mall on Russell Boulevard in Davis, between Sycamore Lane and Anderson Road.

Sacramento-based Chocolate Fish has locations at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento, on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento, on Freeport Boulevard in Land Park, and one on Blue Ravine Road in Folsom. It also has two kiosks in Terminal B of Sacramento International Airport.

It is the second Sacramento coffee company recently to announce plans to come to Davis. I have an update on Camellia Coffee below, along with more information about Chocolate Fish.

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As I’ve reported, the Sacramento area restaurant group Fukumi will operate two separate restaurants there: Pier 50 Sushi and Fukumi Chaya x Momo Katsu. Pier 50 Sushi will fill the Third Street side and offer made-to-order, all-you-can-eat sushi. Fukumi Chaya x Momo Katsu, a ramen and katsu restaurant, will be based out of the F Street portion of the building.

Now, I have news on the hopeful timing of the openings, and whether the patio plays a part.

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Co-owner Trent Yackzan released a statement today, in response to my queries: “As the way people enjoy beer continues to change, we have chosen to focus our efforts through our restaurant, events and community partnerships, while pausing broad distribution.”

He said Sudwerk beer “remains available at our restaurant and select local partners, while our restaurant continues to host guests, banquets, live music and community events. This shift allows us to focus on smaller-batch brewing and stay closely connected to the customers we serve.”

He said People’s Pilsner and Gunrock IPA are still being canned, with other beers released seasonally. Sudwerk is still available on tap at some Davis-area bars and restaurants.

The restaurant is at 2001 Second St. Its tap list carries some Sudwerk beers but has increasingly relied on “guest taps” – though those have been a staple since the eatery opened in April 2023. In its May 27 email newsletter, it listed just a few of its own brews: People’s Pilsner served as a traditional or side pour, Werk Lite Lager, Overgrowth Double IPA, and Life is Hard Seltzer-Grapefruit.

It’s still brewing out of the two iconic copper kettles in the restaurant. For the first time, the UC Davis Iron Brew-winning beer – an annual competition among brewing students – was brewed at Dunloe Brewing in Davis. The May 27 Sudwerk email newsletter attributed this to “part of a new effort to rotate production of the winning recipe among local Davis breweries, highlighting the strong ties between the UC Davis brewing program and the local brewing community.”

Sudwerk opened in 1989 and had an onsite brewpub. The restaurant closed in 2016. At one point, it was doing contract brews for several other breweries.

Now, it’s no longer distributing its beer. Its distributor, Donaghy Sales, is reportedly out of Sudwerk products. And a quick survey of local stores show Sudwerk products are out of stock. That includes the Nugget Markets in East Davis and Woodland, the South Davis Safeway, and the Woodland Bel Air.

When the restaurant reopened in 2023, it was the culmination of a major investment that included a renovated kitchen, eatery, bathrooms and meeting rooms, and a 3,500-square-foot beer garden. Although more ambitious at first, hours at the restaurant are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays, noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Sudwerk has won numerous awards for its beers, including back-to-back golds at the esteemed Great American Beer Festival in 2021 and 2022 for its People’s Pilsner. In 2021, it was named Brewer and Brewery of the year in the 5,001 to 15,000 barrels category at the GABF.

“We’re proud of our legacy and grateful for the support we’ve received along the way,” Yackzan said.

He said they are also “grateful for the support of our employees, customers and community throughout our history, and for being part of the Sudwerk story.”

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→ A note to subscribers: I want to thank you again for your support of Comings & Goings. As I enter my third year on Substack, many of you are renewing your subscriptions. You help keep this column ad-free. I charge the minimum allowed by Substack but I know that $5 a month or $50 a year is not minimal to you. I will not let you down.

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The soft opening started at noon on Friday, offering only its Staxx Bread (Spanish sweet rolls). A grand opening is set for noon on Saturday, where it should have a wider selection of its typical offerings.

Its menu includes raised, cake, French cruller, mochi and ube doughnuts; Kronuts (its name for a croissant/doughnut cross); and ube Staxx Bread. The doughnuts and Kronuts come with a wide variety of flavored icings and toppings. Check out its menu here.

BAD Bakers is at 2021 Bronze Star Drive, Suite 400, in a spot last occupied by Subway. BAD is an acronym for bread and doughnuts.

→ Climbing soon: The climbing gym The Stack Climbing + Fitness is almost ready to open. Management had hoped to open it this weekend but it’s waiting for final city approval.

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