Davis lost one of its yoga studios on July 17 when Kaya Yoga closed.
Kaya has been in Davis for 16 years, but owner Kia Meaux said, “The in-person business model just isn’t sustainable anymore.”
After struggling during the pandemic, Kaya Yoga moved in November 2020 from its Fourth and E streets studio to one at 1403 Fifth St. The new space was less than half the size of the downtown one, with lower rent and dedicated parking. Before it was downtown, Kaya had a studio at 1505 Fifth St., Suite D, the current home of Hot Yoga Davis.
In announcing the closure, Meaux said she “will continue to teach online, and people can get all the information from my website Kayayoga.com. I will also be teaching an in-person yoga workshop one weekend a month for the foreseeable future.”
Kaya’s video library of recorded classes is available free through Aug. 8. Meanwhile, Meaux offers live online vinyasa yoga classes for free on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The last ones are from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. on July 26 and 28, and Aug. 2 and 4. If you’ve never taken a class from her, you’re in for a treat.
Participants must register through the studio’s Mindbody platform. Clients will be notified by email about how to access online classes after Aug. 8, when the Mindbody contract expires.
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A coffee house will fill the former La Piñata restaurant space at 305 First St.
Work is underway inside the future Frenzy Coffee Co. The cafe has a website under construction – https://www.frenzycoffee.com/ — saying it’s coming soon. I will let you know when I learn more.
La Piñata closed in 2020. Though downtown has more than its share of coffee shops, this concept may be a better fit for the location, which has seen a lot of restaurant turnover. To me, the best of the lot was Pistachios, a restaurant and bar that was there in the late 1980s.
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Mochinut planned a soft opening Saturday, July 23, at 516 Second St. The spot will also feature T% Coffee + Tea. I have not confirmed that T% will open that day as well.
Mochinut sells mochi doughnuts, Korean rice flour hot dogs, and tea drinks. The doughnuts are made with rice flour, which makes them stretchy and chewy. The menu for T% has tea (including ceremonial matcha), coffee, fruit drinks and smoothies.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays through Mondays.
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It appears Local Kitchens didn’t open on Thursday as it previously announced. Its Google page said it will open on Monday. I reached out to the company’s public relations firm to confirm but did not immediately hear back.
The micro food hall fills the former Pluto’s space in Davis Commons, 500 First St.
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Dunloe Brewing is working through the inspection process for its downtown taproom, owner and brewer Brennan Fleming said Thursday. He said things were coming together quickly. It’s at 610 Third St.
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What are my readers’ top two FAQs? When will the replacements for Bistro 33 and Konditorei Austrian Pastry Cafe open?
Mamma is a pasta and pizza restaurant and Italian market filling the former Bistro 33 and City Hall Tavern sites at Third and F streets. It’s been on track to open in August, but I didn’t get confirmation this week. Co-owner Michael Galyen told me on July 14 that they were awaiting permits.
Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie is more of an unknown. Owner Esther Son, who purchased the Konditorei property at 2710 Fifth St., has not returned my messages since we first spoke in February.
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As colleague Anne Ternus-Bellamy reported, The Smart Axe recently got the city’s OK to serve beer. The Davis Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit on July 13, allowing the business to apply to the state Department of Alcohol Beverage Control for a license to sell beer.
The ax-throwing entertainment venue is at 720 Olive Drive, Suite U2. Several other Smart Axe locations in the region serve alcohol, and dub themselves “ax-throwing pubs.” Patrons rent the three-sided cages for 75 minutes at a time. Owner Doug Link said the time restriction helps limit beer consumption.
A notice of the ABC application must be posted for at least 30 days before the application is processed. It often takes another couple of months for state approval.
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Marshalls is opening its new Woodland store soon. It plans a grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 2125 Bronze Star Drive, in the Woodland Gateway shopping center. It’s relocating from 45 West Main St.
The new, 22,000-square-foot store is one of more than 1,100 operated by the off-price retailer in 48 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico. Marshalls sells brand name merchandise for women, men, juniors, children, pets and the home, as well as shoes, accessories and beauty supplies.
Hours for the Aug. 4. grand opening will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Regular hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
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A Mexican ice cream shop opened in Woodland in March. La Michoacana Plus is at 64 W. Court St.
It sells mangoladas, fruit and cream pops, ice cream and ices, aguas frescas, and many traditional Mexican street food snacks. The franchised brand has dozens of neon-colored stores, mostly in California, with a few in Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
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The owners of the Buckhorn brand recently purchased Manas Ranch Custom Meats in Capay Valley. The meat-processing shop, which closed this year, was at 26797 State Highway 16 in Esparto.
The Sacramento Business Journal reports that Manas is one of the few cattle butchers in Northern California. Reporter Mark Anderson said most local beef is processed out of state, meaning it can’t be labeled as local. And with supply-chain disruptions, large operations like the Winters-based steakhouse brand may be looking at handling some themselves.
The property was sold for $2 million to John Pickerel and Melanie Bajakian, owners of Buckhorn Steakhouse, Buckhorn Grill, Putah Creek Cafe and more. Corporate executive chef Bret Constantino told the Business Journal that plans have not been finalized for the Esparto property.
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I keep track of Davis businesses on my Google spreadsheet, which includes more than 325 Davis businesses affected by COVID-19, as well as ones on the way. 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 [email protected].