There’s something fishy on F Street

Davis fish enthusiasts will be happy to hear we’ll soon have a full-service aquarium store again.

Rivers to Reef owners James Krause and Norm Ponferrada hope to have it open as soon as Wednesday, with a grand opening event planned for November. The store is at 333 F St., Suite B – Spa Central’s home before it moved to E Street Plaza.

If you peek inside, you’ll see they’ve already set up and stocked a 600-gallon freshwater tank in the main area. The store will feature 100 fish tanks in five rooms ­— one of them saltwater. The saltwater tanks will come in the weeks ahead.

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

“Tuesdays we open a little later so that we can go to our wholesalers and hand-pick some of the fish we bring in to ensure quality,” Krause said.

Krause graduated in 2006 from UC Davis, where he earned a biology degree with a marine emphasis. His minor is in aquaculture. Ponferrada is a 2007 graduate in fish physiology.

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Davis’ Dairy Queen will serve its soft serve for a bit longer. The company gave the Davis store a six-month extension on more than $50,000 in cosmetic and accessibility improvements required for the site.

A manager confirmed Thursday that owner Shahid Iqbal is working with the landlord to try to meet the standards set by the Americans with Disability Act. Meanwhile, a for-lease sign is posted in the driveway of the restaurant at 909 Fifth St.

Iqbal has owned the store for 15 years but he said it’s been in Davis for 50 or 60 years, making it one of Davis’ oldest fast-food eateries.

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A new food truck, the Fusion Fresh Café, opened Monday outside the UC Davis Mondavi Center.

The truck will be available Mondays through Fridays, early mornings to late afternoons, to serve hungry students, campus employees and visitors. It services a new courtyard next to the performing arts center and features umbrella tables. It will stay open late on concert nights and be available during new outdoor concerts.

Sodexo, which runs the dining commons, the Gunrock Pub and other campus food services, operates the truck, a campus news release said. The menu includes pancakes; breakfast burritos and pastries; chicken cheese steak; and chicken, lamb and beef kabobs; plus quesadillas, tacos and spring rolls.

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Whole Foods Market will open with a “bread-breaking” ceremony at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24. The new natural foods store fills the former Borders space at 500 First St. in Davis Commons.

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As I reported last month, the McDonald’s Express at 640 W. Covell Blvd. will close on Thursday, Oct. 25. The restaurant opened in June 1994. Davis’ other McDonald’s, at 4444 Chiles Road in South Davis, will remain open.

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Raley’s changed course on its plans to close the Bel Air grocery store at 1885 E. Gibson Road in Woodland. Now only its pharmacy will close.

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Peak Performance Health Club changed hands on Oct. 4. The new owner is Nick Walejeski.

Walejeski, the club’s third owner, is also a personal trainer, outdoor boot camp instructor and triathlon coach, he said. The health club is at 2795 Second St.

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Gold Town Chinese Restaurant, at 1601 Research Drive, was recently renovated and reopened with a new staff and menu.

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Graphic Gold, a longtime design and publishing business, closed its doors. Jeanne Pietrzak owned the business in the 400 block of F Street for 30 years. Pietrzak said she needs time to care for an ill family member. “We’ve loved being in the downtown all these years, and making the decision to close our doors was a tough one.”

She has seen a lot of changes in the downtown in those years, she said. She thanked her customers, and fellow business owners involved in Davis Chamber of Commerce and Davis Downown committees.

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International Bistro will soon fill the spot at 213 E St. Suite A, where Luigi’s recently closed. It will feature cuisine from all over the world, owner Maya Sherpa said. Durga Dahal, former owner of Katmandu Kitchen and Bombay Dreams, is helping Sherpa. She didn’t have a timeline on when it would open.

It will offer a wider variety in its menu, including sandwiches, Italian and Thai dishes, and coffee from Nepal. It will be open for three meals a day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The basement floor will be available for private parties and entertainment, Sherpa said.

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Taqueria El Burrito is still under construction in the former Great Wall of China II space at 223 F St., in the E Street Plaza.

The Mexican food restaurant is affiliated with two others in Natomas and Sacramento. The Davis store will be similar to the Natomas one, which features authentic Mexican food.

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El Toro Bravo Mexican Kitchen won’t be open by mid-October, as anticipated. Work is still under way on the former Baja Fresh spot at 237 D St.

The food will be a Mexican fusion style and is under the same ownership as Burgers & Brew and Crepeville.

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Also under construction is University of Beer, a beer shop in the corner space next to Panera Bread at 615 Third St., at F Street.

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Western Feed and Pet Supply could open in early November at 407 G St., next to Village Pizza & Grill. There are five such locations in Sacramento, selling products for small and large animals. Visit westernfeedonline.com for more information.

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AMD Medical Supply opened this summer at 1260 Lake Blvd. in Westlake Plaza. It sells, rents and delivers medical supplies. For more information, visit its website at www.amdmedsupply.com.

— Wendy Weitzel is a Davis resident. Her column runs occasionally on Sundays, but her Comings & Goings Facebook page has more frequent updates. If you know about a business coming or going in the area, contact Wendy at wendyedit@gmail.com.

Wendy Weitzel

Wendy Weitzel is a longtime journalist and Davis resident. She is a former managing editor of The Davis Enterprise, working there from 1998-2008. She has written her Comings & Goings business column since 2001. Today, she does freelance writing, editing, marketing and design.

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