BOUNCING BOUNCING OUNCING BACK SUCCESS
Secrets of
De Vere’s Irish Pub, welcome home, again Left, Brooke Lewis, waitress, carries a tray full of drinks from the bar at de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis, on Sunday, July 25. Below, Manager Kerry Smith puts finishing touches on plated food while Head Chef Anthony Grant checks food preparation during the lunch rush in the kitchen. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ ENTERPRISE PHOTO
BY LAUREN KEENE Enterprise staff writer Henry de Vere White is ready to welcome people home again. “Home,” in this case, is De Vere’s Irish Pub, the popular gathering spot at 217 E St. that fully shuttered for nearly nine months during the Covid-19 pandemic. It launched a soft opening in early June. “We’re just trying not to bombard our staff, and give people the chance to make the space their own,” de Vere White, the pub’s owner, said of his newly hired employees, many of whom are new to the restaurant scene. It was a scene struck hard in 2020, particularly in the early days as eateries that no longer could serve customers indoors scrambled for backup plans. De Vere’s shut down in mid-March as coronavirus tightened its grip across the country. It reopened on Fridays and Saturdays in May 2020 to offer curbside service, followed by the creation of an expanded patio in June for drinks and takeout meals. Poor air quality from regional wildfires, however, put a damper on
keep the location afloat through rent forgiveness and other measures that de Vere White called one of the keys to the pub’s success — along with community support and managers and staff who “helped us to creatively navigate Covid’s ups and downs.” Today, the newest challenge is fully
SEE WELCOME, PAGE B4
Open: Burma Eat is one of the popular new restaurants that opened since the pandemic began.
Want your favorite stores and restaurants to survive? Stay local
E
very Sunday, I offer insight on businesses changes in the area. Is that restaurant closed? Why? What will take its place? These are questions I asked 20 years ago as managing editor of The Enterprise. I continue today because we’re all still curious, and these small, independent businesses need our support. We’re lucky in Davis to have a thriving downtown and residents who understand the importance of shopping locally. This column would not be possible in Roseville, which is filled with chain retailers. I can call a landlord or merchant and they’ll probably talk to me. When I try to contact most large companies about one of their stores, I’m lucky if I get a canned response a week later, with an unusable quote full of corporate speak. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, tracking local business Comings & Goings became extra challenging. I started a public spreadsheet (link below) so I could remember the last time I checked on a business, and where I found the information. Sixteen months later, more than two dozen businesses have closed for good. There’s no doubt that list will grow, as stimulus funds wane. Many merchants and restaurant owners hang hopes on the fall, when UC Davis students return to in-person classes. That September influx is crucial this year both as an economic driver and to boost the available employment pool. Below, I’ve compiled lists of Davis businesses that have closed or opened in the last 16 months, as well as ones that are coming soon. You can do your part by continuing to support small and local businesses, and avoiding delivery apps that pinch profits from proprietors.
Gone for good Too many Davis restaurants permanently closed since the pandemic began: Barista Brew, Bistro 33, BurgerIM, Chickpeas Kitchen Davis, China Bistro, City Hall Tavern, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Extreme Pizza, KetMoRee, La Piñata Mexican Grill, On Tap, Ramen Hook, Round Table Pizza, Starbuck’s Coffee in University Mall and Taste of Thai. Davis retail and service businesses closures include: A’bout with Hair, B&L Bike Shop, Bernard’s Tire, Cost Plus World Market, Davis Sport Shop, Davis Welcome Service, Get Fit Davis (GFD Sport remains open), GNC, Partners in Learning, Pawsitive Groomers, Personalized Pilates, Restler Brothers Barber Shop, and Yeti Mini Mart.
Brooke Lewis takes lunch orders from UC Davis students, from left, Marisa Cardoza, Kaajal Tandel, Rane Zilnel, Hailey Dilton and Sammi Ross, at de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis, on Sunday, July 25.
Temporary closures It’s still unclear if Delta of Venus or Uncle Vito’s will return. But, hey, Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine and D Street Steakhouse reopened in July after being closed for 16 months.
VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ ENTERPRISE PHOTO
SEE COMINGS, PAGE B4
548 Kentucky Avenue Woodland
530.662.3996
www.stablerappliance.com Open Mon-Fri 8am-5:30pm Sat 8am-4pm · Sun Closed
East St.
Delivery & Installation Available
College
that venture. By August, de Vere White made the decision to close, telling Wendy Weitzel, The Davis Enterprise’s “Comings & Goings” columnist, that a pub atmosphere was not conducive to sidewalk service. With no revenue coming in, De Vere’s landlord group “was truly a partner,” working with the owners to
WENDY WEITZEL/COURTESY PHOTO
5
113 Kentucky Ave. Main St.
For 60 years Stabler’s A-1 Appliance has been meeting and beating competition and box store prices with no gimmicks or flashy ads – just solid service to all our valued customers. We are the last local appliance store to offer personal sales, service, and delivery in Yolo County. GE offers reb We appreciate your business. ates throughout th e year. – Paul and Carman Stabler Ask at Stable r’s A-1 Appliance to see what the most curr ent offer is.
B2 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
Secrets of Success: Bouncing Back
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021
Community carries FIT House through COVID BY LAUREN KEENE Enterprise staff writer When the state of California issued a shelter-in-place order last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the few activities people could still enjoy was exercise — albeit outdoors and socially distanced. That meant fitness clubs and studios had to get creative in how they did business. Many, like FIT House at Third and G streets, took their operations outside — setting up makeshift gyms and class settings, making it work even in the dead of winter and the summer’s blistering heat. “We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community,” said Blanche McNaughton, who co-owns the studio — which offers yoga, cycling, pilates and barre classes, among other services — with Lisa Herrington and Caryn DeMoura. “It became a labor of love — that’s all I can say,” she added. “Our community was the reason for continuing even when the future of brick-and-mortar fitness looked bleak. We know how powerful working out together can be physically and emotionally, and we did everything we could to hold space for this at FIT House,” Herrington added. FIT House had just undergone a significant remodel when it closed its doors on March 14, 2020 — three days before the state required it — and stayed shuttered for eight weeks, offering online classes and a FIT House Facebook group to foster connection. While some members kept paying their dues to offer support, revenue took a dive. The studio reopened for some in-person classes in June, “and
Cycle instructor and FIT House co-owner Caryn DeMoura leads a cycling class in the parking lot of FIT House in Davis on Saturday, July 24. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ENTERPRISE PHOTO
that’s when we went into action creating the patio” on the north side of the building, erecting a shade structure and laying down artificial turf, McNaughton recalled. Adhering to the county rules, instructors held all classes outside to provide a safe space for the community to work out while also allowing FIT House to keep the business running from a financial standpoint. That meant hauling spin bikes in and out of the studio on a daily basis and setting up heat lamps for the winter months — only to have the propane tanks stolen one night.
“Our community was the reason for continuing even when the future of brick-and-mortar fitness looked bleak. We know how powerful working out together can be physically and emotionally, and we did everything we could to hold space for this at FIT House.” Lisa Herrington, FIT House co-owner For those who preferred to work out at home, FIT House at first offered classes through the
Facebook group, then livestreamed barre, cycling and yoga classes from the studio.
Then came fall and the state’s creation of a color-coded tier system, which identified counties’ individual risk levels based on new COVID case numbers and positive test rates. Yoga briefly moved back indoors with masks required, only to move back outside shortly after Christmas under a renewed shelter-in-place order. Spring brought yoga classes back indoors at reduced capacities, with masks on and doors opened to the street for ventilation, followed by some cycling classes in early June as Yolo
SEE FIT, PAGE B4
Sandra Black teaches a yoga class at FIT House in Davis, on Saturday, July 24. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ENTERPRISE PHOTO
HOFFMANN AUTOMOTIVE
Quality Service & Repair Since 1979
Your Fireplace Remodel Expert From Design To Finish
BARBECUE YEAR ROUND!
rating 42 Celeb Servi Years ce! Of
We carry Pellet & Gas Grills & Flavored Pellets
APPROVED AUTO REPAIR
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE
• • • • •
Computer Diagnostics Lube and Oil Service A/C Service & Repair Smog Inspection & Repair 30/60/90K Manufacturer’s Maintenance Service
2613 2nd Street, Davis
530�753�7202
www.hoffmannautomotive.com
• • • • • •
Free In Home Estimates!
Brakes/Suspension Transmission/Cooling System Service Featuring BG Products Tires & Batteries Clutches
AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR
TURN YOUR FIREPLACE INTO AN EFFICIENT HEATER
ZONE HEAT, SAVE MONEY!
www.GalleryOfFireplaces.com
385 MERCHANT STREET • VACAVILLE • 707-446-9008 MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-6 • SATURDAY 10-4 • CLOSED SUNDAYS
NOW AVAILABLE!
AWNINGS & SOLAR SCREENS
THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
Secrets of Success: Bouncing Back
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021 B3
‘Special customers’ save Sam’s BY CALEB HAMPTON Enterprise staff writer A couple months into last spring’s lockdown, while restaurants were navigating the new reality of the pandemic — switching to takeout and delivery and applying for federal loans — Samir (Sam) Abughannam closed down Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine to steer his family through its own crisis. In 2019, Sam’s wife, Suhad (Sue), was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. She battled the cancer for a year before her doctor suggested she undergo a stem cell transplant that could give her a chance at making a full recovery. The process would require her to spend up to 90 days at the Stanford Medical Center. In May 2020, Sam locked up the restaurant and moved his family to the Bay Area so they could be close to Sue and minimize her risk of exposure to COVID-19 while she went through the process. “For the last 30 years of my life it has always been Sam and Sue together,” Sam wrote in an account of his wife’s illness. “I would do anything to keep her well and healthy.” Following the stem cell transplant, however, Sue experienced new complications and went into therapy at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Vacaville. She died on Dec. 20
“If you make the best food in a loving environment, one day you’re gonna succeed. That’s the secret of success.” Sam Abughannam with Sam by her side. She was 52. Sam and Sue opened Sam’s Mediterranean in 1995. The restaurant, now on B Street around the corner from its old Third Street location, is known for its shawarma, falafel, fries, freshbaked baklava, indoor murals and the warmth and generosity of the Abughannam family (Sam, Sue and their seven children). The long closure during the pandemic and Sue’s battle with leukemia threatened to close the establishment for good. In January, Sam launched a Gofundme campaign asking for support. “I am left with back rent due and other expenses that I have not been able to pay off,” he wrote. “My family and I would deeply appreciate any help.” Within days, more than 2,000 individuals made donations totaling over $160,000. To anyone who had eaten at Sam’s, the outpouring of community sup-
Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine, at 301 B St. in Davis, has reopened thanks to more than 2,000 donations totalling more than $160,000. SHAWN COLLINS/ ENTERPRISE PHOTO
Sam Abughannam and daughter Juju are back to work at family restaurant Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine in Davis. CALEB HAMPTON/ ENTERPRISE PHOTO
port hardly came as a surprise. Many of the donors left comments on the Gofundme page thanking the Abughannams for their kindness over the past two and a half decades. “You have always saved me a rice plate and made me feel like a special customer,” one person wrote, “but that’s just how you treated everyone.” The community support has helped the Abughannams salvage their family business. In July, Sam was making final repairs — two refrigerators had gone out and a freezer needed a new compressor — in preparation to reopen. “Without my customers and my community, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. Aside from the practical and financial challenges the family has faced, Sam also had a psychological mountain to climb. “The only person who knows about grief is the person going through it,” he said. Operating a restaurant was never easy — the business didn’t break even for seven years — and Sam got much of his resolve from Sue. “She was a big motivator,” he said. “She was my backbone.” They navigated the ups and downs together, learning lessons along the way. “If you make the best food in a loving environment, one day you’re gonna
succeed,” Sam said. “That’s the secret of success.” Now, Sam is motivated by his wife’s legacy and by the sense that he still has a mission to fulfill. “To pick up the pieces, you have to start thinking about the positive things you can do,” he said. “You can lose someone but at a certain point you have to move forward because they are looking at you.” After closing for more than a year, Sam busied himself again preparing the restaurant’s signature spices and arranging shipments from suppliers. A delayed order pushed back the reopening by a few days, but finally, on July
22, Sam’s Mediterranean opened its doors again. While it’s a new beginning for the restaurant, Sam wants to give his customers what they’ve always come for. “It’s gonna be the same as before,” he said, “but even better.” Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine is located at 301 B St. in Davis. It is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is closed on Sundays. The “Save Sam’s Restaurant” Gofundme webpage can be found here: www.gofundme. com/f/help-save-samsrestaurant-after-deathleukemia.
COURTESY PHOTO
Suhad “Sue” and Samir “Sam” Abughannam in their wedding photo.
Studio 355 wishes everyone to stay safe and be healthy!!!
Styling Davis Since 1988
CELEBRATING
California Style
PILATES MELTMethod
Offering virtual Pilates and MELTMethod classes. Check out our schedule online at thestudio355.com
ALLISON FALL 355 2nd Street, Davis, CA Find us online at thestudio355.com
California Style is Colorful, Comfortable, Well Made, Ethically Sourced, and Always Playful Free Hawaiian Sunscreen with Purchases Over $500 When You Mention This Ad
117 D Street · Davis · CA TheWardrobe.com
B4 THE DAVIS ENTERPRISE
Secrets of Success: Bouncing Back Left, Brooke Lewis carries a tray full of drinks from the bar at de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis, on Sunday, July 25. Below, Floor Assistant Cian Conroy of Davis, pauses for a photo while carrying out armloads of food. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ ENTERPRISE PHOTOS
WELCOME: Part of the solution From Page B1 staffing the reopened restaurant, with the lack of students in town slashing the prospective workforce. While some prior employees have returned, others graduated and moved on, returned to their hometowns to be with their families or went back to school and pursued other careers entirely. “Luckily, we kind of pride ourselves on hiring people who are amazing human beings,” de Vere White said. “They jumped into the deep end of the pool, and they’ve met so many challenges so quickly. It’s been an amazing process to watch.” With Yolo County again mandating indoor mask use as of Friday, July 30, de Vere White says he’ll do whatever’s
necessary to keep De Vere’s staff and guests safe. “We were raised to follow and trust science, and will continue to do so,” said de Vere White, whose father, Dr. Ralph de Vere White, is the retired chairman of urology and director of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. “We want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Everybody wants to be out, and we have to help them get there.” Meanwhile, De Vere’s Sacramento location on L Street recently reopened its doors as well. Irish Hospitalities’ other midtown venues, The Snug cocktail bar and newly launched Ro Sham Beaux natural wine bar, are welcoming patrons too. All are offering limited service hours for now (check
Emma Danford, of Davis, and her dog Maverick, enjoy lunch and beverages on the patio of de Vere’s Irish Pub in Davis, on Sunday, July 25. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ ENTERPRISE PHOTO
social media pages for the latest), but they’re changing by the week depending upon staffing levels and supply chains. So, please be patient, de Vere White asks. “Everyone’s trying to put their best foot forward, but there are a lot of moving parts. It’s a new world,” he said. “We’re just so happy to be able to welcome people home again. We love our Davis pub and our community there.” — Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@ davisenterprise. net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene.
COMINGS: Brave entrepreneurs From Page B1
Road, and El Toro Bravo (returning), and (finally?) Water Pig.
Switcharoo
Full list
In 2020, CREAM rebranded as Cookies N Cones, and Hallmark Inn rebranded as Hilton Garden Inn.
New arrivals Some entrepreneurs were brave enough to start a Davis business during pandemic times. They included Black Frog Coffee, Casablanca, Burma Eat, The Chicken Hawkers, Davis Barbecue Pit, Fusion Boba & Sandwiches, Guads Tacos & Beer, Hyatt House extended-stay hotel, Mountain Mike’s Pizza, Myu Myu mini mart, Pho Tasty, Stand Up Kabob, Tasty Gourmet and Yi Tea.
On their way We look forward to
COURTESY PHOTO
Back open: D Street Steakhouse reopened in July after being closed for 16 months. welcoming the following new businesses in the months ahead: Raising Cain’s Chicken Fingers (coming in late fall), Chando’s Tacos (will take over the former Redrum Burger spot), Davis Refillery (online only), The Smart Axe, a new 7-Eleven store on Chiles
You can see how I keep track of Davis businesses by accessing my Google spreadsheet at https://bit. ly/DavisBusinesses. It includes more than 325 Davis businesses affected by COVID-19. There are sheets for Restaurantsopen, Restaurants-closed, Businesses-retail, Businesses-service, and more. Email me (address below) to suggest updates. — Wendy Weitzel is a Davis writer and editor. Follow business news 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.
DESIGNS THAT MATCH YOUR IDEAL STYLE! Quality Furniture | Huge Selection | Competitive Prices! Go Online for your selection of Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom, Recliners and Accessories.
Voted Best Furniture Store 6 years in a row!
395-A E. Monte Vista Avenue, Vacaville
707.449.6385 Elaine Cloutier, Owner
LaineysFurnitureForLiving.com
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021
Sheila Herd of Davis lifts a weight while participating in a cycling class at FIT House. VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ ENTERPRISE PHOTOS
FIT: Building trust, community From Page B2 County’s Covid outlook improved. Barre and bootcamp classes followed suit. As class capacities have grown, FIT House continues to follow state and local guidelines — sanitizing equipment and, as of July 30, requiring face masks indoors for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated in keeping with a Yolo County mandate. “We built trust by not bending or breaking the rules,” McNaughton said, noting that July marked the studio’s highest attendance rate since February 2020. “We don’t put profit over the community.”
What’s next? “Just getting our people to feel comfortable, continuing what we’re
doing and adding new programs and classes as our community grows,” McNaughton said. “This is what we do best — creating community — and we’ve discovered that.” Herrington added that she’s “eternally grateful” for the FIT House community and those who stuck with the studio during the pandemic’s many adaptations. “We are in the business of health but more importantly we are in the business of people,” she said. “It feels so good to be back together and to see so many coming home. There is so much power in community, and we are so glad to see the fitness communities rising up again.” — Reach Lauren Keene at lkeene@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @laurenkeene
VICTORIA SHERIDAN/ENTERPRISE PHOTO
FIT House co-owners, from left, Lisa Herrington, Caryn DeMoura and Blanche McNaughton pose in front the open doors of FIT House in Davis.