Four months after Domo Japanese Country Restaurant proprietor Gaku Homma introduced he was completely closing the enterprise, he’s determined to offer it one other go.
Homma mentioned on Facebook this week that he’ll return to the kitchen after a quick hiatus and plans to reopen the restaurant, 1365 Osage St., though, he didn’t specify precisely when due to inspections and different crucial processes, like cleansing the yard backyard.
In his Facebook publish, Homma, 73, additionally mentioned he has been utilizing his time without work to take a sequence of journeys to Turkey, Nepal and Thailand to show the practices of Aikido, a contemporary Japanese martial artwork. During his go to to Thailand, he cooked a few of Domo’s well-liked curry, which he has been serving in help of the Monthly Meals Project in Denver for the final 32 years, for youngsters at Bilay House, a humanitarian support and schooling facility.
“It makes me smile and makes me feel warm in my heart that I can help people feel happy with what I cook and serve,” Homma wrote. “With such a source of satisfaction, I am thinking of coming back to the kitchen, so that I can keep doing these support activities to help people in need.”
In 2021, Domo was pressured to quickly shut its doorways after a 40-second video on TikTok displaying off the gorgeous outside gardens went viral and led to a whole lot of individuals forming traces across the restaurant, which was counterintuitive to social distancing measures, in response to a Facebook publish from the restaurant.
In September final yr, Gaku Homma completely closed the restaurant, saying he was able to retire, and if he reopened, the elevated enterprise wouldn’t permit him to maintain up the standard requirements that his patrons have been used to. He initially opened the enterprise in 1996.
Things are going to be totally different this time round, although. Homma wrote on Facebook that the restaurant will reopen as a easy meals each typically seen in Southeast Asia with curry and some different menu gadgets to select from. It is not going to be a full-service restaurant like earlier than. Homma mentioned he needs his clients to concentrate on Domo’s longtime mission, “Dine at Domo and Feed the World,” the place he makes use of earnings to donate to native charities.
The peaceable Japanese backyard will nonetheless make a comeback, although. Homma mentioned the winter has been extreme, so the backyard requires loads of TLC, together with eradicating fallen leaves from the underside of the koi pond, which “is a quite back-breaking and time-consuming” job, Homma wrote. He added that he may have extra particulars to come back on the reopening within the subsequent few weeks.
BusinessDen reported final yr {that a} developer was searching for rezoning for the property that at the moment homes the restaurant and dojo, which sparked concern that Domo may disappear. But Homma wrote that discussions and negotiations are ongoing, and it looks as if the method will take a number of extra years.
“I am of the opinion that Domo can be reopened for us to enjoy what Domo and the Garden can offer while helping the society to the extent we are able,” he wrote.
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