Lot of restaurant activity coming up in Yuma area

  Not much longer" is the answer to when the new Kneaders Bakery will open at the Yuma Palms Regional Center. A firm opening date hasn't been set, but management is hoping to open the doors sometime in the first two weeks of November. "When the open sign is on, come on in," said Eric Blair, business manager for Kneaders.

  This will be Yuma's second Kneaders Bakery - for the uninitiated, the first is at 2851 S. Avenue B. Kneaders features fresh-out-of-the-oven pastries and coffee for the morning crowd, and sandwiches from made-on-site bread, soups, gourmet salads, kids combos, smoothies and baked goods throughout the day.

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  "Soon" is the word on the opening of another cafe and bakery, this one on the west side of Yuma. Permits have been issued and work begun on tenant improvements at Mission Valley Plaza, 24th Street and Avenue C, for Homemade by Jody (Ward).

  Ward is hopeful she'll have the long-awaited establishment open by Thanksgiving if not before and has lots of delicious-sounding menu ideas - like cinnamon rolls made with her grandmother's recipe, specialty cheesecakes, fresh baked bread and lots of other bakery treats.

  She intends to open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, when people can stop by for a hot breakfast of slow-cooked oatmeal or breakfast casserole, as well as soups, salads and sandwiches to eat on the spot, grab to go or pick up for lunch or dinner.

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  An Oriental cuisine restaurant is coming to the Big Curve Shopping Center at 276 W. 32nd St. (originally a Carrow's restaurant, and various other eateries since then).

  The new eatery, Asian Star Restaurant, is the effort of Huamei Chen. Targeted opening is in mid-November. A sign in the window promises "all time favorite menu and a new taste of Oriental cuisine."

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  There's good news for another closed restaurant space as well. Kent Mitchell, owner and developer of Desert Plaza Shopping Center at Pacific Avenue and Palo Verde Street, said he has a new tenant for the former Mr. Lu's, 1960 E. Palo Verde St. Mitchell said he isn't ready to announce who the new tenant is but confirmed that remodeling work has begun.

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  Dr. Kamal Rastogi of Neurological Institute of Yuma, 2281 W. 24th St., Suite B, is permanently closing his practice. His office will remain open until Nov. 7 but he will not be seeing patients after Oct. 31.

  To obtain their medical records, patients are asked to call the office at 314-3535 by Oct. 31.

  The office space is owned by Dr. Ram Krishna. For information about leasing it, call Dr. Krishna's office at 726-6943 and leave a message.

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  Dawn Wood is having a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for Wood's Custom Stained Glass, 29302 Los Angeles Ave. in Wellton, that she owns with husband "Woody." She invites people to stop by and see the shop, enjoy refreshments, shop the specials and put their name in the hat for door prizes such as stained glass Christmas ornaments, with stained glass lamps as the grand prize.

  The shop's regular hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. She will be starting stained glass classes in November. Stop by or call 246-1990 for a schedule.

  Wood also noted that her stained glass will be on display this week at National Bank in Wellton, with a meet-and-greet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

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  Dave Kirchner has taken over ownership of the Home Instead Senior Care office in Yuma at 2095 W. 24th St., Suite B. The independently owned and operated company is part of an international franchise chain that provides services to help aging adults remain independent.

  Kirchner has been with the company for seven years and formerly was franchise development manager for the corporate office in Omaha. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He also has 27 years of experience as a salesperson, manager and regional vice president in the paper industry.

  The company's screened and trained caregivers help senior citizens remain in their homes by providing companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, errands and shopping.

  For more information, call 317-3037 or visit the company’s Web site at www.homeinstead.com.

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  Laura K. Avenetti was introduced to the HOST carpet cleaning system by Desert Best Distributing and was so pleased with the product she's gone into the carpet cleaning business.

  She recently graduated from the HOST Cleaning School and is a certified stain-resistant carpet technician for the product. HOST is an environmentally friendly dry extraction carpet cleaning method that removes dust mites, allergens, soil, stains and odors without leaving a wet carpet or soapy residue.

  To reach Avenetti's company, Inspection Ready, call 581-7623 or 343-0030. For more information, visit www.ircleaningservice.com or www.hostdry.com.
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  Here's a progress report on the renovation and rebuild of the Dateland gift shop, restaurant and gas station.
 
 The gift shop and ice cream machine have been moved to a temporary location while the old building is demolished and a new, much larger, much nicer building is constructed, said Roland Walker, co-owner.

  That means, he assured date milkshake fans, that they can still get that treat even though the restaurant is currently closed. The gas station also remains open during the project, he said.

  When completed, the new facility will include a larger gas station with the Texaco brand and a new convenience store with upgraded restrooms as well as expanded gift/ date/ice cream shop and the new restaurant - to be a Quizno's - all under one roof to be called the Dateland Travel Center.

  In addition to regular fuel, the gas station will have biodiesel, E-85 (an ethanol blend) and racing fuel for sand duners.

  Walker is hoping to have the project wrapped up by early February and is looking forward to offering the new products and services to travelers.

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Report Comings and Goings to jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.