Even in the midst of a pandemic, with the specter of business closures looming, new eateries continue to follow through on plans to open. Some might question the wisdom of taking on such risk in such unpredictable times, but when plans were set in motion long before COVID-19 appeared, sometimes there is no choice but to go forward.

Heiho House partners Thomas Ray and Hideo Simon signed a lease for their Kaimuki space in July 2019, after three years of planning. They followed up with an application for an operational permit that was approved just last month.

Last year they had no more than typical industry worries, such as finding a chef who could bring their concept of a nontraditional, gastropub-style izakaya to life.

“We definitely did not see a pandemic as a possible business risk,” Ray said.

In February, a month before it became apparent that the coronavirus was going to disrupt lives and livelihoods for an indefinite period, they had already enlisted executive chef Aaron Lopez.

“By then we were so far deep, what else could we do but continue to go forward?” Ray said. “We believe in what chef Aaron and his team can do.”

For Simon, the project is personal. His mother owned a bar in Okinawa and gave him an appreciation of Japanese culture and izakaya dining at an early age.

When he opened Pint+Jigger in 2012, his mother was at the soft opening and broke into tears when she saw what he had built. “When I saw that, it struck a chord with me. She felt like I had built a successful business after she had struggled so long.

“We opened Square Barrels a few years later, but I always thought about her and creating an izakaya. I don’t know; it’s in my wheelhouse.”

Although he was born and raised in California, he said, “Growing up with my mom equipped me with an understanding of Japanese culture.”

For now, income from takeout service at Square Barrels is helping to keep Heiho House afloat during the build-out. “It’s difficult enough when sales are normal, but when it’s down 45% or more, all of us have had to make personal sacrifices to do this.”

A GoFundMe page Ray started for the restaurant gofundme.com/f/save-my-restaurants-heiho-house) raised nearly $11,000 from 75 donors in a few days, but that’s short of the $80,000 they hope to raise. “No one wants to go on the Internet to beg, but I was very, very humbled to see these people believe in us.”

For now, even as interior work on Heiho House continues, a special permit allows them to offer meals to go. So far, a short lunch menu is offered, with the aim of launching takeout dinner service Friday, with a target opening date of Oct. 3.

Lopez’s menu offers a preview of what the restaurant might offer when fully open. It includes such items as a vegan bowl of rice, pickles, eggplant and avocado ($14), with the option of adding a tamari- cured egg ($2).

Last week there was also a katsu Kubano ($12), a marriage of Japanese-style koji-marinated tonkatsu and a Cubano sandwich, and for the veggie set, a celery root tempura sando ($10).

Sides ($5) include such items as an edamame salad with miso aioli, mojito powder and goma, or daikon salad with tapioca crumble and young plum dressing.

Lopez had been working in fine dining establishments before launching his ice cream company Mid-Late Summer, which took a fine-dining approach to creating ice creams in flavor combinations he vowed not to repeat. His ice cream is now available only at Heiho House and Square Barrels, and I hope he does repeat recent options of milk bread and goji-ginger blossom ice creams.

Lopez said it felt odd coming back to a traditional kitchen, but, “I felt rejuvenated. When I started doing ice cream I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to go back to the restaurant industry, but they had everything lined up and I was excited by the idea of the izakaya as a foundation.”

Ray said they are doing all they can to make the most of their resources. “Every day we try to wrap our heads around new announcements and possible contingencies.”

In June, he helped launch the “Be Vocal Support Local” campaign to raise awareness that 80% of independent restaurants are unlikely to survive long-term shutdowns and to encourage support of small businesses.

“If small businesses go out, there will be much fewer jobs for people to go back to.”

HEIHO HOUSE

1127 11th Ave.; 260-9670

Open 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays beginning Sept. 23 (dinner service only)

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.