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This is an installment of an occasional series in the Anchorage Daily News taking a quick look at the comings and goings of businesses in Southcentral Alaska. If you know of a business opening or closing in the area, send a note to reporter Annie Zak at azak@adn.com.
OPEN
TK Restaurant: This restaurant at 3826 Spenard Road serves Korean barbecue and sushi, and had its grand opening Wednesday.
Owner Chong Sanders used to own Tempura Kitchen in the same location a few years ago — hence the "TK" in the new name. More recently, she rented out the building to another business, Hawaii Sushi, which Sanders said closed roughly a year after it opened. Then she decided to open up another restaurant of her own.
Sanders has owned various restaurants in Anchorage since 1980, often taking over places that have closed, she said. She shut the doors at Tempura Kitchen in 2013 and sold off the business because her husband was sick. She was born in North Korea and then moved to South Korea before coming to the U.S. in 1968.
The restaurant is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner, and it opens at noon Saturdays and Sundays.
Akela Space: This gallery space and photo studio opened in downtown Anchorage, at 320 W. Sixth Ave. No. 132F, on April 20.
The space is run by Akela Collective, a group of Anchorage photographers. Jovell Rennie, a member of the collective who's involved with programming and curation for the space, said the goal is to feature different exhibitions every two weeks. Another plan is for Akela Space to host workshops, lectures and other events.
The space in part stemmed from a desire to have more in-person resources in Anchorage for photography and other art, Rennie said.
"The internet is a wonderful tool," he said, "but you almost get too many results. A lot of people feel overwhelmed. It's pretty common for people to just say, 'You know what, I give up.' We want to be a place where people can sift through that noise and learn about something."
The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. At this time, Akela Space has a lease through Aug. 31.
Hollyweed 907: There's a new retail cannabis store in South Anchorage. Hollyweed 907, located at 2429 E. 88th Ave., opened Monday.
The business is also planning to operate marijuana cultivation on-site soon, said manager Rick Morrissette.
"We should be finished with construction here in the next couple days" for the cultivation facility, he said. The shop is working on getting a manufacturing license to make edibles, too, he said.
The store plans to feed its own retail supply from its cultivation facility and also continue purchasing from other growers, Morrissette said. Hollyweed 907 is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Walmart Online Grocery Pickup: Walmart launched its grocery pickup service in Alaska this past week with a location at 8801 Old Seward Highway in Anchorage, where a Sam's Club used to be. (The Sam's Club chain is owned and operated by Walmart.)
The free service allows people to order groceries online and then go pick them up without getting out of their cars.
"Our business leveraged the previous Sam's Club location on Seward and we're happy to report that we were able to transition many of the associates to support the new Online Grocery Pickup location," Walmart spokeswoman Tiffany Wilson said in an email.
SHUT
Far North Garden Supply: This Wasilla store at 300 E. Centaur Ave. is having a going-out-of-business sale, according to its Facebook page.
An April 26 Facebook post doesn't note exactly when the store will close, but mentions that merchandise is 30 percent off as business winds down.
The building and the adjacent lot are both for sale, the post said. The other Far North Garden Supply location, in Anchorage, has also closed.
Kid to Kid: May 19 will be the last day this resale store will be open. The store at 1231 E. Dimond Blvd. is closing because the owners of the building sold the property, said Kim Long, who owns the business. She's planning to retire.
"We are looking for a buyer," she said. "We were given 30 days to get out. We're hoping Kid to Kid can stay open, I'm just not willing to relocate it. … It's bittersweet."
The franchise sells used kids' clothing, furniture, toys and more. The Anchorage location has been open for 10 years, Long said. As of Friday, the store was running a sale for 30 percent off clothing and 20 percent off throughout the rest of the store.