Hungry diners want to know: When will Hana Cafe reopen?

If your stomach isn’t happy with how long it’s taking Hana Cafe owner Eunice Kim to rebrand and update her Old Town Square restaurant, just know that the chief person helping her through the process has a frustrated stomach, too.

“She’s got people begging her to be open, including me,” says Nicole Howerton of Howerton & White. “I want my food.”

Kim says there are several things that conspired against her reopening in the fall as she planned. There have been construction delays and health and family issues.

Now, Kim plans to reopen early in February and then follow with a grand reopening in March when all the final details are done.

Some of the tweaks Kim is making include a new name. Officially, it’s Hana Japanese Restaurant. However, the new sign will say simply Hana.

The restaurant has had and will continue to have a lot of dishes from Kim’s native Korea as well.

Kim also plans a new Hana Fast Sushi, which will be a streamlined menu designed to get lunch customers in and out in about 30 minutes.

There will be two to four sushi rolls always available on the Fast Sushi menu as well as a toppings menu for the rolls.

“It’ll be a quick turnaround,” Howerton says.

There will be salad and some soups on that menu as well.

Hana Fast Sushi will be served in the south end of the restaurant where the bar is along with some high table tops and a few booths.

“It is intentional about activating the front of that space,” Howerton says.

“It’s just to create some energy in the space.”

Kim also plans to hire a bartender to make specialty cocktails for a more lively atmosphere at the bar.

The 23-year-old restaurant moved from the east side to Old Town in 2006.

The inside won’t radically change except for colors, textures and flooring. The basic layout will be the same.

Look for photos and an opening date soon.