Freddy Rivas was already planning changes after reaching a deal to purchase E Pike’s Ballet. But the owner of Rancho Bravo and Freddy Junior’s is moving up the schedule.

Coming soon: Buddha’s Kitchen along with a revised menu and cleaned-up operation.

Rivas’s deal to buy Ballet from the family who ran the restaurant for 16 years was planned to include a smooth transition in which the affordable Thai joint slowly changed into its new incarnation along with its existing staff and menu. But after a health inspection of the old restaurant space turned up enough violations to warrant a closure Thursday, Rivas said the schedule has been stepped up.

Ballet will remain closed through the weekend, Rivas tells CHS, as he works to “reorganize the kitchen” and staff undergo a retraining with Rivas’s experienced operations crew who have make his mini fast food empire work. Once the health inspector gives the blessing, Ballet will be ready to reopen.

Rivas said he plans to keep Ballet doing the Ballet thing for a few months while he sorts the new Buddha’s Kitchen project out.

There will be an overhaul of the space as the old building is already getting some street level rehab. There will be a revised menu and beer and wine. He’ll work to keep the place affordable with prices in the realm of Rancho Bravo around the corner. Like Rancho, Buddha’s is also gearing up for late night dining — especially on the weekends. And, despite being Buddha’s Kitchen, it won’t be strictly vegetarian. “The Buddha allowed his monks to eat pork, chicken and fish if the monk was aware that the animal was not killed on their behalf,” apparently.

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Capitol Hill food+drink notes

• John John’s Gameroom is back open after a longer than expected closure while work to overhaul the E Olive Way pinball bar was underway. Here’s a look at the finished product courtesy owner Jeff Rogers:
• The end of Manhattan comes this weekend. It also marks yet another epilogue for the rapid rise and fall of a short-lived Capitol Hill-centered food and drink empire.
• Charlie’s “reopens” on Broadway next Friday. “Although changes have been made, the finished product is undoubtedly a version of the original…”
• Coming soon: A new Capitol HIll project from the Black Bottle family of “gastro-taverns.”
• Now open: Ian’s Pizza on the Hill and Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar.
• Not leaving… yet: The Redwood
• New at the Broadway Farmers Market: Miri’s Poffers
• Yes, Pike Street Fish Fry hasn’t been open this week. No, we don’t know why, yet.
• “NutBox and Chill” — well played, Bakery Nouveau.

• The new Madrona Arms — from the folks behind 12th Ave’s The Chieftain — have some dumb signs. They’ve elicited some dumber reactions.
• Shit people steal: Kessler’s posters.
• These people have been inside Optimism Brewing before you have. This guy, too. And this guy.
• “A 12-course pop-up dinner in a queer arts space” under E Pike and you weren’t there?
• Brilliant: Seattle likes to talk about the rain. A lot. Nue is basing its new wine-by-the-bottle weekday deal on the rain. 25% off of bottles if it’s raining.
• Seattle Weekly says Ernest Loves Agnes food has “much to praise.”
• Rhein Haus… Denver?
• Ha ha

Holy shit. Just heard officer running down the menu offerings at @genporpoise on East Precinct radio! #scanner #awesome

— jseattle (@jseattle) November 16, 2015