Photo: webversity design studio

Kizin Creole Restaurant hopes to be serving Haitian dishes like Bannann Peze by Haitian Flag Day on May 18. 

New businesses such as Ward Eight, Sol Café, and Badou Senegalese have revitalized the stretch of West Howard Street near the end of the Red Line recently, bringing community-minded entrepreneurs to fill the empty storefronts. So when the Haitian restaurant Chez Violette closed January 31, it seemed like a step backward.

Inside, however, a new owner, Daniel Desir, has been hard at work. He plans to rebrand as Kizin Creole Restaurant (2311 W. Howard St., 773-961-7275) and open in the next few weeks with tablecloths, servers, and new decor (but still Haitian cuisine). The goal is to open by May 18, Haitian Flag Day.

Also taking some of the sting out of Chez Violette’s closing, Kizin’s website still lists the old place’s chef/owner, Violetta Adrien, as the chef. “Violetta will be around, helping out,” Desir says.