Harbor Court Bistro owner Elizabeth Hata Watanabe will keep the fledgling restaurant open for a time, but she plans to relocate to another downtown spot.

This, as her second child is due in about eight weeks.

In an e-mail yesterday she thanked friends and supporters, but said having exhausted all attempts to obtain a liquor license after the bistro's temporary license was revoked, the restaurant's revenue has been “;crippled.”;

Negative publicity generated by Harbor Court tenants “;has brought negative stigmas. I have been left with no choice but to relocate,”; she said.

Watanabe earlier told the Star-Bulletin that she has an exit-clause in her lease, nevertheless, she expects to become embroiled in litigation.

“;You will hear statements that question my character and integrity as the landlord ... attempts to tarnish my image in order to have grounds for a lawsuit, not because I have done anything wrong, but because (of) the ruling made by the Liquor Commission,”; she said.

The Harbor Court complex was purchased in 2004 by DEG LLC, a partnership between local real estate developer Dick Gushman and California-based Douglas Emmett Inc., a real estate investment and management firm.

Harbor Court Bistro remains open for lunch from 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. through Saturday with a BYOB policy and no corkage fee.

Watanabe has struck a deal with a ground-level sundries store that will stay open until 9 p.m., selling beer and wine to accompany meals.

It is also welcoming catering business and private parties. Gift certificates are still being offered and will be honored by the new location when it opens, she said.

KRUD up for grabs

He went back and forth about whether he would keep them but in the end, Kauai-based broadcaster George Hochman decided to change the call letters of KRUD-AM 1130.

The call letters came with the station Hochman-McCann Hawaii Inc. bought from Memphis-based Flinn Broadcasting Corp. years ago.

Broadcast industry publication Inside Radio noted last week that Flinn signed up for the call letters to protest its dealings with the Federal Communications Commission.

Hochman decided to change the call letters to KPHI.

Vice President Jim Carroll told Inside Radio the KRUD call letters would have been fine for a rock station, but the station airs ethnic programming and the company did not want to offend listeners with call letters that have a negative connotation.