“We are Bethel.” Consider it a new rallying cry.

This strip of Chinatown, Bethel Street from Hotel to Pauahi streets, hailing distance from the Hawaii Theatre, has been lonely for several months, since the closing of Brasserie du Vin and Soul de Cuba.

“It’s been dark. ’Dark’ is the operative word,” says J.J. Niebuhr, co-owner (with Danny Dolan) of J.J. Dolan’s, the pizzeria whose motto is “Without pizza there’s no peace.”

Theirs was the last nighttime holdout on the once-lively street.

Time for a rebirth.

First up: Palate Craft & Eatery, the latest project of chef Troy Terorotua of REAL a Gastropub and Brew’d Craft Pub and his partner, Pat Kashani, owner of Tropics Tap House.

Palate opened quietly over the weekend in the former Soul de Cuba space — Terorotua didn’t want any big announcement, so his staff could acclimate.

Next up will be Bethel Union, opening next door to Palate in the Du Vin space in about six weeks, under the same ownership as J.J. Dolan’s.

“We’re going to revitalize Bethel Street,” Terorotua said. “We want to rebuild the community.”

“The new phrase is ‘We are Bethel,’” said Niebuhr.

Or, #wearebethel, as Terorotua puts it.

The openings will mean three high-profile restaurant-bar outlets in the area, right across the street from the Hawaii Theatre. Both restaurateurs say they plan to key food and drink events around theater shows.

Palate’s menu — overseen by chef Jamal Lahiani — has been undergoing some tweaking during these early days. Offered at a preview last week were a sake-glazed opah steak with poi gnocchi, chilled corn and cilantro chowder, a smoked-ham sandwich on a baguette and braised and barbecued fried chicken.

Sixteen beers and three wines are on tap, plus a daily cocktail and handcrafted soda (the current soda is a spritzy mix of pineapple, star anise and vanilla). House mixologist is Nicolas Carter, formerly of Bevy.

“We don’t know what to expect, but we expect our spot will build a following,” Terorotua said. “If you build it right, it will come.”

The Bethel Union menu will be Italian-Mediterranean. “More noodles in Chinatown,” Niebuhr said, “just different noodles.” But he’s also adding a touch of Portuguese — a cuisine that Niebuhr says is sadly underrepresented in Honolulu given the size of the Portuguese population.

He envisions a menu of small plates, 12 beers on tap and more premium wines than his pizzeria carries.

“We didn’t want to export J.J. Dolan’s and do another J.J. Dolan’s, a J.J. Dolan’s Part 2,” he said. “We’re thinking Italian. We think there’s a need downtown for genuine Italian — fresh noodles, fresh seafood and another great wine bar.”

Niebuhr describes himself and Terorotua as “just neighborhood guys” enamoured of the downtown community.

“Do we need to do it? No. But why not?”

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Palate Craft & Eatery, 1121 Bethel St., is open 4 p.m. to midnight Mondays to Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays to Saturdays, with lunch hours to come. Call 524-2337 (BEER).