Category Archives: Restaurant closings

Many courses of Metro Grill news

March 18, 201311:09 a.m.

I finally was able to reach Chef Michael Gonzalez, the owner of Metro Grill III at the Waterfront, who recently closed his popular Towne East Mall location.

He’s putting all his focus now on his Waterfront restaurant, which opened last June at 10096 E. 13th St., suite 122. He’s also planning a VIP Night for March 30, featuring a five-course meal he’s preparing himself. Attendees will be allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages with no corkage fee. There will be live music, and Gonzalez’s plans for the menu include Chilean sea bass, beef carpaccio, strawberry flambe and more.

Gonzalez used to put his VIP nights on regularly when he briefly owned the Metro Grill in Andover.  He plans to start offering them at the Waterfront on the last Saturday of every month. He has two seatings available for March 30 — one from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and one from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. The price is $50 a person.

Gonzalez also talked a little more about the reason he decided to close his sandwich cart at Towne East, a popular spot he had operated in the food court since 2005.

He got an offer, he said, from a former customer who was interested in moving the cart to a mall in Arkansas. He hadn’t been looking to sell, Gonzalez said, but the man offered him a good price, and Gonzalez decided he could use the extra time to focus on some new ventures — namely a consulting gig in New York City and the possibility of a downtown Metro Grill.

The spot he’s pondering now, Gonzalez said, is in the Union Station building at 725 E. Douglas that used to house Cox Communications. Occidental Management recently acquired that property and plans to fill it with shopping and dining.

For more information or to make a VIP night reservation, call 316-631-1454.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Chefs, Restaurant closings | Comments

No bueno: Las Tias De Beto is closed

March 4, 20139:41 a.m.

Me, my sad shadow, and the bad news on the Las Tias De Beto door.

Las Tias De Beto, the delicious Mexican restaurant that opened in July, is closed. Sunday was its last day in business.

The restaurant, which was at 1064 N. Waco, right next to Juarez Bakery, belonged to Juarez owner Manuel Fernandez and a partner. It sold authentic tacos, tortas, enchiladas and more. Fans of the restaurant were bemoaning its closure this weekend on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Fernandez didn’t want to go into too much detail, but he said there was a disagreement between the family members operating the restaurant about how it should be run. The disagreement couldn’t be worked out, he said, so he decided to close the restaurant.

Financial health was part of the issue too, he said. “How can I say this? You can’t spend $10 if you only make $6 or $7.”

Fernandez said he’s already had two or three offers from other entrepreneurs hoping to open a restaurant in the space, which is all brand new. But he’s going to need a while to consider those offers, he said.

He promised to update me when he made a decision.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

Metro Grill in Towne East is closed

Feb. 11, 20132:10 p.m.

Gonzalez

***Brief update as of Tuesday morning:*** 

Michael Gonzalez’s manager at the Waterfront Metro Grill, 10096 E. 13th St., suite 122, stresses that it is still open, serving the same dishes that were available in the mall.

Gonzalez is in and out, he said, and he added that someone in Arkansas wants to buy the whole mall setup and open it there.

He promises to get me in touch with his boss as soon as possible for more details.
————————————————————–

I don’t want to tell you this any more than you want to hear it.

Metro Grill, the amazing sandwich-shop-in-a-cart that Michael Gonzalez opened in the Towne East Square food court in 2005, is closed. Towne East officials say it closed a couple of days ago but said any other details would have to come from Gonzalez.

My pal Natasha went there to eat this weekend and found a sign directing people to the Metro Grill at the Waterfront, 10096 E. 13th St., suite 122, which is still open. The sign in the mall indicated that the owner was moving to Arkansas, she said.

I haven’t heard back from Gonzalez, and folks at his restaurant at the Waterfront say they aren’t sure how to reach him. They expect him in the restaurant sometime on Tuesday.

I’ll keep trying to reach Gonzalez and will let you know what I find out.

In the meantime, a moment of silence, please, for the little cart that could. I’ll miss it.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

Red Barn closed, but owner plans new Mexican restaurant

Oct. 29, 20123:57 p.m.

Michael Rodriguez, who ran The Red Barn, plans a new Mexican restaurant.

The Red Barn  is gone.

The restaurant , which sat on the east side of Lake Afton and was operated by Michael Rodriguez and his family since 2010, had its final wedding this weekend, and the owner,  state Sen. Dick Kelsey, is putting the building up for auction on Nov. 12.

Michael  is planning a new Mexican restaurant, though, said his son, Gerard Rodriguez. They’re not ready to announce details yet but will soon. It won’t be downtown, Gerard said, but will be “near.”

In the meantime, the family is focusing on its new restaurants in Wichita’s core, including Anna Murdoc’s Cafe, which opened in in July and Gerard runs, and the new R Coffeehouse, which his brother, Angelo, opened in the old Riverside Perk space a few weeks ago. Michael is hopping between the restaurants while he works on his new place.

The family is sad to see the Red Barn go, Gerard said, but it helped them gain a following that has transferred to its new restaurants.

“We’ve got three different opportunities to do some good stuff and showcase things on our own terms,” he said.

The Red Barn sold barbecue, tamales, tacos and opened for breakfast on weekend mornings. R Coffeehouse is now selling breakfast daily and tamales on weekends, Gerard said.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , Filed under About-to-open, Mexican food, Restaurant closings | Comments

Kings-X at 21st and Amidon is closing

Oct. 25, 20121:49 p.m.

Linda and Jack Davidson

The Kings-X restaurant at 21st and Amidon is closing, its owners said today. Its last day in business will be Nov. 25.

Jack and Linda Davidson, who own the Jimmie’s Diners at 3111 N. Rock Road and 1519 George Washington Blvd., took over the business in 2007. Though they own the building, they lease the ground it stands on, which has been sold to make way for a CVS Pharmacy.

The building, which has been operating as Kings-X since 1968, will be torn down, Jack Davidson said. The restaurant was the last remaining of the original Kings-X chain, which was created by A.J. (Jimmie) King. in 1938.

The interior of Kings X, as photographed by neighbor Jaime Green, who is very sad the restaurant is closing.

The Davidsons say they hope to open another restaurant in the 21st and Amidon area. It would be called Jimmie’s Diner but would have the same service and menu.
In the meantime, the Davidsons will find places at their two remaining restaurants for the 20 or so Kings-X employees, some of whom have worked there for 20 years or more.

He’ll also put on promotions and specials for longtime customers during the restaurant’s remaining weeks, he said.

“We like that little part of town, and I think we bring something to that market,” he said. “We hope to be back.”

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

Brint’s Diner is closing on Sunday

Oct. 9, 201210:25 a.m.

Guy Fieri, host of the Food Network's show, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," left, talks with Brint's Diner owner Jessie Medina back in 2007.

Brint’s Diner, famous not only for its 2007 inclusion on Guy Fieri’s show “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” but also for operating inside a Valentine diner, is closing on Sunday after eight years in business.

Jessie Medina bought the business at 4834 E. Lincoln and opened it in June of 2004  inside a metal, mass produced Valentine Diner. About 2,000 of the buildings were made by Wichita’s  Valentine Manufacturing between 1938 and 1971, and architecture buffs are still passionate about them. Brint’s first opened in 1960.

In 2007, the Diner was featured on Fieri’s Food Network show. At the time, the show was just about to debut.

Attention from that episode kept the diner alive, Medina said, but recent construction around the area has devastated it. His entryway has been blocked by construction crews, he said, and the down economy hasn’t helped. He hopes to reopen Brint’s somewhere in the area, preferably in a less tucked-away location with better street visibility.

Brint’s Diner will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and will close at the end of business on Sunday. For more information, call 316-684-0290.

Keep reading for the article we published after Fieri’s visit in 2007.

Read More »

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

Bierocks, Brats n BBQ moving out of Delano

Sept. 19, 20121:02 p.m.

Mary Isbell-Hansen, owner of Bierocks, Brats n BBQ

Just like she always does, Mary Isbell-Hansen closed her Bierocks, Brats n’ BBQ at 1225 W. Douglas in Delano to go run her longtime food booth. Roadhouse Bar and Grill, at the Kansas State Fair.

The difference this year: She’s not reopening. At least not in Delano.

Isbell-Hansen, who opened the restaurant in November of 2010, said the customer volume in Delano hasn’t been high enough to sustain her business. She’s looking for a different space, preferably in northeast or northwest Wichita, to move the business. But she has to move quickly. One of her busiest seasons in Thanksgiving, when she sells smoked turkeys and hams, and she wants to have a space in time to get to work on those orders.

She promised to let me know when she finds a new spot. For now, she’s headed to the Tulsa State Fair.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

A few Friday restaurant tidbits

Aug. 31, 201210:52 a.m.

Happy Friday, food friends. I have a few bites of restaurant tidbits to serve you, so open up!

Doo-Dah Diner opens next week: Patrick and Timirie Shibley say they are close to opening their new Doo-Dah Diner, which is going in the spot at 206 E. Kellogg recently vacated by Jade Garden Cafe. It might even be ready to go by next Friday, Sept. 7. The sign just went up, and today, the menu and hours are being finalized. On weekdays, the couple plans to open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. serving breakfast and lunch items.

They also plan to open for Sunday breakfast and will serve amped up items that might be a bit much for the weekday crowd. Examples: Deep fried French toast with peanut butter and bannanas and sweet potato waffles smothered with candied pecans, mini marshmallows served with house-made turkey sausage and vanilla or pure maple syrup. (Yum.)

Gindi closes as soon as it opens: Gindi Asian Gourmet Burgers, which Phillip Say bought from former owner Roungaroon “Lou” Kumgoo then reopened on Monday with a focus on burgers, is already closed. The doors are locked, and sources say that the owner was facing some financial problems.

Country Breakfast Cafe is moving: Gonzalo Delgado is moving his Country Breakfast Cafe, which now operates at 240 N. Main in Haysville, to a building at 2804 S. Seneca in Wichita. He’s remodeling the spot, which he hopes will help him get more business. He plans to close the Haysville spot on Sept. 30 and be re-opened in Wichita by Oct. 15. The restaurant serves breakfast items such as skillets plus hot sandwiches at lunch and items such as steak at dinner. For more information, call 316)-719-3837.

Toni D’s turns 25: On Sept. 1, 1987, Toni and Danny Shadid opened Toni D’s, a deli and catering business at 650 N. Carriage Parkway. Next week, the couple will celebrate 25 years in business with specials. All day Wednesday, customers can get any sandwich, plus chips and a drink for $5. The Shadids also will be giving away slices of birthday cake. Toni D’s is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information, call 316-686-5996.

A new Sonic for the west side: A new Sonic opened on Wednesday at 37th St. N. and Maize Roads.

By Denise Neil | Filed under About-to-open, Restaurant closings | Comments

British Banger Company to close

July 24, 20124:15 p.m.

British Banger Cafe owner Austin Newby has decided to close his restaurant at 1713 W. Douglas in Delano, which specializes in British foods. He’s hoping to sell the restaurant as a whole or at least its equipment.

He plans to stay open through the end of July.

Earlier this year, Newby bought the restaurant from original owner Pete White, who first opened it in December of 2010 . But Newby’s fiance was injured in a car accident, which caused him serious financial problems.

“It makes good money,” Newby said of the restaurant, which specializes in bangers and mash. “We’ve just gotten in a hole we are not going to be able to get our way out of.”

Anyone interested in buying the restaurant should call Newby at 316-258-9539. The restaurant’s hours until it closes are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant closings | Comments

Villar family closing one restaurant, opening another

June 26, 201211:53 a.m.

Ben Villar's Mexican Restaurant will close for good on Saturday.

The Villar family, who founded Wichita’s first Mexico Cafe in 1970 at 1714 George Washington Blvd. and has gone on to open and operate several Mexican restaurants all over town, is moving its pieces around again.

Saturday will be the last day in business for Ben Villar’s Mexican Restaurant at 1930 S. Oliver. The restaurant has operated for two and a half years in the spot and was run by Ben Villar and his wife, Kim. It’s closing for “financial reasons,” Kim said. “The economy should be better,” she said. “It’s just been tough.”

But Ben Villar will not be out of work long if his brother, William’s, plans work out. William says he is very close to signing a deal to open Villar’s Mexico Cafe in the building at 1860 S. Hillside where his family operated a restaurant from 1970 to 1990. (The location most recently housed a Chinese restaurant.) If the deal goes through, the new restaurant should open in mid-July or early August, specializing in all the famous Villar family recipes, William Villar said. Ben Villar will run the restaurant with his brother.

William Villar also owns Mexico Cafe Delano at 555 W. Douglas and helped re-open El Mexico  at 2544 S. Seneca back in 2008. But he left that restaurant after a falling out with partner Brent Helm. Over the years, the Villar family has had a hand in 15 Mexican restaurants around town.

Ben Villar’s final Saturday hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. In a strange timing twist, the soon-to-be-vacated Ben Villar’s building was the last place Angelo’s operated before going out of business. Last week, Gina Fasciano-Hogan announced plans to reopen her family business in the old Barrier’s building at Douglas and Oliver.

I’ll let you know when William has more firm plans for Villar’s Mexico Cafe.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , , , Filed under About-to-open, Mexican food, Restaurant closings | Comments