Category Archives: Restaurant remodeling

Texas Roadhouse’s addition meant to cut down on the wait

April 29, 20133:15 p.m.

The Texas Roadhouse wait staff will dance while you dine.

That Texas Roadhouse amazes me. I’m almost certain that there has not been a moment since the restaurant opened in 2005 that it hasn’t had a line of people waiting for a table.

It might be the steak. It might be the line dancing wait staff. It might be the permission to throw peanut shells on the floor.

It’s probably the yeast rolls they serve before the meal.

Whatever it is, the Texas Roadhouse at 6707 W. Kellogg took steps last weekend to cut back on that wait, though a manager admits that the plan has failed so far.

The restaurant just opened a new addition on its east side that provides for about 50 more seats. The addition was meant to help with wait times, which on weekends can top out at two hours, and to give the restaurant the possibility of having a private banquet room. But over the weekend, the waits were no shorter, and the addition was filled up. See? Amazing.

For now, the addition is open Thursday through Sunday evenings. Managers say they’ll likely open it nightly starting in a few weeks.

As for those waits, customers are advised to employ the restaurant’s call ahead seating. Those who want to eat at 7 p.m., for example, can call 316- 943-8722  and put their name on the list at 5:30 on a weekend night. By the time they arrive, the wait should be minutes rather than hours.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant remodeling, Steak | Comments

Old Chicago restaurants in Wichita being remodeled, rebranded

Feb. 26, 20133:03 p.m.

Old Chicago restaurants across the country are getting a makeover, and Wichita’s three locations are next.

Remodeling already has started at the local Old Chicago restaurants — which are at 300 N. Mead in Old Town, at 7700 E. Kellogg,  and at 2240 N. Tyler — and will be done in a couple of weeks.

When complete, each of the three restaurants will have a new, modern look and outdoor signage. The restaurants even will have new names — sort of. Instead of Old Chicago Pasta & Pizza the restaurants now will be known as Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom.

It’ll be high-tech, with digital screens showing when various beers were tapped and who in the restaurant is checked in on FourSquare.

The “rebranding” is intended to freshen up the look and approach of the restaurant chain, which started in 1976 and now has 96 locations in 22 states. Everything from the utensils to the plating of the food to the vintage decor on the walls, says “modern brewery” rather than “classic sports bar.”

The new Tavern thin crust pizza at Old Chicago

So far, the chain has launched the new look in three of its restaurants: two in Colorado and one in Minnesota. Topeka and Kansas City stores also are getting the new look.

Several new menu  have already been added to coincide with the new look, including panini sandwiches, new calzones and salads and “Tavern” thin crust pizzas.

The Old Town location will be ready to go on March 11, followed by the west-side restaurant on March 12 and the east-side on March 13.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Beer, Pizza, Restaurant remodeling | Comments

First remodeled Carlos O’ Kelly’s in Wichita will reopen on Friday

Oct. 25, 201210:35 a.m.

The new Carlos O' Kelly's logo

Carlos O’ Kelly’s, the 30-year-old Mexican restaurant chain that’s headquartered in Wichita, is “rebranding” its restaurants, giving them an all-new look and a new menu.

On Sunday, the restaurant at  4872 S. Broadway closed down, and crews have been hard at work changing everything — booths, tables, carpet, paint, decor, setup. The result is a more modern-looking restaurant that even has new signage, featuring a multi-colored chili pepper.

“It’s very different,” president Jon Rolph said of the new look. “It opens the place up. And it’s a lot less cluttered as far as the decor goes.”

The under-progress interior of the remodeled Carlos O' Kelly's at 4872 S. Broadway.

That restaurant will reopen on Friday featuring a menu that has several new items, including a Cantina burger topped with chili con queso, sauteed onions, bell peppers, bacon and fried jalapeno bites. There are also brisket tacos, grilled fish tacos, seafood enchiladas and more. The chips and salsa will remain the same, and most of the restaurant’s most popular dishes remain unchanged.

A Carlos O’ Kelly’s in Lincoln, Neb., will be the next to be made over. Owners hope to have all 39 Carlos O’ Kelly’s, including the four in Wichita, redone within four years.

Wichita’s other three Carlos O’Kelly’s are at  7703 E. Douglas, 527 S. Ridge Road Circle and 3025 N. Rock Road.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Mexican food, Restaurant remodeling | Comments

Usuluteco Restaurant will double in size

Oct. 22, 201212:54 p.m.

A plate of pupusas, photographed by Andrew Gough

The pupusa business is good.

It’s so good that Usuluteco Restaurant, the popular El Salvadoran restaurant at 1714 E. Northern, near Hydraulic and Wassall, is about to double in size.

Owners have taken over and remodeled the space next door, which will increase the restaurant’s capacity from 49 to 100. The new spot is ready to go, but the owners are still waiting to clear up some red tape with the city. They hope to start using the space sometime in mid-November.

Pupusas, for those who don’t know, are dense, handmade corn tortilla shells stuffed with various meats, cheeses, beans and roasted peppers, then grilled.  They’re amazing and should be consumed regularly. You can read all about the restaurant in Wichita Eagle Dining Panel member Andrew Gough’s review, which ran in July.

Usuluteco’s hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.  For more information, call 316-409-3820.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Restaurant remodeling, Wichita Eagle Dining Panel | Comments

My Tho will reopen next week

Aug. 28, 201210:11 a.m.

My Tho, the popular Vietnamese restaurant at 500 E. Central, finally has a reopening date, and owners say it is definite for sure this time: Sept. 4, which is a week from today.

The restaurant, which has been closed since June for sprucing and remodeling, will have new floors, new ceilings and more seating in the area of the restaurant that previously held pool tables.

Everything is finished, but Sept. 4 feels like a lucky day to the owners, their son said. It’s a Tuesday, and the restaurant is normally closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. But during the first week back, they’ll be open both Tuesday and Wednesday. After that, they’ll resume the old hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays.

For more information, call 316-262-5452.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant remodeling, Vietnamese food | Comments

My Tho is famous — and still closed

Aug. 16, 20122:45 p.m.

The new issue of Food Network Magazine, which is on newstands now, features a local sandwich: My Tho’s delicious banh mi. (Just take a look at the story and click on ‘KS.’)

The issue names one fabulous sandwich from each of the 50 states, and My Tho’s banh mi — featuring sliced, grilled pork, sliced fresh jalapeno, fresh cilantro, pickled julienne carrots and daikon, soy sauce and black pepper stuffed into a crusty French baguette – represents Kansas. The magazine even has a pretty picture of the colorful sandwich.

Unfortunately, those who haven’t tried the sandwich will have to wait a little longer. Delay after delay has kept My Tho at 500 E. Central, which closed for a big remodeling project in June, from reopening on time. Owners hoped to reopen last week, but now, they’re saying they need one or two more weeks because a new dishwasher and a soda dispenser have yet to be delivered.

Last year, Wichita Pizza Co’.s taco pizza was featured in a similar story in the magazine.

By Denise Neil | Tags: , Filed under Restaurant remodeling, Vietnamese food | Comments

My Tho closed through June for remodel

June 11, 20124:42 p.m.

Those in the know about pho often can be seen slurping at My Tho, the unassuming but awesome Vietnamese restaurant at 500 E. Central — right at the corner of Central and Emporia.

But they won’t be seen there for a while. My Tho is closed and will remain so at least through the end of the month while the owners do some remodeling.

They’re redoing the floor, replacing the ceiling and cleaning up the part of the restaurant that’s held old pool tables and other junk so that they can add more tables and expand the dining room.

The work should take about three more weeks. I’ll let you know when the My Tho reopens.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Restaurant remodeling, Vietnamese food | Comments

Kansas’ oldest McDonald’s gets new look

March 13, 20129:02 a.m.

The oldest McDonald's in Kansas just got a makeover, both inside and out.

McDonald’s restaurants across the United States are being remodeled in an ultra-modern way, and several of Wichita’s have already received the upgrade.

The latest to reveal its new look is the oldest McDonald’s in the state, which is at 1630 S. Hillside (the corner of Harry and Hillside). The restaurant will celebrate with a “grand re-opening” on Wednesday and specials that will run through the end of April.

The Harry and Hillside McDonald’s, said to be Kansas’ first, opened on Feb. 4, 1960. Today, it’s owned by Roy McCalla. Construction started in November, and the restaurant remained open throughout the process, ocassionally operating only its drive-through.

The brand new interior of the McDonald's at Harry and Hillside.

The new look is totally McModern and looks as though it was furnished by Ikea. I stopped in last night, and restaurant looks more like a coffee shop than a fast food burger chain. The red roof is gone, and the interior features tall bar tables and pendant lighting.

McCalla, who also operates the McDonald’s at 1643 S. Webb, is celebrating its remodel on Wednesday, too. Nine McDonald’s in Wichita and the surrounding areas have been or are in the process of being redone so far, and a new McDonald’s in Haysville is being built with the new design.

To mark the occassion, he’s offering through the end of April two Sausage Egg McMuffins for $3 every day, free medium fountain drinks with the purchase of an Angus burger on Saturdays, and $1.99 cheeseburger happy meals from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturdays. The offers are good only at McCalla’s two McDonald’s.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Fast food, Restaurant remodeling, Restaurant reopenings, Uncategorized | Comments

Bella Vita expansion is complete

Dec. 15, 201110:50 a.m.

Lory Wooley, left, Crystal Prud Homme DeLodden and head chef Adrian Prud Homme DeLodden.

Bella Vita Bistro, the Italian restaurant that’s one of West street’s best-kept secrets, just finished an expansion that’s added a bar and 32 more seats.

Owner Lory Wooley, who along with her daughter, Crystal, and Crystal’s chef husband Adrian Prud Homme DeLodder, opened Bella Vita in early 2010, took over the space next door formerly occupied by a nail salon and spent the past six weeks feverishly remodeling it.

The expansion, which doubled the size of the restaurant to 2,400 square feet, will allow it to cut down on sometimes long weekend-night waits,

“We were turning too many people away,” Wooley said. “I hated to do that.”

The expansion also will give Bella Vita the ability to host small events such as business meetings and wedding rehearsal dinners.

In other Bella Vita news: The restaurant is putting on a special plated New Year’s Eve dinner, which will include five courses for $50 a person. It’s taking reservations now.

Bella Vita Bistro is at 120 N. West St. For more information, call 316-941-4500.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Italian food, Restaurant remodeling | Comments

Hank is so wise, he’s adding barbecue

Nov. 1, 201111:00 a.m.

Hank is Wiser Brewery, a well-regarded family-owned brew pub that’s operated in Cheney since 2005, is in the process of creating  a menu that will include all sorts of barbecue offerings, including ribs, brisket and more. Founder Hank Sanford and his brewer son, Steve, acquired a smoker and at the moment are perfecting their rubs and sauces. They hope to have the new menu launched by the end of the year or early in 2012.

They’ve also been busy remodeling the restaurant, an upgrade that’s adding 1,000 square feet to the space at 213 N. Main in Cheney. This summer, they also added a patio out back.

A bottle of Sam Adams Utopias.

Hank also told me recently about a rare offering he has in his brewery that will appeal to beer aficionados. He carries Sam Adams Utopias, which he says is the strongest beer brewed in the United States. The alcohol contest of Utopias is around 27 percent, and it costs between $13 and $18 an ounce. Hank has the Utopias from 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011. Very few businesses carry the beer, Hank said, and he believes his may be the only place in Kansas.

Hank is Wiser Brewery is open from 5:30 p.m. to midnight on Thursdays and from 5:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, call 316-542-0113.

By Denise Neil | Tags: Filed under Barbecue, Beer, Restaurant remodeling, Restaurants worth the drive | Comments