d’Sozo chef still planning new place

May 8, 20123:41 p.m.

Chef Miguel Larcher

When Chef Miguel Larcher bought vegan restaurant d’Sozo from former owner Larry Cook back in December, his plans were to close it and reopen it with a new name.

He did — briefly. Larcher called the restaurant Miguel’s Eat-In Cafe, and he said he’d continue to operate at the original location at 1812 S. Seneca until he found a new location.

That didnt’ last, and he ended up closing to devote himself to the search. He thought he had a place picked out last week in downtown Wichita, but at the last minute, the deal fell through. Larcher now says he has a line on a few other spaces that look good. He hopes to be reopen by the end of this year.

In the meantime, Larcher is about to publish a new cookbook. It’s called “Three Olives – Of the Sea” and will be ready in July. It’ll feature vegan recipes and will be avaialable in local bookstores.

I’ll let you know when he finds a spot.

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

Dolci & Joes goes… plus other closings

Jan. 6, 201211:50 a.m.

Dolci & Joe's is closed.

Perhaps the New Year forced some restaurants to take a hard look at how their businesses were doing. Suddenly, news of closings are everywhere. A quick roundup:

Dolci & Joes, the sandwich shop at 3425 E. Douglas known for fabulous sweet potato fries and homemade ketchup, is gone. A sign posted on the door of the empty building thanks customers for their patronage and says the business is “closed until further notice.” Phone calls to the owners haven’t been returned, but once they are, we’ll let you know if that means there’s hope for a reopening.

And the Wiener Is, 2322 E. Douglas: I told you about this one yesterday. That place has vanished into thin air. The building shows no signs the restaurant was ever there.

Sloppy Joe’s, 803 N. West St. After six months in business, Sloppy Joe’s, the tiny restaurant that specialized in the messy sandwich, has closed.

Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill, 233 N. Mosley: I wondered for years how this chain in Old Town was hanging on. It isn’t any more.

Imbiss Grille, 315 N. Mead: I also wondered how this German restaurant made it, though it kept making it and making it. Now, it’s closed, and businessman Chris Fincher plans to open Todd Brians Brick Street Cafe & Tavern in the space in February.

Speedy Burger, 3090 W. 13th St. N.: This burger joint, which reopened in February after a car crashed into it, has apparently been closed for a couple of months.

d’Sozo, 1812 S. Seneca: The vegan restaurant isn’t closed, per se, but chef Miguel Larcher recently took it over and changed the name to Miguel’s Eat-In Cafe. He’ll continue to operate at the space with the same hours — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays through Fridays — until he finds a new location.

Know of any other sudden closures I’m missing? E-mail me.

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