WICHITA — After a decade in business, Old Town Martini is closing.
But fans of the restaurant in the former Rock Island train depot can still get food by brothers Kassem and Ali Yassine because they’ll continue their catering business at 3407 E. Douglas.
“I had a good time here, but I have to do this move,” Kassem Yassine says. “In this time and in this economy, I’d rather be small.”
Business is still OK, but there are several things prompting the move.
The restaurant’s banquet business used to be big, with at least one or two a week.
Now, Ali Yassine says, “We don’t see them.”
Also, they’ve been told the potential new owners of the former Cox Communications Kansas campus won’t begin developing the property for two to three years.
When Cox and its employees left, that hurt business, too.
“The area around me is dying, really,” Kassem Yassine says.
His late 1800s building needs maintenance as well, and he doesn’t think he could quickly recoup the money.
“We’re still doing good, but the way it’s going . . . .”
Ali Yassine says catering is already 60 percent of the restaurant’s business, so it makes sense to keep it going.
Old Town Martini will close at the end of July.
The new business doesn’t have a name yet.
Kassem Yassine is contemplating Marbella, which is a restaurant he use to have on the east and west sides and in Derby.
The new place will be available for private dinners for small groups and will offer to-go dishes as well. Eventually, the Yassines will add a deli there, too.
And, one day, they’d like to open another full-service restaurant, most likely on the east or west side.
“Because I like it,” Kassem Yassine says. “I’ve been doing it for 20 years.”
He wouldn’t mind returning to downtown one day, too, but he’d want to open a deli in Old Town instead of a something similar to Old Town Martini.
“I’m going to keep my eye open,” Kassem Yassine says.
The Yassines like their new East Douglas location because the former Krazy Kaz and Papagiorgio’s Pizza space has a kitchen and is ready to move into.
They’ll cater “anything — you name it,” Kassem Yassine says. “We do it all.”
Don Ablah of Classic Real Estate handled the deal for the Yassines.
“He is part of the family,” Ali Yassine says.
“We won’t make a move without his support or his consultation,” he says. “He knows about the food business, too.”
Still, Kassem Yassine says it’s hard for him and his brother to leave Old Town and the longtime customers who have frequented their restaurant.
“I just want to thank Wichita.”
15 Comments
Actually it is in the former Rock Island Depot not the Missouri Pacific Depot.
Ali, we miss you in Derby! Please come back!
Thanks, Kawwsu77! Someone else altered me, too, and we got it fixed.
Sincerely,
Carrie
Ah… Rock Island… Missouri Pacific, what’s a little inaccuracy in the media??? Oops, I guess I’m being negative again by pointing out the unreliability of the information in Carrie’s column. Shame on me… again.
No Surprise. The other night the waitress told me I could not have a salad because it was not a part of the meal. Then she said she had never served bread before so you don’t get any. When asked what those little plates were for at each setting, she said the dessert. That told us why there were only two other customers eating there on a Friday Night.
The food there wasn’t bad on busy days, but if you went on a slow day, it wasn’t that good… The facility its self isn’t that good for meetings, so good for them on the move…
I’m not surprised. The last two times I was there we had very poor service and mediocre food. No excuse for the poor service because there were hardly any other diners in the place. We were there most recently for the lunch buffet. The waitress brought our drinks and then disappeared until it was time to pay the bill. We had already decided not to return before we read today that they’re closing.
Oops, I guess I’m being negative again by pointing out the unreliability of the information in Carrie’s column.
The mistake, (humans make those) had already been brought to her attention and fixed. So you are really not being negative, you’re just being an ass.
We wish them the very best, Ali catered our daughters wedding. The food was fabulous, plentiful and very well priced. We would love for you to come back to Derby, we really miss your wonderful food. Hope the catering business does well for you. If you want great food for a great price call Ali!
Hmm Carrie did you really mean altered? I would have thought alerted was the correct word here.
Hmm Carrie did you really mean altered? I would have thought alerted was the correct word here.
Sorry… forgot to say great post – can’t wait to read your next one!
Careful, Stephen… failure to blindly worship Carrie and pointing out her faults and errors can lead to your being branded negative.
Stephen – I think she was ‘alerted’ and then she ‘altered’ the article to reflect the correction to which she had been ‘alerted’
Yep, BTH, that’s exactly what I meant.
Gotcha!