Daily Archives: Feb. 15, 2010

Shesha hookah lounge to open in Delano

Feb. 15, 20106:07 a.m.

WICHITA — Maher “George” Gerges is making plans to open another hookah bar, this time in Delano.

Maher opened Shesha, a hookah bar at 2628 E. 21st St. near Wichita State University, two years ago.

More recently, he opened a hookah lounge within Doc Howard’s in Old Town and Shesha Tobacco Shop at Towne West Square.

Now, Gerges will open another lounge at 1007 W. Douglas in Delano where ChiArt Studio will leave later this month.

He’s not decided on a final name yet, but Gerges says he’ll incorporate the Shesha name into the new business.

The bar will serve a limited amount of appetizers.

“It’s not going to be (a) big restaurant,” Gerges says.

There will be beer and possibly wine.

“It depends on my crowd,” Gerges says.

Look for the lounge to open by April.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Delano, Leases, Restaurants, Towne West Square, Wichita State University | Comments

Brett Harris returns to B98-FM for three main reasons

Feb. 15, 20105:35 a.m.

WICHITA — There are three things that convinced Brett Harris to sign a new 3-year contract with B98-FM, where he returned on air this morning.

First, producer Kathy Deane got her job back, which Harris says was his No. 1 stipulation.

“The show was better — is better — with a producer,” says Tom Glade, Clear Channel Radio vice president and market manager.

Second, Harris wanted to report solely to Glade instead of what he refers to as “middle management.”

“Who the show reports to and doesn’t report to was real big to me,” Harris says. “And they restructured that for me, and that’s important because I want to live in an excellent, healthy, healthy atmosphere.”

Third was money.

“It was a very nice financial commitment to every team member,” Harris says. “For those guys to step up like that and make that kind of commitment, it was a blessing. It really was.”

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Radio | Comments

You don’t say

Feb. 15, 20103:35 a.m.

“I felt like I was sort of out in the boondocks.”

— Attorney Bruce Fitts, who worked downtown for almost six decades and now is back after a brief stint at the Waterfront, which he says was nice but not a good fit for him

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , Filed under You don't say | Comments Off

Douglas Pitts says reopening his own place was a natural

Feb. 15, 20102:06 a.m.

WICHITA — Douglas “D.J.” Pitts wasn’t available to comment Friday afternoon when Have You Heard? reported that he would open DK Kitchen at 217 E. Douglas today.

But he’s happy to talk about why he’s opening another place.

“Honestly, it’s what I do,” Pitts says.

He opened 626 Douglas downtown in 2004. It lasted for about a year.

Pitts also was the chef for a while at the now-closed Bella Donna.

Opening his own place again was natural, he says.

“It’s not simply a vocation or a profession to me.”

Pitts says he thinks he has something to contribute to Wichita in a culinary sense.

“The flavor profiles are a little different from what I’ve seen in the market,” he says.

His new restaurant (named for his and his wife Kelly’s first initials) will be more casual than 626 Douglas, with mostly soups, salads and sandwiches. He says the spirit is the same, though.

“It’s the same food philosophy and the same execution.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Restaurants | Comments