Daily Archives: June 22, 2010

Local Hereford House owner says an indictment in the Kansas City Hereford House fire won’t affect him

June 22, 20106:12 p.m.

WICHITA — A federal grand jury today indicted the president of the group that owns Hereford House in Kansas City, but local Hereford House owner Mike Issa says it won’t affect him.

According to the Kansas City Star, Rod Anderson, president of the Anderson Restaurant Group, is charged with arson in a 2008 fire that destroyed the landmark Hereford House in Kansas City.

He’s also charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and using fire to commit a federal felony.

“It does not affect anything,” says Issa, whose restaurant is at the Terradyne Country Club. “I’m not affiliated with the Anderson Group whatsoever.”

He says he merely bought a license from the company last year.

“I just want to use their name,” Issa says.

“They have a great concept, a great product,” he says. “Restaurantwise, it has a great reputation.”

Issa says the Anderson Group also stipulates that he has to use Cargill Sterling Silver meat, but he says that’s what he’d want to use anyway.

That’s as far as his connection to Rod Anderson goes, Issa says.

“We are completely two different people.”

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

You don’t say

June 22, 201011:23 a.m.

“I’m all for the government saving money, but please leave the air conditioning turned on.”

—  Consultant Jim Gregory, one of the many people suffering through air conditioning problems at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport today

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

The poll is open: Tell us what you want, Wichita

June 22, 201010:58 a.m.

WICHITA — Turns out there are a lot of restaurants and retail shops Wichitans want.

Last week, we asked what national and regional businesses you might like to see here. Hundreds of you replied.

From a list of more than 100 nominations, we picked what seemed to be the most popular choices. Now, it’s time to vote.

You can select up to five businesses.

Once you vote, we’ll call your top picks and see what it would take to get them here.

Look for the results on July 4.


By Carrie Rengers | Filed under New business | Comments

Mattress Hub expands into Oklahoma; has more plans for Wichita, too

June 22, 20106:00 a.m.

WICHITA — The six-store Mattress Hub chain is growing — again.

About this time last year, business partners Mark Barrientos and Ryan Baty expanded at Towne East Square and Towne West Square.

Now, they’re expanding into Oklahoma.

“We feel like there’s a really good need for our concept out there,” Barrientos says.

He says an approximately 6,500-square-foot store will open within a month in Enid.

A second store will follow the next month, though Barrientos isn’t saying where in Oklahoma yet.

There are some changes coming in Wichita, too.

The Mattress Hubs at the malls will convert to express stores, which means they’ll be smaller and will focus on the most popular lines.

“We’re going to scale those down to about this model we’re creating now for the smaller markets,” Barrientos says.

That means extensive remodeling at the Towne East store, which currently is 11,000 square feet. The smaller Towne West store will undergo only cosmetic changes.

There are two new Mattress Hubs coming to Wichita as well, and they’ll be much bigger superstores.

Barrientos can’t share all the specifics just yet. For now, he says only that “something really big” is coming to the east side.

He’s even more excited about plans for the west side.

“We have a really, really big deal in the making.”

Look for more details late this week.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail, Towne East Square, Towne West Square | Comments