Daily Archives: Aug. 11, 2011

You don’t say

Aug. 11, 20112:03 p.m.

“It’s like a theme park for guys.”

— A comment about Cabela’s that Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce chairman Lynn Nichols made today at the store’s groundbreaking

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

Undisclosed group strikes deal for Crown Uptown Theatre

Aug. 11, 201110:58 a.m.

WICHITA — It looks like a group other than NoMar Theatre Inc. will be purchasing the Crown Uptown Theatre.

“I have received an offer, and I’ve accepted it, and they’re working on getting everything finalized,” says owner Karen Morris.

“They are going to run it as a theater.”

Look for news on that group within a week or two.

In June, Have You Heard? reported that NoMar Theatre, which formed two years ago to try to buy and restore the historic NoMar Theatre at 21st and Market, was starting a capital campaign to try to buy the Crown Uptown space.

The idea was to make enough money there to eventually be able to buy and renovate the NoMar space.

Then earlier this month, Morris said another group wanted the space and seemed to have the money ready to buy it.

“Trying to raise money in this environment is very difficult,” says J Basham, NoMar’s interim executive director.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Real estate, Theaters | Comments Off

Wasabi Japanese Restaurant owner to open similar concept in former Bossa Grill space

Aug. 11, 20115:30 a.m.

WICHITA — Wasabi Japanese Restaurant owner Eun Young still has plans for an east-side restaurant, but they’ve changed slightly.

Young, whose first Wasabi is at 912 E. Douglas in Old Town, signed a deal this spring to open a similarly named restaurant in the 1,782-square-foot former Froz space at 3242 N. Rock.

After striking that deal with Occidental Management, Young learned of another nearby Occidental space that became available.

Now, he’s worked out a deal to take that 3,200-square-foot space where Bossa Grill used to be.

“He wanted the bigger space and obviously liked that it was already built out for a restaurant,” says Occidental president Chad Stafford.

He handled the lease with Occidental’s Bree Kelley.

Stafford also sold Young the restaurant equipment in the building.

Young is tweaking his Wasabi concept.

“I am going to try to be kind of a little bit . . . upscale,” he says.

The name will still be Wasabi, but it will be spelled differently. Young hasn’t decided how yet.

He likes the expanded space because it will allow him to do booths.

“I can make it more private.”

Young hopes to open in about two months.

Stafford is now working on finding a new tenant for the former Froz space.

“We’ve got several interested parties right now.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under East side, Leases, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments Off