Daily Archives: Sept. 7, 2011

You don’t say

Sept. 7, 20116:45 p.m.

“We’ve got plenty of challenges, not the least of which is keeping the Big 12 together.”

— Gov. Sam Brownback, joking in remarks to a group of Triumph Structures — Wichita employees after touring the facility today

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

Chick-fil-A coming to the west side near the southwest corner of 21st and Maize Road

Sept. 7, 20116:30 p.m.

WICHITA — This is the moment west-side Chick-fil-A fans have been waiting for.

Yes, the restaurant is coming to your area.

Landmark Commercial Real Estate’s Brad Saville, who handled the deal, says the Atlanta-based chain has signed a contract for a freestanding site with a drive-through near the southwest corner of 21st and Maize Road.

“I’m expecting them to be very well received,” Saville says in what is likely an extreme understatement.

Chick-fil-A devotees have been eagerly awaiting west-side news since before the chain confirmed in February that it’s coming to the east side at Central and Rock Road.

It looks like that restaurant will open in early 2012 — possibly just a couple of weeks into January.

There’s also a small Chick-fil-A at Wichita State University.

This spring, developer NW Centre LLC purchased the 3-acre property near 21st and Maize Road where the former New Medical Health Care building is. That’s just west of Bank of the West.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under New business, Real estate, Restaurants, Retail, West side | Comments Off

Ciao Italian Kitchen to open in former Press space at the Waterfront

Sept. 7, 20113:15 p.m.

WICHITA — After almost 30 years of working in the restaurant business for others, Guillermo Perez-Munoz is opening his own place in the former Press space at the Waterfront.

“Why not?” he says, not allowing the previous failures of Piztros, Sabor and Press to deter him.

“We can analyze them — all of them,” Perez-Munoz says of why those businesses didn’t work.

The key, he says, is keeping his focus on food.

“In this area, it’s about families.”

So he’s opening Ciao Italian Kitchen, a 130-seat restaurant that will feature what Perez-Munoz calls the ultimate comfort food.

“We are an Italian kitchen first and foremost,” he says. “Every home is designed around the kitchen, so that’s what we’re doing.”

An extensive menu will include Italian favorites such as pizza, calzone and lasagna along with items such as surf-and-turf dishes.

Perez-Munoz isn’t planning any dishes from his native Puerto Rico, but he says as the business progresses he’ll probably “put some flare into it and bring some crazy pastas.”

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

La Chinita Mexican Restaurant owner to open Dos Fridas retail shop near NoMar

Sept. 7, 201111:17 a.m.

WICHITA — The owner of La Chinita Mexican Restaurant on North Broadway is branching out, but not with another restaurant.

“I am opening a store in the NoMar district,” Lolly Hernandez says. “I’m going to carry folk art (and) imports.”

She plans to open Dos Fridas, named for a Frida Kahlo painting, in almost 1,000 square feet at 2144 N. Broadway.

“I just wanted to contribute to the area and see if we could get it going for it to be another destination,” Hernandez says. “We have Delano. We have Old Town.

“NoMar . . . there’s a lot of empty buildings there, and I just thought I’d grab one,” she says. “There’s nothing going on right now. That’s scary. But you know, it’s my passion because I grew up in this area. I was really excited when this finally happened.”

Hernandez will carry products from Mexico and other countries and may offer art classes at some point as well.

“I just love the Latin culture. The music. The food. I’d like to share that with everybody.”

She thinks that’s NoMar’s potential, too.

“It’s different, you know. It’s multicultural. There’s a lot to offer if everybody would come together.

“I just hope it comes about.”

Hernandez has had the space for six months, and she’s determined to finally open this month to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Month, which starts Sept. 15.

Dos Fridas opens Sept. 17.

“Ready or not.”

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

Models and Images to expand and move to East Central

Sept. 7, 20115:11 a.m.

WICHITA — Models and Images is moving to Plaza Del Sol at 6130 E. Central and expanding to 3,500 square feet.

“I didn’t particularly want more space,” says Maryann Van Sickle, who owns the 26-year-old business with Howard Sherwood.

She’s happy to have the extra room, though, for training and office space — not to mention an extended runway.

Models and Images is an agency that prepares some clients for professional modeling work with top-name designers and teaches others important lessons they can use throughout their lives.

“Just confidence and being able to get up and speak to people and just have that little extra edge of whatever it takes to go to college and have a career,” Van Sickle says.

The business currently is in 2,000 square feet at 434 N. Oliver. Van Sickle says Models and Images has been there for a decade, but she’s recently been renting month-to-month because she knew her neighbor, Sedgwick County, eventually would expand and take over her space as well.

“We had known the other shoe would drop for quite a while.”

That’s OK, she says, because the new space has room for four large offices and extra training space.

“It’s going to give us a lot more space to have separate teaching space for the males and females,” Van Sickle says.

There’s also room for a 36-foot practice runway.

Van Sickle says the business will move Sept. 14.

“It’ll be really nice.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under County government, Leases, Real estate | Comments Off