Daily Archives: Jan. 23, 2012

Derby Playa Azul closes; may reopen in another spot

Jan. 23, 20125:33 p.m.

WICHITA — The Derby Playa Azul has closed.

Daniel Rodriguez, a manager at the west Wichita Playa Azul, says sales weren’t what they needed to be. He says there also were issues with the building at 311 N. Baltimore.

Rodriguez says the chain is looking for new space, possibly in Derby again.

“We are not sure yet.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , Filed under Closings, Derby, Restaurants | Comments Off

Steven brothers and VinZant settle lawsuit over Mike’s Wine Dive

Jan. 23, 20124:35 p.m.

UPDATED — Brad and Brent Steven are now the sole owners of Mike’s Wine Dive.

Earlier this month, Have You Heard? reported that the brothers sued longtime friend and Mike’s co-founder Whitney VinZant and several other people associated with the almost 2-year-old business near Douglas and Oliver.

“We all agree that the restaurant doesn’t work with all these cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, so we need to part ways,” Brad Steven said at the time. “Either he takes full ownership or we take full ownership, and the lawsuit is to figure that out.”

The parties reached an agreement today.

“We’ve resolved it amicably,” says Joe Cassell, the Stevens’ lawyer and stepfather.

There were differences in how the brothers and VinZant wanted to run the College Hill restaurant, and there were disputes over who owned how much of the business.

The brothers have been gone from the restaurant for several weeks but are now back.

“We’re taking over the company,” Cassell says. “One hundred percent of it.”

 

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Bars, Lawsuits, Restaurants | Comments Off

Twin Peaks franchisee looking for west-side space

Jan. 23, 20122:51 p.m.

WICHITA — Twin Peaks franchisee Rusty Rathbun is scouting west-side sites for a second Twin Peaks.

“Nothing’s etched in stone,” he says.

Rathbun wants to make a decision by the end of March so he can open by September at the latest.

Wichita’s first Twin Peaks, which opened in the former Timberline space near 21st and Rock Road last year, is doing well enough to consistently be in the top 10 of the chain’s more than 20 restaurants in terms of volume, Rathbun says.

For the west-side location, he’s considering existing spaces along with possibly constructing a new building.

“We think that it’s probably going to take four months to build it,” he says.

So which would he prefer?

“I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag yet.”

Rathbun and his partners in the Udder Group, a company that is developing Mooyah sites, are close to signing a franchisee who will open six or seven of the burger restaurants in Wichita.

He says the deal should happen in early February. If all goes as planned, Wichita’s first Mooyah should open by May or June.

We’ll keep you posted.

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

Leslie Kinder has plans to reopen her Melange Custom Jewelry

Jan. 23, 20125:15 a.m.

WICHITA — The state may have forced Melange Custom Jewelry out of business last week, but owner Leslie Kinder isn’t giving up.

“At some point, I guess I’ll just regroup, get back together and start another store,” she says.

Kinder, who opened her business in 1985, owes the state $31,700 in taxes.

Her problems, she says, began after she moved from Delano to Old Town in 2002.

“I should have stayed in Delano,” Kinder says. “It was a bad move.”

She returned to Delano, but she owed the state money.

“The old payments were just accumulating and accumulating and accumulating,” Kinder says. “It’s been kind of a runaway train ever since.”

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Delano, Old Town, Retail, Taxes | Comments Off