Daily Archives: June 12, 2012

You don’t say

June 12, 20123:25 p.m.

“I have so many things; it’s not even worth starting.”

– Sedgwick County Commissioner Richard Ranzau when it was his turn to speak about any issues of concern at today’s meeting with staff, which drew laughs

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

Doug Rupe leaves WaterWalk for Legend Senior Living

June 12, 201211:59 a.m.

WICHITA — Doug Rupe no longer is WaterWalk’s executive vice president. He’s taken a new job with Legend Senior Living.

“Well, he just had a great opportunity to take over development,” says WaterWalk owner Jack DeBoer.

“You know, I never stand in the way,” he says. “It’s a big loss, but … he’ll be a great asset for them.”

DeBoer isn’t replacing Rupe – at least for now.

“We’re shuffling some people around a little bit,” he says. “We’re going to kind of see how it goes with the team we have.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Senior care, WaterWalk | Comments Off

R Coffeehouse to replace the Riverside Perk

June 12, 201211:06 a.m.

WICHITA — The Riverside Perk has a new owner, but the popular hang-out spot will no longer be known as the Perk.

Angelo Rodriguez and his family are renaming it R Coffeehouse. The R is for Riverside.

Rodriguez says he likes the sound of, “Hey, let’s go to R Coffeehouse,” as in “our coffeehouse.”

The Perk closed late last month after 17 years in business.

“We just want to do stuff a little bit different than it has been in the past here,” Rodriguez says.

That includes expanding the menu to include more sandwiches, salads and ready-to-go items. On the weekends, there will be special items such as tamales and barbecue. Rodriguez says he’ll keep some Perk items as well.

“We’re going to take some spins off some of the most popular things.”

Rodriguez and his family own the Red Barn at Lake Afton and also are opening the new Anna Murdoc’s Cafe in Sutton Place downtown. Rodriguez will run R Coffeehouse, and his brother, Gerard, will run Anna Murdoc’s.

“We’re pretty serious about … our taste buds,” Angelo Rodriguez says of his family. “Our passion is about providing good service (and) good food.”

He plans to do old-fashioned sundaes, banana splits and Italian sodas on the south side of the building.

“It’s so underutilized,” he says of that area. “It has been for years.”

Rodriguez is working with PrairieFire Coffee Roasters on several custom blends.

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