WICHITA — Last month, Have You Heard? reported Bill Rowe was close to finalizing a deal for new space to operate his Blue Moon Caterers.
Late Thursday, he did.
“Blue Moon has a new home,” Rowe says.
He’s leasing the former Two Brothers BBQ and Burger Grill space at 8406 W. Central across from Bishop Carroll Catholic High School.
The 10-year-old Blue Moon has been sharing a kitchen with Rowe’s Red Bean’s Bayou Grill at 7447 W. 21st St.
“It’s kind of goofy what we have to do to make it work,” he says. “It’s so tiny. It’s amazing that our staff can get 2,000 meals out on a Saturday night.”
The new space is about 6,600 square feet, which will be used for catering and event rental space.
“It has a larger kitchen, which is well laid out for our needs,” Rowe says. “We’ve grown dramatically in the last few years.”
He won’t begin moving into the new space until March.
“We’re still on the tail end of wedding season, and the holiday season is coming up, and it’s got its own insanity.”
April is the start of the next wedding season, and Rowe has a few things to do to get the new space ready.
“The timing worked out very nicely,” he says.
Cory Harkleroad of KW Commercial Partners and Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal.
The banquet room will seat about 275 for a wedding or more if it’s for another event, such as a cocktail party.
The last Friday in March will be the first date the new space is available to rent.
“The architecture lends itself to a Tuscan look,” Rowe says. “It’s a gorgeous building.”
He says it also inspired a name for the space: Villa Luna, which means House of the Moon.
“An obvious homage to Blue Moon.”