“The only people I haven’t seen are Charles and Liz Koch.”
— Wichita resident and longtime Barrier’s shopper Pat Hysko’s comment about the who’s who of Wichita shopping the store’s going-out-of-business presale Monday, which she described as a cross between a wake and a social gathering
WICHITA — A Barrier’s question that won’t be answered for a while is what will happen with the property at the northeast corner of Douglas and Oliver.
There’s the jewelry and gift store and the office behind it.
It’s owned by Big River LLC, and the late Jay Barrier’s probate estate it its sole member.
The administrator will decide what happens with the property at a later date.
WICHITA — A couple of readers had a question after seeing this week’s item about Barrier’s liquidation sale, which starts Monday.
Barrier’s filed bankruptcy Oct. 23, and a judge this week approved the liquidation sale.
Marsden Brothers Promotions of Idaho is conducting the sale and plans to bring in new merchandise to sell as Barrier’s stock is depleted.
The readers wondered if this is against the law.
According to Wichita code section 3.32.070, during such a sale it’s unlawful to sell merchandise that’s not regular stock at the store or to replenish or add items during the sale.
However, according to the city attorney’s office, in this case the bankruptcy court’s order would prevail.
If anyone wanted to challenge that ruling, a complaint would have to go through the bankruptcy court because it has jurisdiction.
WICHITA — Barrier’s, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy Friday, is moving ahead with a liquidation sale starting Monday and will close after the sale ends in early January.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Dale Somers approved the sale during a hearing today.
“We’re here today because of the unfortunate and untimely death of Jay Barrier,” bankruptcy attorney Ed Nazar said during the hearing.
Barrier, grandson of Carl Barrier who founded the jewelry and gift shop in 1933, died following an accident one year ago this week.
Nazar told the court that a lack of a succession plan coupled with a difficult economy and changing market conditions prompted the bankruptcy.
Barrier’s has $938,788 in liabilities and $2,815,582 in assets.
The liquidation is expected to bring $2.5 million in sales, of which $1,182,972 is projected to be net profit.
WICHITA — Barrier’s, the longtime jewelry and gift store on the northeast corner of Douglas and Oliver, has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $938,788 in liabilities and $2,815,582 in assets.
“We have made a Chapter 11 filing, and now we’re in the process of planning our next steps,” says Mary Ellen Barrier.
Barrier says she can’t say whether the bankruptcy means the store will close or sell.
“I just do not know yet,” she says. “All these final decisions have not been made.”
According to the bankruptcy filing, though, the store is having a liquidation sale.
“There’s a teachable moment here,” says Barrier’s attorney Ed Nazar.
“We’ve lost an icon for Wichita, and I feel very sad about that. And we’ve lost that icon for two reasons.
WICHITA — Barrier’s, the longtime jewelry store at Douglas and Oliver, has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $938,788 in liabilities and $2,815,582 in assets.
“We have made a Chapter 11 filing, and now we’re in the process of planning our next steps,” says Mary Ellen Barrier.
Barrier says she can’t say whether the bankruptcy means the store will close or sell.
“I just do not know yet,” she says. “All these final decisions have not been made.”
Barrier doesn’t want to say much more until her attorney, Ed Nazar, comments on the filing. He was not immediately available.
Barrier says Barrier’s is getting ready for an in-store sale.
“We look forward to seeing all our friends and customers at that time,” she says.
And as for the bankruptcy, she says, “We regret doing it very much.”
Look for more information on this story later today.
WICHITA — Domino’s Pizza owner Jim Hightower, who couldn’t be reached for comment last week to discuss his company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, wants customers to know he’s keeping his two restaurants open.
“For legal reasons, we had to file for the reorganization,” Hightower says.
He says the bankruptcy is “almost exclusively (due) to the debts that were incurred by the two stores that we closed.”
The Domino’s Pizzas at 21st and Woodlawn and Kellogg and West closed last year.
The bankruptcy filing lists assets of $169,883.47 and debts of $963,975.12.
Hightower says the Domino’s restaurants at Harry and Rock and Central and Tyler remain open.
“We’re not closing and not going anywhere.”
WICHITA — In December, Have You Heard? reported that Jim and Melissa Hightower had closed two of their four Domino’s Pizzas.
“We think we’ll come through this,” Jim Hightower said at the time.
Now the company that runs the Domino’s restaurants here, Sundance Kansas, has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy with assets of $169,883.47 and debts of $963,975.12. The filing lists Melissa Hightower as the manager of Sundance.
Neither the Hightowers nor their attorneys returned calls for comment.
It’s not clear what will happen with the two remaining Domino’s restaurants here.
The Domino’s Pizzas at 21st and Woodlawn and Kellogg and West closed last year, and the ones on East Harry and North Tyler remained open.
Jim Hightower said then that those restaurants were doing well and that the other two were simply located too close to them and couldn’t generate enough business.
At the time, he also said he and his wife want to open new stores in locations that make sense, but it was too difficult to get credit for a start-up in a troubled economy.
WICHITA — Gary Clark is trying to sell the building that houses his Clark’s Fine Jewelry at 21st and Rock, but his business will remain open.
“We are not going out of business,” an emphatic Clark says.
In early May, Clark filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy with $1,590,894 in assets and $1,037,437 in liabilities.
“Everything’s going along just exactly the way it’s supposed to when you reorganize,” Clark says.
His 3,050-square-foot space is listed for $1.65 million.
“I have five offers,” Clark says. “I would not accept any of them that have been made so far.”
He says he does not have to sell, but he’d like to either buy or lease less expensive space somewhere else on the east side.
“We are not trying to do anything but cut expenses,” Clark says.
“I have no desire to quit the jewelry business,” he says. “You meet the happiest, nicest people in the jewelry business. . . . It just makes your heart delight.”
Clark’s Fine Jewelry at 21st and Rock filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. Court documents show $1,590,894 in assets and $1,037,437 in liabilities.
“For us to survive in a downturn economy we’ve had to reorganize our payments to pay our vendors in a fashion that is doable,” owner Gary Clark says. “That’s the purpose of reorganization.”
Clark says nothing has changed day to day at the business, which opened in 1946.
“Absolutely not,” he says. “We’re in business like we have always been.”
Clark says his problems began about a year and a half ago when gas prices went over $2.
He says the last several months have been good for business, though.
“It actually has turned quite a bit to a positive,” Clark says.
Last month, The Eagle reported that Legacy Bank filed suit to foreclose on the jewelry store.
Before that, Clark filed a lawsuit against a company that he says backed out of a deal to buy his property.
Clark says all legal action is stayed because of the bankruptcy.
He’s not sure of a repayment timetable yet, but Clark says, “It’s not a problem to carry it forward.”