Category Archives: Derby

Precious Debut 4D Ultrasound to open at Bristol Square Shopping Center

May 16, 20134:15 p.m.

WICHITA — Precious Debut 4D Ultrasound will make its debut in the Bristol Square Shopping Center in Derby next week.

The business will cater to pregnant women in 1,600 square feet at the center, which is at the northeast corner of Madison and Rock Road.

Tammy Dvorak and Shelly White, who have 30 years of ultrasound experience between them, are partners in the business.

Dvorak says 4D ultrasound is basically 3D with motion. She and White prefer that expectant mothers have permission from their doctors before getting these elective ultrasounds.

“This is more for … fun,” Dvorak says. “Kind of bond the family together.”

The business will be available for baby parties. Dvorak says she hasn’t had final word from the fire marshal yet, but she thinks the space may be able to hold up to 50 people.

Cristi Howell of J.P. Weigand & Sons handled the lease.

Precious Debut also will offer diagnostic ultrasound with a doctor’s order and offer a variety of general health screening services.

Dvorak says she and White hope to open on Monday.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Bristol Square, Derby, New business, Real estate, Retail | Comments

Derby Mattress Hub to move to Derby Marketplace and expand

March 8, 20139:39 a.m.

WICHITA — The Derby Mattress Hub is moving to the Derby Marketplace at North Rock Road and Tall Tree Road.

“We just think the growth of Derby is fantastic,” says Ryan Baty, who founded the Wichita company with Mark Barrientos in 2008. “There’s a lot of retail opportunities out of that new development.”

The current store, which licensee Sharon Kinney calls an outlet store, is at 105 S. Baltimore Ave.

The new store, which will open by Memorial Day, will be in 4,000 square feet in front of Target in the same center where Capitol Federal and Cox Communications are.

Kinney likely will still be involved with the new Mattress Hub, but it will now be a corporate store.

“Our goal is we really want to maximize … the mattress business in Derby,” Baty says. “If we brought the corporate store down there with the corporate concept … I think Derby would be better served.”

He says that means a “very upscale, very spacious” store.

“We also have further expansion into Kansas City that’s happening and in southwest Missouri,” Baty says.

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

Kobe Steak House of Japan in Derby has closed, but Starbucks and Braum’s are opening, possibly followed by Chipotle

March 4, 201311:00 a.m.

WICHITA — Derby’s loss is going to be Wichita’s gain.

Kobe Steak House of Japan, which opened three years ago in the former Tokyo Steakhouse space at 1221 N. Rock Road in Derby, closed after business March 2.

Jim Hamlin, who owns the restaurant with Jim West, says they plan to reopen in Wichita.

They already have a Kobe at 21st and Maize Road. Hamlin won’t say where the new one will be.

“I’ll tell you that a little later.”

Hamlin says the Derby Kobe was profitable, but not enough.

“We hadn’t been as successful there as we’d like to be.”

He says there were issues with the building, including too much square footage for the number of diners it could seat, and a too-small parking lot.

“It just had a number of barriers to growing down there,” Hamlin says. “It takes a lot of population to have a specialty restaurant.”

It’s not all bad dining news for Derby, though.

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

Domino’s Pizza franchisees expand in Wichita, Derby and Hutchinson

Dec. 4, 201210:42 a.m.

WICHITA — Domino’s Pizza franchisees Mike and Stacia McKnight, who own Gusto LLC, are expanding in several ways.

Last week, they opened a Derby location in the strip center in front of Target at Derby Marketplace at 71st South and Rock Road. That’s the same center as the Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.

Late this month, the McKnights are opening another location in Wichita in the same center as Yamasa, which is on the west side of Hillside just south of Central.

This makes six restaurants for the couple in the Wichita area.

Also late this month, the McKnights are opening a Hutchinson Domino’s at 2500 N. Main.

They also own three Domino’s sites in Topeka and seven in Kansas City with one more on the way yet this year.

Mike McKnight says he and his wife likely will open two more locations in Wichita in the second and third quarters of next year. They’re looking to the far east and far west of the greater Wichita area.

“It just depends when we find the locations we like.”

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

Menards finalizes deal for Derby store

Oct. 3, 20125:00 a.m.

UPDATED — Menards, the Wisconsin-based home improvement chain, has finalized its deal for a store near the southwest corner of East Patriot Avenue and Buckner Street in Derby.

“It’s been a long time coming,” says Grant Glasgow of Grubb & Ellis/Martens Commercial Group.

Glasgow and colleague Jeff Englert represented North Derby Investments, which sold 46.13 acres to Menards.

Marty Gilchrist and Grant Tidemann of J.P. Weigand & Sons represented Menards. 

The deal, which was in the works for a couple of years, closed Sept. 28 for an undisclosed amount.

“We recently purchased 50.63 acres in Derby, KS and if everything goes as planned, we hope to build a new Menards store on this property some day,” Menards spokesman Jeff Abbott said through an e-mail. “We are still in the initial planning stages and no final decisions have been made just yet.”

The total number of acres includes a residential property Menards purchased as well.

Glasgow says he’s not sure when construction will start or when to expect the store to open.

“They weren’t able to share that with us yet.”

This makes the third Menards that will open in the greater Wichita area.

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

Premier Martial Arts to open in Derby

Aug. 8, 20125:00 a.m.

WICHITA — Mark Philbrick left his job at Law Kingdon Architecture a week ago, but not because he didn’t like it.

“Working for an architect was a good job, but it wasn’t my true calling.”

Martial arts is, so Philbrick is opening a school called Premier Martial Arts in Derby.

“I like the quote, ‘It’s never too late to be what you might have been,’” Philbrick says. “I’ve always been passionate about the martial arts.”

His passion began as a child.

“I was bullied in school,” Philbrick says. “I found a release in comic books and martial art movies.”

At age 11, he started doing martial arts.

“It really just helped me, I guess, develop myself more and build confidence.”

Now his own children are 11 and 8 and are inspiring his new career.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Derby, Real estate, Spring Creek | Comments Off

Balls-n-Strikes coming to Derby

Jan. 24, 20122:44 p.m.

WICHITA — Another new Balls-n-Strikes indoor baseball and softball practice facility is coming to the greater Wichita area, this time in Derby.

Mike Gehrer already has franchises in Bel Aire and Goddard. He and Kelly Klima, who will own 70 percent of the business, are opening another Balls-n-Strikes at 1728 Nelson Drive in Derby next to Atwoods.

Klima says he’s thrilled to be working with Gehrer.

“He has coached my son for a couple of years now,” Klima says. “He’s just a brilliant guy.”

The two expect to break ground on the 10,000-square-foot facility in March. Klima expects it will take about five months to build.

The Derby City Council recently approved the site plan.

“Having an indoor practice facility benefits for a lot of reasons,” Klima says.

Even though a lot of teams start their seasons in March, he says, it’s difficult for them to practice in the cold months before then.

“This creates a lot of practice time for the kids … who are trying to get ready for their season.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Derby, New business | Comments Off

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

Gindi owners plan Dawn Thai Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in former Derby Smashburger space

Oct. 11, 201111:10 a.m.

WICHITA — Lou Kumgool is about to make a lot of Derby residents happy.

Ever since she opened Gindi Thai Cuisine & Sushi Bar in the former Back Yard Burgers space at West 21st Street near Ridge Road in 2008, Kumgool has been hearing from her Derby and east-side customers who want her to open closer to them.

So that’s what she’s now doing.

Kumgool and her husband, Philip Sayavong, are opening Dawn Thai Steakhouse & Sushi Bar next month in the former Smashburger space at 1220 N. Rock Road in Derby.

This makes her family’s fifth restaurant, including three in St. Louis.

“This one is all about me, about my adventure,” Kumgool says.

She’s even named the restaurant after herself. Kumgool says her Thai first name, Roungaroon, means “dawn.”

Kumgool says her father named her because she was born at 5 a.m. He was sitting in a waiting room while her mother gave birth, and when he first heard Kumgool’s cries, he looked outside and saw the sun rising.

Kumgool says Dawn will be all about her experiences “through traveling and eating — my passion of eating.”

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

You don’t say

Sept. 13, 20113:49 p.m.

“That’s my business partner.”

— Paul Cohlmia, referring to Murphy’s Law, which he said is to blame for the delayed debut Thursday of his Riverside Cafe of Derby

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