Have You Heard?

WICHITA — Just in time for chilly weather, Tim Wiesner plans to serve fresh-brewed coffee to go at his Fresh Roast Coffee at Clifton Square at 3700 E. Douglas.

He opened his business in 1996 but had only wholesale specialty coffees to offer.

Now, he’s opening his doors — or window, as he likes to put it — to any customer.

“It’s something I wanted to do a long time,” Wiesner says.

His shop is only about 250 square feet.

He says that may be tiny but the shop “still contains enough caffeine to get every Olympic athlete in the world disqualified from competition.”

For now, Wiesner will have coffee and biscotti. In the spring, he plans to add ice cream, pies and other baked goods.

The retail business opens Wednesday and will be open daily except Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. — or until Wiesner runs out of fresh coffee.

He’ll also continue to sell coffee at Green Acres Market & Deli.

WICHITA — After two years in business, Becca Thomas would like to sell her Bay Leaf Cafe at Clifton Square.

“We’ve had a really great run,” she says. “It’s been quite successful. I’ve made a lot of great friends.”

Thomas wants to return to school for a zoo science degree and then pursue work out of state at an aquarium.

Her mother and business partner, Paula Amos, is an artist and interior designer and wants to focus on that instead of the restaurant.

So Thomas says they want to “let somebody else come in and have some fun with it.”

The 1,400-square-foot restaurant, which is where Everyday Gourmet once was, seats 50 people inside and another 40 on the patio.

Thomas has lunch Tuesday through Saturday and live music on the weekends.

“The live music has been phenomenal,” she says.

At one point, she offered dinner, too, but no longer does.

“Our plan is to stay open and keep on trucking until it sells,” Thomas says.

“I‘m really grateful to everybody supporting me here. It’s something I’ll never forget.”