Piccadilly Express at the Cargill building downtown closes

July 29, 20105:16 p.m.

WICHITA — After 13 years in the Cargill building downtown at 151 N. Main, Piccadilly Express has closed.

“Last Friday, Piccadilly was notified that they were not going to make the cut for those being considered to provide food services here in the building,” says Cargill spokesman Mike Martin.

“They were given three weeks’ notice and basically given the notice as soon as it was decided they would not make the cut, and they ceased operations immediately.”

No one with Latour Management, which owned the restaurant, returned calls for comment.

This is the latest restaurant in what has become the dismantling of a dining dynasty in Wichita.

Latour’s Chelsea’s Bar & Grill and Olive Tree Bistro were evicted from Comotara Center late last year.

The west-side Piccadilly closed in 2005.

The east-side Piccadilly and Bagatelle Bakery are the only restaurants Latour has left.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Closings, Downtown, Restaurants | Comments

Avenue Style to return to Garvey Center

March 12, 201010:52 a.m.

WICHITA — Avenue Style is returning to the Garvey Center, where it used to be years ago.

The salon currently is in Cargill’s Wichita headquarters at 151 N. Main.

Cargill needs the space, though.

“Since we’ve been open 37 years downtown . . . we decided we better stay in the same area,” co-owner Keith Shaw says.

He says the salon is taking 3,300 square feet on the first floor of the Page Court building.

“We’re going to have a brand new look,” Shaw says.

“It’s going to be very elegant, let’s just put it that way. We’re spending lots of money.”

The salon will open in the new space May 4.

Piccadilly Express also has to vacate its space at the Cargill building, but Piccadilly owner Latour Management is negotiating with Cargill to move into the Avenue Style space.

Cargill wants to keep a food-service provider in the building and is getting close to a contract with Latour.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Garvey Center, Leases, Real estate, Salons | Comments

Piccadilly Express, Avenue Style need to move to make room for Cargill

Jan. 25, 20105:34 p.m.

WICHITA — Two longtime businesses have to move to make room for Cargill at the company’s Wichita headquarters at 151 N. Main.

The Avenue Style salon has to move from the building, and Piccadilly Express has the option to move to the smaller salon space.

“We’d like to have a food service operator there, and that would be something for Piccadilly to consider,” says Cargill spokesman Mark Klein. “They’re sure welcome to it.”

Klein says Cargill needs the Piccadilly space for taste panels to test new Cargill products.

Currently the panels meet at the company’s 29th Street site.

But the company is moving about 80 employees downtown, and that will cut in half the number of people available for tastings, Klein says.

Naji Toubia, chairman of Piccadilly owner Latour Management, doesn’t mind having to move.

“Oh, I think it’s a good opportunity,” he says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Leases, Real estate, Restaurants, Salons | Comments