Hoffmann’s Green Industries sues Epic Apparel owners for breach of lease agreement

Monday6:29 a.m.

WICHITA — Hoffmann’s Green Industries has filed a lawsuit against Epic Apparel and store owners Corey and Julie Rau.

Barbara and John Hoffmann of Green Acres Market & Deli are the Raus’ landlords.

According to the lawsuit, the Raus signed a lease with the Hoffmanns in 2005 to locate next to Green Acres in Bradley Fair.

Then, in 2007, the Raus subleased to Lavish Boutique and moved to a larger space in Bradley Fair.

Lavish closed earlier this year.

The lawsuit says the Raus’ original lease doesn’t expire until June 2010 and that the Raus have breached that lease agreement by not paying $6,250 a month in rent for August through November.

In addition to back rent and penalties for late payment, the Hoffmanns are asking for more than $20,000 in damages for failure to operate a business on the premises, which they say the lease dictates.

In all, the suit asks for more than $48,000.

Neither the Hoffmanns nor the Raus could be reached for comment.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Lawsuits, Leases, Legal, Retail | Comments (1)

Remodeled, consolidated Gap opens Thursday

Nov. 11, 20093:39 p.m.

WICHITA — The newly remodeled Gap opens Thursday at Bradley Fair.

The company consolidated all its Bradley Fair stores — GapBody, GapKids and BabyGap — into one 12,000-square-foot location.

That’s where the Gap and GapBody previously were.

The new store has the latest Gap interior design and features individual areas for each brand.

During remodeling, the stores have been in the 7,800-square-foot GapKids and BabyGap space.

Look for possible news on a new tenant there early in 2010.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Retail | Comments (0)

Green Acres is expanding its deli

Oct. 29, 200912:10 p.m.

WICHITA — When Green Acres opened in Bradley Fair almost 16 years ago, it had a 4,000-square-foot deli.

Four years ago, it expanded to 10,000 square feet.

Now, it’s expanding again.

“Business is really good right now,” says Barbara Hoffmann, who owns the store with her husband, John. “We’re really having a huge demand for a lot of different things.”

One of those things is gluten-free products, like cookies, cakes and pizzas.

“There’s another demand, and that’s sugar-free —amazingly so,” Hoffmann says.

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Retail | Comments (3)

Tweet of the week

Oct. 28, 20095:56 p.m.

“Norm Macdonald came in and ordered a carrot juice! How cool is that?”

— A Wednesday tweet on Twitter from Zumo Juice & Java (@zumo_juice) in Bradley Fair about MacDonald, who is appearing at the Loony Bin this week

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Tweet of the week, Twitter | Comments (0)

You don’t say

Sept. 25, 20093:41 p.m.

“Drink beer and help a good cause. You will feel happy for lots of reasons!”

— Andy Koenigs of the Rotary Club of Andover, which is having a Haus of Brews fundraiser at Bradley Fair Oct. 15 to welcome visitors from Germany and raise money to fight polio

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Rotary, You don't say | Comments (0)

You don’t say

Sept. 16, 20094:34 p.m.

“Cibola is the busiest closed restaurant around.”

— One person’s comment after seeing that the Andover Rotary (in addition to Yia Yia’s before that) is using the empty space at Bradley Fair for a fund-raiser

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Restaurants, You don't say | Comments (0)

Cocoa Dolce and Il Vicino to open at Bradley Fair on Monday

Aug. 25, 20091:49 p.m.

WICHITA — Monday is going to be a particularly tasty day at Bradley Fair.

Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates and Il Vicino Wood Oven Pizza are opening their new locations next to each other there.

choc“We’re just excited — and exhausted,” says Beth Tully, the owner of Cocoa Dolce.

She’s moving the retail portion of her 4-year-old store from 1,200 square feet at Siena Plaza at 37th and Rock to 1,800 square feet at Bradley Fair at 21st and Rock.

Today is Tully’s last day in business at Siena Plaza. She reopens Monday at 10 a.m.

“We’re trying as hard as we can just to recreate in a larger scale what we had in Siena Plaza,” Tully says.

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Restaurants, Retail, Siena Plaza | Comments (0)

Gap stores to consolidate at Bradley Fair

Aug. 10, 20092:30 p.m.

gapWICHITA — The Gap is consolidating all its Bradley Fair stores — including GapBody, GapKids and BabyGap — into one location.

The decision isn’t a financial one.

“Actually, it’s primarily for the convenience of the customer,” says Karen James of Laham Development, the developer of Bradley Fair.

“They really feel like they would like for the Gap customer to be able to shop all brands in one location, rather than have to go back and forth between multiple stores,” James says.

The stores will all locate in the 12,000 square feet where the Gap and GapBody are.

For now, though, those two stores will move into the space where GapKids and BabyGap are while the other space is remodeled.

“The store’s going to be very nice, too,” James says. “They also wanted to remodel.”

Remodeling will be complete in November.

James can’t talk yet about plans for the 7,800-square-foot space GapKids and BabyGap will vacate.

“We’re not ready to announce anything quite yet, but we’re working on a concept that we think will be very exciting for that location.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Retail | Comments (0)

Former Cibola owners are thinking about a new restaurant

Aug. 3, 20094:23 p.m.

Former Cibola owners Kevin Brown and Tracy Fahrbach are contemplating a new restaurant, but they’re only in the initial stages of thinking about it.

“I get calls every day (from) people wanting me to do something,” Brown says.

“We haven’t made any decision on anything right now,” he says. “We’re just not ready.”

Part of the reason is the economy.

“Anybody who does anything right now is nuts,” Brown says. “It’s still horrible right now. It’s not a good climate for new business.”

Read More »

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Restaurants | Comments (2)

Francesca’s Collections to open at Bradley Fair ahead of schedule

July 29, 20092:39 p.m.

franWICHITA — Here’s something you don’t read about in business every day.

Francesca’s Collections is ahead of schedule and will open at Bradley Fair on Saturday.

“We thought it was going to be another couple of weeks, but they’re ready,” says Karen James of Laham Development, the Bradley Fair developer.

Francesca’s, a national boutique that sells women’s clothing, jewelry and gifts, is taking the space where Genevieve G Shoes used to be.

Genevieve Gordon moved her business into Brick’s, her father Russ Gordon’s store at Bradley Fair.

Francesca’s will be located between Lyndon’s and Bath & Body Works.

Store hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under Bradley Fair, Retail | Comments (0)