Cinnamon’s Deli to join Five Guys and Long John Silver’s near northwest Lowe’s

Oct. 29, 20096:32 a.m.

WICHITA — A third restaurant is joining Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Long John Silver’s Freshside Grille in front of Lowe’s near 29th and Maize.

Cinnamon’s Deli will open in 2,400 square feet next to Five Guys, which will anchor the south end of the strip center there.

Long John Silver’s anchors the north end.

Central Park Place Retail is developing the 8,960-square-foot center.

Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate and Christian Ablah of Classic Real Estate are principals in Central Park. Cook Construction is the builder.

They broke ground on the project Wednesday.

At a time that not many strip centers are under construction — and many are sitting empty — Ablah thinks “the exciting tenants that we have with this kind of location” is why he and Saville are able to proceed with theirs.

The center is 81 percent leased. There’s 1,680 square feet left to lease, and Ablah and Saville are open to either a restaurant or retail.

Look for the new restaurants to open in early 2010.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under Leases, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments (13)

Office Depot wants to sublease its downtown land

Oct. 26, 20093:25 p.m.

WICHITA — It was this time last year that developers Tom and Mike Boyd started doing dirt work to prepare the former Carleton Elementary School site on Broadway near Lewis for Office Depot.

A year before that, the national retailer had announced plans to bring a 20,000-square-foot store there but continually put them on hold.

Now, Classic Real Estate is marketing the property for a possible new occupant.

“They are trying to market it for sublease,” Tom Boyd says of Office Depot.

“They’ve decided to wait on construction,” he says, “. . . because of the general retailing woes out there.”

If no one is interested in the property, Office Depot could still build on the site one day.

But Tom Boyd says if someone else is interested in locating there and doesn’t want to sublease from Office Depot, “Then we’ll let them off the hook.”

He says, “More than likely, we would make a deal with Depot and release their lease rights and make a deal with the new party.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Leases, Real estate, Retail | Comments (2)

Golf Discount Superstore to close on North Rock

Sept. 28, 20097:15 a.m.

WICHITA — After more than 10 years in business, Golf Discount Superstore is going out of business at 3300 N. Rock Road.

Wichitan Jack Pearce is looking for a new retailer for the space.

Pearce already owns the rest of the almost 16,000-square-foot center, which is also home to Jimmy John’s, Herb Snow & Son Maytag and AT&T.

He’s now purchased Golf Discount’s 7,800 square feet.

Craig Ablah of Classic Real Estate represented Golf Discount in the deal.

The store’s last day in business is Oct. 15.

Pearce says he’s looking for another retailer. He says the space is not big enough for a restaurant.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Italian Garden is moving to Old Town with a new concept; Senor Tequila is moving into former Italian Garden space

Aug. 15, 20093:51 a.m.

WICHITA — It was about this time in the summer of 2003 that Dino’s Italian Grille closed at 21st and Tyler and the Italian Garden moved in after leaving its Douglas and West Street space.

Now, the Italian Garden is closing and Senor Tequila is moving in.

Today is the Italian Garden’s last day in business.

“We’ve been looking for a location in . . . Old Town, basically,” says the Italian Garden’s Mike Issa.

He hasn’t found that space yet, but Senor Tequila’s Jose Cesar Ayala wanted the west-side space.

“It’s going to be a quick move, but it’s going to be a good move,” Issa says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Leases, Old Town, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments (2)

Avon Beauty Center to open on North Rock Road

Aug. 14, 20094:58 p.m.

WICHITA — After six months of being an “Avon lady,” Lacey Beard is opening an Avon Beauty Center behind Jimmie’s Diner on North Rock Road.

She’s unlikely to lose the moniker, though.

“It’s an ongoing joke in my family,” Beard says.

Family is how she initially became interested in selling Avon products.

“I can remember reading the catalog at my grandma’s kitchen table,” Beard says.

She’s enjoyed selling Avon, but Beard wanted to make more money.

“Selling to friends and family wasn’t going to quite cut it,” she says.

Beard decided to open a store because the start-up costs were reasonable, and she thinks Avon products sell well.

The store will open Aug. 25.

Craig Ablah of Classic Real Estate handled the transaction.

Another Avon store opened at Lexington Square at Maple and Maize Road last year, but Beard says hers will be a little different.

“It’s more boutiquey,” she says. “That’s kind of the goal that I’m aiming for.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Leases, Real estate, Retail | Comments (0)

Old Town Martini to close; owners to keep catering business in new location

June 29, 200911:23 a.m.

martiniWICHITA — After a decade in business, Old Town Martini is closing.

But fans of the restaurant in the former Rock Island train depot can still get food by brothers Kassem and Ali Yassine because they’ll continue their catering business at 3407 E. Douglas.

“I had a good time here, but I have to do this move,” Kassem Yassine says. “In this time and in this economy, I’d rather be small.”

Business is still OK, but there are several things prompting the move.

The restaurant’s banquet business used to be big, with at least one or two a week.

Now, Ali Yassine says, “We don’t see them.”

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