Hereford House to open at Terradyne Country Club

Oct. 26, 20093:48 p.m.

WICHITA — Restaurateur Mike Issa and the owners of Terradyne Country Club confirm it: Hereford House is going to open there.

“The deal is going forward,” Issa says.

The restaurant likely will open in the first week of December.

Have You Heard? reported the news earlier this month, though at that time no one involved would comment.

Even if you’re not a member of Terradyne, you’ll be able to eat at the restaurant. In fact, that’s what Issa is counting on.

“Being in that location, it can serve Wichita and all the surrounding area,” he says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Country clubs, Restaurants | Comments (4)

Hereford House could open at Terradyne Country Club

Oct. 7, 20094:55 p.m.

herefordWICHITA — It looks like diners from the Wichita area will no longer have to drive to Kansas City to enjoy Hereford House.

The popular Kansas City steakhouse — with the slogan, “50 Years Old and Still in Our Prime!” — now has several Kansas City-area locations.

It’s newest location outside of the city likely will be in what’s currently the Palomino Grill at Terradyne Country Club in Andover.

Former Italian Garden owner Mike Issa is working on a deal to open in the space.

No one is talking about it yet, but look for a deal to happen as early as this week.

In August, Issa closed the west-side Italian Garden. The east-side Italian Garden closed prior to that.

Senor Tequila is now in the former Italian Garden space at 21st and Tyler.

After opening at Terradyne, Issa may have the rights to open one more Hereford House in Wichita.

We’ll keep you posted.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Country clubs, Restaurants | Comments (13)

Mediterraneo is now open on the east side, and the combination Schlotzsky’s and Cinnabon opens Monday out west

Sept. 11, 20095:06 p.m.

WICHITA — If you’re hungry for something new to eat, you’ll have a couple of new dining options from which to choose in the next several days.

Moe Hlayhel has opened his new Mediterraneo in the former Italian Garden space at Kellogg and Webb.

“Basically, we took some dishes from all the Mediterranean countries that border the Mediterranean sea,” Hlayhel says.

He says that includes dishes like paella from Spain, shish-k-bobs from Turkey and Lebanon’s famous humus with lamb.

On the west side, customers have already been stopping by the new Schlotzsky’s at Central and Tyler in hopes that it’s open.

But Ken Mechtley’s combination Schlotzsky’s and Cinnabon restaurant, which is in the former Taco Bueno space, won’t open until Monday.

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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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Mediterranean Grill is staying put

June 30, 20092:14 p.m.

WICHITA — Mediterranean Grill owners Mustafa Sawli and Youssef Youssef would like to set the record straight:

They’re not moving.

“I like it over here,” Sawli says of their 335 S. Towne East Drive location. “We’re doing great.”

But ever since Have You Heard? reported that the new Mediterraneo is moving into where the east-side Italian Garden used to be at Kellogg and Webb, there’s been some confusion.

“I’ve been having phone calls left and right,” Sawli says. “People are like, ‘Why are you moving to that location?’ ”

The two restaurants are completely separate.

“For sure,” Sawli says, “we’re not moving.”

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Mediterraneo to open in Italian Garden space

June 18, 20094:56 p.m.

WICHITA — There’s a new restaurant that will move into the space the east-side Italian Garden is vacating.

Moe Hlayhel is opening Mediterraneo, which he says is Italian for Mediterranean. Hlayhel says he’ll feature foods from countries along the Mediterranean Sea.

“Of course, there will be a lot of pasta,” he says.

Hlayhel is a native of Lebanon. He’s worked at various Wichita restaurants, including Italian Garden. Most recently, he lived in Bahrain and worked at a company where he developed restaurant concepts and menus and helped bring restaurants to the country.

Mediterraneo will open in about three weeks, and Hlayhel says he’ll share more details about his menu closer to that time.

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East-side Italian Garden to close; west restaurant will remain open

June 18, 200911:08 a.m.

WICHITA — Ali Issa has decided to close the east-side Italian Garden at Kellogg and Webb, which has been open since 2000.

“The volume is down,” Issa says. “There’s no traffic. We don’t know where to get the people. You can’t go home and bring them from their homes.”

The Italian Garden at 21st and Tyler will remain open, and the east restaurant’s catering will move there. There’s been an Italian Garden on the west side since 1989, when it opened at Douglas and West.

Issa says the closure has nothing to do with his Heat Cigar and Hookah Lounge at 338 N. Rock, which he says is doing “phenomenal.”

There’s a chance Issa will bring back an east-side Italian Garden one day when the economy is better and he finds a new location.

Issa wants longtime east-side customers to know Italian Garden will be open through dinner Sunday and then close for good.

“I just want to give them a chance to say goodbye.”

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