WICHITA — Kurt Allen of the Dog House Carryout, which opens near Zoo Boulevard and West Central later this month, isn’t the only laid-off aircraft worker opening a restaurant.
Rick Burns was an aircraft worker for 30 years before he was laid off in October.
Next weekend, he’s opening the Comeback Burger Stand at the southwest corner of 13th and Hydraulic to sell hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries and onion rings to go.
“This is what we used to do with our laid-off aircraft workers,” says Rod Stewart, who handled the lease. “Our small commercial properties became entrepreneurial havens.”
Stewart says it’s tougher to do these days with higher real estate prices, but he says, “He has a good shot of making it work.”
Burns thinks Wichita will continue to see new small businesses started by laid-off aircraft workers.
“That will be about the only thing turning things around.”