Bliss-fullness Custom Cakes & Pastries to leave the west side for Old Town

Jan. 31, 20133:36 p.m.

WICHITA — There’s blissful news for denizens of Old Town.

Angie and Johnny Vasquez are moving their Bliss-fullness Custom Cakes & Pastries from Tyler Plaza near Central and Tyler, where it opened last summer, to Old Town.

The shop will locate between Larkspur and Wasabi.

“We were eating lunch at Wasabi one day, and my husband was like, ‘Let’s go take a walk,’” Angie Vasquez says.

They saw that a space next door along with a loft above it were available.

“Basically, that was the selling point for us,” Angie Vasquez says. “We can have a business and a family all at one place.”

The couple has two toddlers and a 19-year-old, Johnny Jalali.

“My 19-year-old is kind of like a baking prodigy,” Angie Vasquez says.

Bliss-fullness has cupcakes, cakes and pastries, such as croissants, which are made fresh daily.

“We are definitely going to go up on the pastries,” Angie Vasquez says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Old Town, Restaurants, Retail | Comments Off

You don’t say

Jan. 2, 20134:19 p.m.

“He can adopt me if he wants to.”

– Larkspur and YaYa’s owner Ty Issa on wealthy California Congressman Darrell Issa, who some say he looks like but is no relation

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Issa brothers opening Emporia IHOP

Sept. 28, 20122:29 p.m.

WICHITA — A year and a half after buying their first IHOP, the Issa brothers are ready to open their second one, this time in Emporia.

“We had an opportunity, and we took it,” says Ali, who is partners in the business with his brothers Ty and Mike.

They also own Larkspur, Ya Ya’s Eurobistro, Hereford House and Heat Cigar & Hookah Lounge.

Their existing IHOP is at 515 S. Ridge Circle in west Wichita.

Their Emporia IHOP, which will open either Oct. 8 or 9, will be in the former Village Inn space at 2831 W. 18th Ave.

“We didn’t have a plan for Emporia,” Ali Issa says of locating there. “It just came up. … It was a good deal.”

He’s not sure where — or even if — they’ll open another IHOP.

“It’s hard to predict.”

Issa says he’ll spend the next month or two focusing on Emporia, although he says he’ll still continue to pop into Heat, which he also runs.

“Heat’s is doing very well,” he says.

Along with a loyal clientele, Issa says he has good employees to help him.

“We have some very good people (at) both places.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Emporia, New business, Real estate, Restaurants | Comments Off

Corporate Caterers of Wichita to do catering at Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town

May 2, 20125:00 a.m.

WICHITA — Ben Arnold and his Corporate Caterers of Wichita have taken over catering at the Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town.

Larkspur previously handled it.

This makes Arnold’s sixth either exclusive or preferred catering deal at area hotels and McConnell Air Force Base.

“It’s very similar to what we’re doing at the Drury,” Arnold says.

There isn’t a restaurant, though, like the struggling AVI Seabar & Chophouse at the Drury.

“Oh, no, no,” Arnold says. The Marriott deal is strictly for catering. Or, as Arnold puts it, “The money side of it.”

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Ladies Golf Place relocates downtown

April 20, 201210:36 a.m.

WICHITA — After having what she calls a test location on the east side for a year, Mona Thomason is moving her Ladies Golf Place downtown near Douglas and Washington.

The shop will have its grand opening at 924 E. Douglas, which is just down from Larkspur, on Sunday.

Thomason’s shop previously was in Cambridge Market at 21st and Webb.

“I had a lot of ladies on the west side who drove there,” Thomason says.

She wanted a more centralized location so shoppers from the east and west sides could easily drive to it.

Also, Thomason says, downtown is appealing because it has a lot of traffic and tourists.

The shop sells apparel such as shoes, hats, visors and gloves.

Thomason also has merchandise in several pro shops, including Willowbend Golf Club, Crestview Country Club, Flint Hills National Golf Club, Sim Golf Course and MacDonald Golf Course.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , Filed under Downtown, Real estate, Retail | Comments Off

Larkspur owner Ty Issa becomes a partner in Ya Ya’s Eurobistro at Bradley Fair

Jan. 10, 20124:14 p.m.

WICHITA — Larkspur owner Ty Issa has acquired an interest in Ya Ya’s Eurobistro at Bradley Fair.

“We’ve been talking about this for years,” Issa says. “We’re fortunate to come on board.”

Earlier this month, Paul Khoury of Kansas City’s PB&J Restaurants, which owns the Ya Ya’s chain, told Have You Heard? the restaurant wasn’t selling. It looks like negotiations have been on and off.

Issa says they’re still working out some operational details.

“We’re going to be sharing a lot of ideas for improvement, that’s all,” he says.

“I have some ideas, they have some ideas. So you know, that’s all what it is.”

Khoury’s son, Patrick, will be helping run Ya Ya’s. Issa won’t have a huge presence there.

“Here’s been my concern,” Issa says. “I don’t want to confuse people.”

Issa says he’ll still be a daily presence at Larkspur in Old Town.

“Nothing’s going to change. It’s just a great merger with them.”

 

 

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Verde Sustainable Living to open at Mill Creek Village

May 11, 20115:39 p.m.

WICHITA — New “green” products come on the market every day, and now two Wichita brothers are going to open a store to sell them exclusively.

Justin and Garrett Bjork are opening Verde Sustainable Living in Mill Creek Village near Central and Rock.

“We are going to be a green-living store,” Justin Bjork says. “So basically we’re going to carry all kinds of home furnishings, gifts, building supplies — pretty much anything you can use in your home that’s green or eco-friendly or sustainable.”

Garrett Bjork has been living in California for the last couple of years and working for a similar company.

“He’s kind of bringing his expertise here,” Justin Bjork says.

The 2,400-square-foot store will open June 18.

Andy Boyd of Walter Morris Cos. and Ken Saville of Transamerican Management handled the deal.

Garrett Bjork says Verde will offer a range of organic cotton items, such as baby clothing and dish towels; items made from bamboo, such as dishware; recycled items, such as glassware; and nontoxic supplies, such as paint and cleaners.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under East side, Leases, Real estate, Retail | Comments Off

Issa brothers purchase west-side IHOP

April 21, 20114:57 p.m.

WICHITA — The restaurateuring Issa brothers have purchased the IHOP at 515 S. Ridge Circle, just down from the new Panera Bread.

“It’s a good opportunity,” Ali Issa says. “There’s a future in it. They’re very successful.”

Issa and his brothers, Ty and Mike, also will continue to operate Larkspur, Hereford House and Heat Cigar & Hookah Lounge.

At IHOP, they’re making a lot of changes. Some are cosmetic on the interior and exterior. Other changes include retraining the staff “from A to Z,” Ali Issa says.

He says he and his brothers are not looking to buy other IHOPs, at least not yet.

“We’re too busy with that one. It’s too early to talk about the next venture.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Restaurants, West side | Comments Off

Los Compadres Mexican Grill to open near 31st and Hillside

March 17, 20115:22 p.m.

WICHITA — After working for others for years, Maria Colchado was about to open her own restaurant in Durango, Mexico, 12 years ago when her husband was hurt in a roofing accident while working in Wichita.

Colchado abandoned her restaurant plans and moved her family here.

Now, she and her daughters, Cinthia and Maria, are opening Los Compadres Mexican Grill near 31st and Hillside.

“It was always my mom’s dream,” Cinthia Colchado says. “This is a dream for all my family.

“This is going to be our first chance.”

The family hopes to open the 80-seat restaurant by the end of March.

Cinthia Colchado says the restaurant will serve authentic Mexican cuisine and not the sometimes more prevalent Tex-Mex fare.

“Maybe we can come up with something . . . people really like,” she says. “How you really make it at home.”

Cinthia Colchado says the family has been working on the restaurant idea since coming here.

“Finally, we could get all the money together,” she says.

Cinthia Colchado has been working at other restaurants in the area, including Carrabba’s and Larkspur, and is looking forward to opening one with her family.

“The only thing I can tell you for sure is we’re going to try to do our best.”

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Get Franked may move to Old Town

March 2, 20105:33 p.m.

WICHITA — Get Franked (formerly Let’s Be Frank) is getting close to a deal on new restaurant space.

As part of the hot dog shop’s out-of-court settlement with its landlord at Douglas and Grove (there was a dispute over work on a sewer line), the business has to be out by May 31st.

Co-owner Brad Standing says he’s working on a lease at 924 E. Douglas just down from Larkspur in Old Town.

“It’s going to take a lot of things to go right,” he says. “Pretty much just hard work.”

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