Italian Bistro to open in former Restaurant 155 space at First and Market

June 17, 201111:15 a.m.

WICHITA — A third new Italian restaurant is coming to Wichita.

Kas Zendeli, who owns Bravo’s Italiani in Valley Center, is opening Italian Bistro in the former Restaurant 155 space in the Market Centre downtown at First and Market.

This follows news from Melad Stephan, who is opening Luca Italian Kitchen in his former Uptown Bistro space in Old Town Square later this month.

Bocco Deli owner Nathan Toubia, who used to work for Lidia’s in Kansas City, also is opening an Italian restaurant. His as-of-yet-unnamed business is coming soon to the former Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe space near Central and Oliver.

Zendeli, who is Albanian, plans a traditional Italian menu for his new restaurant. He’s keeping his Valley Center restaurant, too.

Is he a glutton for punishment having two restaurants in two cities?

“Every business is punishment,” Zendeli says. “Since 1969 I’m in this punishment.”

Read More »

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

Melad Stephan chooses a name for his new Italian bistro: Luca Italian Kitchen

April 25, 20115:28 p.m.

WICHITA — Melad Stephan has settled on a name for his new Italian restaurant, which will open in the middle of May where his Uptown Bistro used to be in Old Town Square.

Luca Italian Kitchen is named for Gianluca Sciagata, the restaurant’s new Italian chef, who’s coming via Aspen, Colo.

So what will happen when Sciagata one day leaves the restaurant?

“Ahhh, well, the name will stay,” Stephan says.

He adds, “I hope he’s going to be around for a while.”

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Melad Stephan to open Italian restaurant in former Uptown Bistro space

April 18, 20115:00 a.m.

UPDATED — He’s been talking about it for some time, and now he’s going to do it.

Melad Stephan is opening an Italian restaurant in his former Uptown Bistro space in Old Town Square.

He hasn’t chosen a name yet.

“This time I’m going to pick something easy for people to pronounce instead of Oeno or Sabor or anything else,” he says of two of his other Old Town businesses.

Stephan has hired Gianluca Sciagata to be his chef.

The Italy native most recently has been working in Aspen, Colo.

So why would he want to come here?

“That’s the first thing I asked him,” Stephan says.

“He said cost of living.”

Sciagata, who says he’s fluent in Italian, Spanish and English, is moving here in early May.

He has an Italian pizzaiolo license, which means he’s adept at making pizzas, and his specialty is cooking in wood-burning ovens.

Stephan is checking to see if he can incorporate a wood-burning oven into his kitchen.

Following some remodeling, he hopes to have the restaurant open by the middle of May.

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

Old Town’s Uptown Bistro to close April 2

March 23, 20113:44 p.m.

WICHITA — After months of speculation — and some denials — Melad Stephan says he’s closing Uptown Bistro in Old Town Square on April 2.

“That store hasn’t lived up to my standards in food and service and sales,” he says. “I’ll take the blame for some of it. Or most of it.”

Stephan signed a new 5-year-lease last month.

“I’m not going to leave that spot. I’m going to do something with it some day.”

He’s working on a new concept, but he won’t share details yet.

Stephan grew fed up with Uptown Bistro.

“I told them the other day, if I hear one more complaint, I’m shutting the doors down,” he says. “I’m done with everybody.”

Stephan says he couldn’t be there enough to oversee and correct operations.

He also owns Sabor Latin Bar & Grille, Egg Cetera, Oeno and Press.

So has he considered perhaps limiting himself to only one or two restaurants?

“I have in the past,” Stephan says. “You know what? You do one thing     . . . you get bored with it.”

He says he could don his chef’s coat and revive Uptown Bistro on his own, but he doesn’t want to.

“Do I have the passion and the time and the effort to do it at this stage in my life? I don’t.”

He’s been in the restaurant business 25 years.

“You know, just the routine kills you. You want to advance your life.”

Look for an update on the space as soon as Stephan makes a final decision.

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You don’t say

Feb. 28, 201111:04 a.m.

“Well, you know, can a guy make a mistake?”

– Uptown Bistro owner Melad Stephan, who says he forgot to renew his liquor license and that it will be reinstated Thursday

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Sabor briefly closes due to water heater issue

Dec. 20, 20102:34 p.m.

WICHITA — An issue with a hot water heater forced Sabor Latin Bar & Grill in Old Town Square to temporarily close Friday, but owner Melad Stephan expects to reopen Tuesday.

That will be good news to a lot of people who thought the restaurant had permanently closed and were calling Stephan about it.

“A lot of people were concerned.”

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

Press wine bar to open Tuesday

Nov. 24, 201011:56 a.m.

WICHITA — At long last, Melad Stephan’s new Press wine bar is going to open in his former Sabor space at the Waterfront.

There were the usual construction and equipment delays that prevented the business from opening a couple of months ago as planned. Mostly, though, Stephan blames himself.

“You know, I change my mind so many times,” he says. “So I drove them crazy from colors to light to everything.”

Most of the changes are now complete.

“I might change my mind about some of the bar stools, but I think I’m set to open on Tuesday.”

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Oeno Wine Bar expands with the Champagne Room for private parties

Sept. 29, 201011:06 a.m.

WICHITA — Way back in February, Have You Heard? told you of restaurateur Melad Stephan’s expansion plans for his Oeno Wine Bar in Old Town Square.

Now, part of those plans are almost ready.

Stephan is opening the Champagne Room immediately east of the bar area for private parties.

He’s been doing a lot of private parties at Oeno, but he has to close the bar to regular customers, which he hates to do.

The new room, which will have its own bar, will seat about 70 and should be ready next week.

Stephan had also hoped to expand his patio, but it looks like the city might not allow him to do it. He’s waiting on a letter from the city to learn why.

Stephan isn’t giving up on the city reversing its decision, though.

“There’s a chance.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Bars, Downtown, Old Town | Comments

You don’t say

Sept. 22, 20104:11 p.m.

“That’s exactly right. I want you to be there every day.”

— Melad Stephan’s response when he asked if he’s renamed his forthcoming Waterfront bar Press instead of D’Vine in order to attract the media (though actually he’s referring to a wine press)

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Melad Stephan plans cocktail lounge for former Sabor space at the Waterfront

June 30, 20106:07 a.m.

WICHITA — When Melad Stephan closed his Sabor Latin Bar & Grille at the Waterfront in February, he said a number of things could happen with the space.

He considered bringing a new concept or finding someone else to take the space.

“We were hoping someone would buy it or take it over,” Stephan says.

That hasn’t happened, so he’s now chosen to put a cocktail lounge there.

D’Vine is the working name.

“That’s what I’m leaning to. Someone said it wasn’t manly enough,” he says, laughing.

Stephan plans some remodeling, including taking out the island bar.

“It was just so inconvenient when we (got) busy.”

He’s going to darken the atmosphere and expand the outside patio, where he plans to have live music.

Stephan will serve tapas along with “a lot of good cocktails Wichita hasn’t seen yet.”

Unlike a restaurant, which costs more to operate in part because of a larger staff, Stephan says the lounge should be more profitable.

“The break-even will be a lot less,” he says of what he’ll have to make.

Look for a mid-to-late August opening.

“It’s going to be a cool place.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Bars, East side, Restaurants, Waterfront | Comments