Froz to open Dec. 1 with gourmet yogurt

Nov. 11, 20094:06 p.m.

WICHITA — In another update, Froz (it rhymes with “snows”) now has an opening date.

Dustin Morby is opening the yogurt shop on Dec. 1 at 3242 N. Rock next to Occidental Management’s headquarters.

Occidental’s Brady Miller handled the deal.

This is the first of four frozen yogurt shops Morby plans for here.

“We’re stepping up the game,” he says of competing with other yogurt shops.

“We’re emphasizing the gourmet part,” Morby says of flavors like blackberry balsamic.

He says his flavors are “just going to blow some of the other frozen yogurt places away.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under East side, Restaurants | Comments (1)

Froz frozen yogurt to open on North Rock Road

Sept. 8, 20093:30 p.m.

WICHITA — Wichita is quickly catching up on the frozen yogurt trend popular on the West Coast.

Last month, we reported that Mix It Up Frozen Yogurt & Deli is opening the first of several planned Wichita-area restaurants downtown at 630 E. Douglas.

Now, Dustin Morby is opening Froz (it rhymes with “snows”), the first of four frozen yogurt shops he plans for here.

“It’s along the same lines of Pinkberry . . . and all the frozen yogurt places,” Morby says.

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

Dollar Tree to expand at Northwest Centre

Aug. 24, 20095:23 p.m.

WICHITA — The Dollar Tree at Northwest Centre at 13th and Tyler is expanding.

The store, which is almost 6,000 square feet, will expand to 10,000 square feet and should be ready before Thanksgiving.

That size “is more in line with what we call the Dollar Tree sweet spot,” says spokeswoman Chelley Davis.

The “sweet spot” is stores between 10,000 and 12,500 square feet. The larger store allows for expanded merchandise.

Michael Monteferrante of Occidental Management, which owns the center, and Leisa Lowry of J.P. Weigand & Sons handled the deal.

Dollar Tree’s second quarter earnings were up almost 12 percent over last year’s. Sales were $1.22 billion.

Davis says it could be the recession is prompting more people to shop at the discount chain.

“Our sense is yes, but I don’t have any metrics,” she says.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under Northwest Centre, Retail | Comments (0)

U.S. Census Bureau preparing to move into Northwest Centre for 2010 census counting

July 2, 20092:08 p.m.

WICHITA — With the 2010 census just around the corner, the U.S. Census Bureau is leasing space at Northwest Centre at 13th and Tyler in preparation to start counting Wichitans.

“They’re taking about 6,500 square feet of the former J.P. Weigand west residential office space,” says Brady Miller, who handled the deal for Occidental Management.

“That space has all been completely re-leased now,” he says.

Greg Fox of Realty World Alliance took the rest of the space.

The Census Bureau will move in sometime in August.

“We’re excited to have them there,” Miller says. “They’re going to have about 50 employees, which we think is going to be great for the center.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Leases | Comments (15)

Syndeo Outsourcing to move into Great Plains Ventures building

June 19, 20093:21 p.m.

greatplains1WICHITA — At a time when a lot of companies are downsizing, Syndeo Outsourcing is expanding.

“The best way I can describe it is downsizing equals outsourcing,” says president Bill Maness.

The company, which is a human resource outsourcing, payroll and staffing firm, is moving from 2,200 square feet at the former Brite Voice building at 7309 E. 21st to about 6,500 square feet at Great Plains Ventures‘ new building near 35th and Oliver.

In addition to being out of room on East 21st, Maness says, “I don’t have room to grow here.”

He does at the new space, which he’ll be in by October.

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

Psychologist bucks trend to move downtown

May 14, 200910:03 a.m.

Lance Parker is yet another business person who is bucking a trend and moving to downtown instead of away from it.

Parker, a psychologist, is moving his Parker Group practice from 240 N. Rock Road to Occidental Plaza, an Occidental Management property at 300 N. Main.

“I do a lot of work with attorneys, so it’s more centrally located to the attorneys and the courthouses,” Parker says.

He also says he has patients all over, so the new office will be centrally located for that as well.

Parker is taking 1,300 square feet and will have room to add more psychologists. He’ll move in June 1 and have an open house in September.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under Leases, Medical | Comments Off