WICHITA — Wichita’s loss is Leawood’s gain.
Food Network personality Aaron Sanchez, backed by a group led by Wichitan Jay Maxwell, is opening Mestizo, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in the Park Place development in Leawood.
“This is probably the hottest area in Leawood, Kansas,” Maxwell says.
He had plans to back Sanchez for a Latin-themed restaurant at the Bowllagio entertainment center he hoped to build at Kellogg and Maize.
“Timing was taking too long, and Aaron was antsy to get his first restaurant open,” Maxwell says.
The restaurant will open Oct. 25.
Maxwell is still confident that a Sanchez restaurant will one day happen here as well.
“Absolutely,” he says. “It’ll happen at Kellogg and Maize if we ever get something together.”