Midwest Chef Supply to open Monday

WICHITA — Almost 35 years after working as a 14-year-old at McLeod’s, a stationary store that was at Kellogg and Edgemoor, Brian Stuart is now going to open his own business there.

Stuart and his brother, Mike, are opening Midwest Chef Supply in 11,000 square feet on the southeast corner of the intersection on Monday.

“It was really weird that we even came across it,” Brian Stuart says of the location.

The Stuarts were having lunch at Scotch & Sirloin and discussing the business, which has been in the works for more than a year.

“We drove out of the Scotch and drove by there, and I was like, ‘Hey, that’s open.’ ”

Stuart used to own Discount Restaurant Equipment, which was in a more industrial area at 3665 W. McCormick before it closed in August.

Stuart closed the business in preparation for the new store.

“To be honest, the Internet was hurting us so bad on the restaurant equipment, we decided to focus on small wares,” he says.

Customers found they could skirt sales tax by ordering big equipment through the Internet, he says, whereas customers bought small items they needed immediately from him.

While his last business catered more to restaurants, his new one also will focus on retail sales.

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Reb Boutique leaving Old Town Square for the east side

WICHITA — Reb Boutique’s first grand opening was April 23 in Old Town Square.

Now, owners Glenda Sue and AJ Morris are preparing for their second grand opening — this time in a new location.

“We decided to get a larger space with more visibility,” Glenda Sue Morris says.

They’re moving the shop, which sells fabrics, clothing and furniture, to the former Tux Shop space in front of Scotch & Sirloin on East Kellogg.

“I did my pros and cons list,” Glenda Sue Morris says. “It was a hard decision.”

She says parking isn’t ideal in Old Town when the weather isn’t nice.

“I’m just fortunate enough to have some good word of mouth,” she says. “But you know what? I’m not going to make it in the winter. I know that. I can feel it in my gut.”

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Tommy’s Restaurant & Lounge for sale

WICHITA — Want to own a piece of Wichita history? Now you can.

Tommy D’Annunzio is selling his Tommy’s Restaurant & Lounge at 21st and Tyler.

“I’m 62 years old,” he says. “I’ve been in the business 40-some years.”

He’s had Tommy’s for 20 years. Before that, he had a couple of restaurants, including Tom & Sonny’s with his friend Sonny Glennon, who now is a co-owner of Scotch & Sirloin.

Tommy’s seats almost 300.

D’Annunzio is trying to sell the restaurant. The lease at the space is separate.

Lewis Kelley and Gary Snyder of Landmark Commercial Real Estate are handling the sale of the business.

D’Annunzio can’t say what he’ll do next.

“I don’t know. I’m still here, so it’s hard to say.”

And if it doesn’t sell?

“I don’t know. I’ll be here.”

A third former Scotch & Sirloin waitress sues for discrimination

WICHITA — Another former Scotch & Sirloin waitress has filed a federal lawsuit against the restaurant alleging discrimination due to a pregnancy.

Tricia Molina worked at the restaurant from January 2009 to October 2009.

The lawsuit says business was slow at that time, and Molina made plans to return during the busier holiday season.

She claims that when she called to confirm her return date, she was told that because she was pregnant, she couldn’t return until after she gave birth.

As Have You Heard? reported in December, former Scotch waitress Erica Pizzola filed a federal suit claiming she was fired after Scotch general manager Sonny Glennon learned she was pregnant.

That case has been settled.

Former waitress Christina Nuss also filed a lawsuit claiming “illegal practices of terminating pregnant waitresses and promoting an atmosphere which tolerates the sexual harassment of female employees.”

Part of Nuss’ lawsuit says the Scotch has wage payment practices that are in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act. She says money has been illegally deducted from waitresses’ pay for cooks and advertising.

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Second former Scotch & Sirloin waitress sued the restaurant earlier this year

WICHITA — Christina Nuss isn’t the only former Scotch & Sirloin waitress to sue Scotch Investment Corp. this year.

On Friday, Nuss filed a federal discrimination lawsuit alleging “illegal practices of terminating pregnant waitresses and promoting an atmosphere which tolerates the sexual harassment of female employees.”

Earlier this year, former Scotch waitress Erica Pizzola filed a federal suit claiming she was fired after general manager Sonny Glennon learned she was pregnant.

According to the lawsuit, “Glennon told the plaintiff that she needed to leave now while she was on ‘good terms’ with the restaurant management.”

The lawsuit stated that Pizzola had since discovered two other waitresses were fired because of pregnancies.

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Former waitress sues Scotch & Sirloin for discrimination

WICHITA — Former Scotch & Sirloin waitress Christina Nuss filed a discrimination lawsuit in federal court on Friday against Scotch Investment Corp.

The lawsuit says Nuss was fired for complaints about “illegal practices of terminating pregnant waitresses and promoting an atmosphere which tolerates the sexual harassment of female employees.”

Forrest Rhodes, the restaurant’s attorney, says, “Scotch doesn’t believe they did anything wrong.

“We’ll respond appropriately through the court system.”

Nuss was employed at the restaurant from 2005 to October 2008 and contends that management was pleased with her job performance throughout that time.

But Nuss says she was fired in 2008 after attempting to file online complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The lawsuit says Nuss first became concerned about how women were treated in late 2007.

She says a waitress was fired for being pregnant.

“Scotch management had told this waitress that her pregnancy was unattractive and unappealing to the male clientele of the Scotch, and that it did not fit their image,” according to the lawsuit.

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Scotch & Sirloin celebrates 40 years and invites customers to share memories

menu1WICHITA — Scotch & Sirloin is celebrating its 40th year this year and is inviting customers to share memories at www.scotchandsirloin.net.

“That would be unbelievable,” says manager and co-owner Sonny Glennon.

“This has just been one of the coolest experiences of my life,” he says of being at the Scotch more than two decades.

“We’d like to have their opinion of what was the cool thing.”

The official celebration will be in September with several events and specials throughout the week of Sept. 14.

That will be just a couple of months shy of the restaurant’s 41st birthday.

It opened on Nov. 6, 1968, back when a KC Strip was $6 and a filet mignon was $4.50.

“We’re calling it the 40th anniversary, but we’re one year off,” Glennon says.

The celebration is still happening in the 40th year, though, and by having it in September instead of November, he says, “That gets us in ahead of the insanity” of the holiday season.

West-side O’Brien’s to open under a new name

WICHITA — A new bar and restaurant is coming to the west side where El Gaucho Steakhouse used to be near 21st and Tyler.

It’ll be called either Dudley’s Sports Bar and Grill or Dudlee’s Sports Bar and Grill.

“We don’t know which way it’s going to be, so take your pick,” says Charlie Badeen, who is opening the business with David Allan.

The two also own Mulligan’s Pub on North Rock and O’Brien’s Irish Pub near Scotch & Sirloin on East Kellogg.

“It’s almost identical to O’Brien’s,” Badeen says of the new place.

There will be a bar, lots of high-top tables and other seating, three pool tables, electronic games, dart boards and 15 plasma TVs in the 4,500-square-foot space.

“We’re going to push the NFL package out there,” Badeen says.

They’ll also offer hamburgers, which is a first for them, and fresh French fries, onion rings and deep fried green beans along with other traditional bar fare.

There are several reasons Badeen and Allan like the new location.

First, Badeen says, they don’t have to spend much to open since a restaurant had been in the space (El Gaucho closed earlier this year after continuing to struggle financially since filing Chapter 13 bankruptcy last fall).

Also, they think the area is easy to get in and out of.

“We looked at 21st and Maize Road, and we just thought that was way too congested out there,” Badeen says.

The fate of the life-size horse sculpture outside the entrance is up in the air. Badeen hopes he can keep it and hang a Dudley’s/Dudlee’s sign on it. He expects to know soon.

“I’ll tell you a week from Friday.”

Charlie Badeen eyes the west side

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Restaurateur and bar owner Charlie Badeen is looking for space on the west side for a new concept similar to his Mulligan’s Pub on the east side and O’Brien’s Irish Pub near Scotch & Sirloin.

“I think we’ll stay with the Irish theme,” Badeen says. “It seems to work.”

Badeen used to have a Mulligan’s, which is known for its pizza, on the west side at 1335 N. Tyler where Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant is today.

“It did really well,” he says.

Badeen closed only when someone — not anyone with Los Cocos — offered him twice what he had invested in the space.

Along with some of the fare he offers at Mulligan’s and O’Brien’s, Badeen says he’d like to add hamburgers, which he doesn’t offer at the other venues because he doesn’t have the right hoods for cooking them.

Badeen isn’t looking for a huge amount of space.

“Small bars work,” he says.