Platinum Salon Spa & Boutique and Salon Bella to merge on west side; Color Bar Salon to open in Clifton Square

April 26, 20132:50 p.m.

WICHITA — There’s news with a few salons and stylists in the greater Wichita area.

First, Platinum Salon Spa & Boutique and Salon Bella are merging.

Susan Wardle and Tammy Kudlock are moving their Salon Bella from 119th and Maple to Tambra Hiser’s Platinum Salon at the northeast corner of 13th and Maize Road on Tuesday.

“I wanted to grow, and I don’t want to do it … one by one where it takes months,” Hiser says. “I came up with this innovative idea.”

She actively sought other salon partners by cold calling a few.

“Basically I decided to knock on some doors,” Hiser says. “I wanted to see what salon owners were faced with, some challenges.”

She and Wardle and Kudlock thought they would be a good fit and be able to offer complementary services. Hiser says they decided, “Wouldn’t it be genius to mix these two staffs together?”

She says education is a big focus for both salons.

There will be 11 stylists who will share nine stations.

In addition to hair services, there will be facials, nail care, massage and body wraps among other things.

Hiser says the trend lately has been for stylists to branch out on their own, but she says she and Wardle and Kudlock see benefits to combining their services in one place and under the Platinum name.

“Adding two heads is better than one,” Hiser says. It’s “going to be incredible.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Filed under Clifton Square, College Hill, New business, Real estate, Salons, West side | Comments

Terradyne Country Club and residential partners in lawsuit over financial dispute

Aug. 9, 20125:00 a.m.

UPDATED — The partners in Terradyne Country Club and Terradyne Residential are in a financial dispute that has led to a lawsuit against one another.

CS Ventures, which is Craig and Christy Smith, and Terradyne Residential have filed a lawsuit in Sedgwick County District Court against partners Jerry Slack, Earle Evans and Wichita-based BGS Cos.

“It’s just that some of the partners … have not paid their part of the cash calls,” Craig Smith says. “We’ve been patiently waiting and waiting.”

Evans says he and Slack have paid.

“We feel like we’re not getting full credit on it for what we did,” he says.

Evans says the first he heard of the suit is when a reporter told him about it.

“I’m amazed because I talked to Craig Smith … yesterday. He never said anything,” Evans says.

“That can’t be true because he’s signed receipt of it,” Smith says.

Regardless, Evans says he’s not pleased.

“There probably will be some repercussions on that.”

Meaning a possible countersuit?

“Could be. I don’t know.”

A 10-person partnership formed in 2006 to buy Terradyne out of bankruptcy, and Smith and his lawyer, Harvey Sorensen, say initially it did well.

“They had a positive cash flow excluding capital expenditures,” Sorensen says.

“They invested a lot of money in redeveloping the course and redeveloping the clubhouse and getting the residential development ready to go, and then the world collapsed.”

He says, “There are several people who wanted to ride the elevator up but wanted to get off when it started to go down.”

During the difficult times, Sorensen says the club and residential development’s losses were funded through only about half of the owners.

“We have started a campaign to remind the noncontributing members of their obligations. We expect to be in contact with several prominent members of the community who have not paid their fair share.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Filed under Country clubs, Golf, Lawsuits, Real estate | Comments Off

Terradyne Country Club owners hire Hale Irwin Golf Services to assess club’s future

Dec. 9, 201111:19 a.m.

UPDATED — The group that owns Terradyne Country Club has a contract with Denver-based Hale Irwin Golf Services to assess what to do with the club.

Selling is one option. Taking the club to the next level is another.

“I think all the partners are interested in staying with Terradyne, but we need somebody … to help us become profitable,” says Terradyne managing partner Craig Smith. “We all love Terradyne, but writing a check every month isn’t fun.”

The group, which bought Terradyne six years ago, includes local partners Rob Patton, Don Marvin, Mark Wellemeyer, Duke Evans, Chris Stevens and Jeff Bennett as well as two out-of-state investors.

Smith says the partners spent several million dollars in renovations after purchasing the club, and business did begin turning around initially.

“The golf business was great,” he says.

That changed.

“I don’t think it’s any secret that the golf world is a difficult world to live in because of the economy,” Smith says. “All over the country the golf business is difficult.”

Terradyne has a 60-day contract with Hale Irwin for the group to study the club and how to improve it. There’s a chance Hale Irwin may be interested in purchasing the club.

“They’ll consider it,” Smith says. “I don’t know whether they’ll do it.”

For now, Hale Irwin is doing a “thorough review of all the things that we’re doing.”

After the contract is up, Smith says there’s a chance Terradyne will hire Hale Irwin to help make some changes.

“They’ve had great ideas for us just verbally,” he says. “The initial thing is for them to come in and get it profitable.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under Uncategorized | Comments Off

Local Hereford House owner says an indictment in the Kansas City Hereford House fire won’t affect him

June 22, 20106:12 p.m.

WICHITA — A federal grand jury today indicted the president of the group that owns Hereford House in Kansas City, but local Hereford House owner Mike Issa says it won’t affect him.

According to the Kansas City Star, Rod Anderson, president of the Anderson Restaurant Group, is charged with arson in a 2008 fire that destroyed the landmark Hereford House in Kansas City.

He’s also charged with conspiracy, mail fraud and using fire to commit a federal felony.

“It does not affect anything,” says Issa, whose restaurant is at the Terradyne Country Club. “I’m not affiliated with the Anderson Group whatsoever.”

He says he merely bought a license from the company last year.

“I just want to use their name,” Issa says.

“They have a great concept, a great product,” he says. “Restaurantwise, it has a great reputation.”

Issa says the Anderson Group also stipulates that he has to use Cargill Sterling Silver meat, but he says that’s what he’d want to use anyway.

That’s as far as his connection to Rod Anderson goes, Issa says.

“We are completely two different people.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Legal, Restaurants | Comments

Hereford House to open at Terradyne Country Club

Oct. 26, 20093:48 p.m.

WICHITA — Restaurateur Mike Issa and the owners of Terradyne Country Club confirm it: Hereford House is going to open there.

“The deal is going forward,” Issa says.

The restaurant likely will open in the first week of December.

Have You Heard? reported the news earlier this month, though at that time no one involved would comment.

Even if you’re not a member of Terradyne, you’ll be able to eat at the restaurant. In fact, that’s what Issa is counting on.

“Being in that location, it can serve Wichita and all the surrounding area,” he says.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , Filed under Country clubs, Restaurants | Comments

Hereford House could open at Terradyne Country Club

Oct. 7, 20094:55 p.m.

herefordWICHITA — It looks like diners from the Wichita area will no longer have to drive to Kansas City to enjoy Hereford House.

The popular Kansas City steakhouse — with the slogan, “50 Years Old and Still in Our Prime!” — now has several Kansas City-area locations.

It’s newest location outside of the city likely will be in what’s currently the Palomino Grill at Terradyne Country Club in Andover.

Former Italian Garden owner Mike Issa is working on a deal to open in the space.

No one is talking about it yet, but look for a deal to happen as early as this week.

In August, Issa closed the west-side Italian Garden. The east-side Italian Garden closed prior to that.

Senor Tequila is now in the former Italian Garden space at 21st and Tyler.

After opening at Terradyne, Issa may have the rights to open one more Hereford House in Wichita.

We’ll keep you posted.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Country clubs, Restaurants | Comments