Complete Nutrition to open at Towne East Square

July 30, 20093:29 p.m.

WICHITA — A new supplement store is opening at Towne East Square.

Complete Nutrition will be in about 1,500 square feet on the lower level near Dillard’s.

“It’s kind of a newer franchise,” says owner Austin Schweitzer.

He says several people who used to be involved with GNC started the chain.

Schweitzer says the store sells supplements to help with muscle building, weight loss and general health.

With sometimes extreme Kansas weather, Schweitzer says he preferred to open in a mall rather than a strip center.

“It seems like most people would rather shop in the mall,” he says.

Complete Nutrition opens Oct. 1.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail, Towne East Square | Comments (0)

Proactiv kiosk coming to Towne East Square

July 9, 20094:25 p.m.

WICHITA — It might not seem like a kiosk opening at a mall would be a huge deal, but there is one coming to Towne East Square that may be.

There’s going to be a new Proactiv skin care kiosk where customers can buy products much like they would at a pop machine.

They can select their products, swipe a credit card and walk away with them.

“It’s a pretty big deal to us,” says Towne East spokeswoman Tarasina Pack.

Proactiv customers who are used to ordering online have been asking for a store at the mall, Pack says.

“It’s really popular,” she says.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under Retail, Towne East Square | Comments (4)

Chinese Acupressure to convert from kiosk to store at Towne East Square

July 7, 20093:06 p.m.

WICHITA — Four years after first opening a kiosk in Towne East Square, Chinese Acupressure is converting its business to a full store.

“We want to provide more services to our customers and more privacy, too,” says owner Anita Chou.

In May, she opened a full store at Towne West Mall, and Chou says the reception has been terrific.

“Everybody’s happy,” she says.

She offers chair massages, full-body massages and reflexology.

Look for the new store to open Aug. 1 across from where the kiosk has been near Dillard’s.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail, Towne East Square, Towne West Square | Comments Off

Big Easy Cajun to open at Towne East Square

June 23, 20094:36 p.m.

WICHITA — Towne East Square is going to let the good times roll this fall with the addition of Big Easy Cajun, a restaurant that will serve New Orleans-style cuisine.

The restaurant, which is at a lot of malls owned by Simon Property Group, will be in the food court.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under Restaurants, Towne East Square | Comments Off

Mattress Hub expands at Towne East and Towne West

June 3, 20097:00 a.m.

WICHITA — Mattress Hub is taking 18,000 square feet in Towne East Square where Steve & Barry’s used to be and opening what the owners believe will be the nation’s largest store devoted exclusively to mattresses.

“That will be our big papa,” says Ryan Baty, whose primary partner in the business is Mark Barrientos. “We’re really trying to set up a destination location.”

The Wichita-based company has locations in Salina, Hutchinson and Newton. At Towne West Square, a new 8,000-square-foot Mattress Hub opened two weeks ago. Previously, the store there was about 3,200 square feet.

Baty says the larger stores fit “right into our motto: ‘You want it, you got it.’ We really think we’ve hit on a niche.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , Filed under Retail, Towne East Square, Towne West Square | Comments (4)

Tax issue won’t keep new restaurant from opening

May 7, 20093:53 p.m.

michaelmugMetro Grill and 5-10 Gourmet owner Michael Gonzalez, who on Tuesday told Have You Heard? about a new sit-down restaurant he’s opening at Towne East Square, is almost $22,000 behind on taxes. But he says it’s no big deal.

“I was a little behind on my sales tax, but that’s taken care of,” Gonzalez says. “It’s not going to affect any opening of any restaurant.”

Gonzalez, who is still considering two Towne East entrance locations to open 5-10 by Metro Grill, says the amount he owes is more like $10,000 and that the state must have its figures wrong.

He says he got behind when he combined the billing for his two Towne East food court restaurants and didn’t have a good accountant to help him.

Now, Gonzalez says, he’s on a payment plan and has an accountant “that I can feel comfortable with.”

“She’s at the top of the game, so that’s good.”

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Restaurants, Towne East Square | Comments (3)

Metro Grill owner to try fine-dining concept

May 5, 20096:31 p.m.

michael2Michael Gonzalez, the sandwich aficionado who draws even nonshoppers to the food court at Towne East Square, is working on another new restaurant.

“We’re going to be putting fine Italian gourmet within the actual mall itself,” Gonzalez says.

This time, it won’t be in the food court like his Metro Grill and 5-10 Gourmet.

“We’ll be at one of the main mall entrances,” Gonzalez says.

He plans to close his 5-10 Gourmet. The new restaurant will be 5-10 by Metro Grill. It will have a bar in addition to the restaurant, which will serve what Gonzalez calls Hispanic-Italian cuisine with some American dishes. It will be similar to 5-10 Gourmet but not the same.

“I’m going to add and take away and keep a lot,” Gonzalez says.

Metro Grill will remain open.

“Always,” Gonzalez says. “That’s my baby.”

He says there weren’t problems with 5-10 Gourmet.

“It’s working fantastic,” he says.

But mall management wants that space — more on that coming soon — and he thinks the mall could use a sit-down restaurant with adult beverages.

“Towne East is ready for it,” Gonzalez says.

He’s considering two locations and should make a decision shortly.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Restaurants, Towne East Square | Comments (4)

Great American Cookie closes at Towne West

April 15, 20092:43 p.m.

cookie

On the heels of Simon Property Group’s lawsuit to evict Great American Cookie from Towne East Square and collect back rent from the business, the Great American Cookie at Towne West Square has closed.

No one with Great American Cookie returned a call for comment, and Simon, which owns the malls, declined to comment.

According to Simon’s April 7 lawsuit, Great American Cookie owes $13,450.56 in past due rent as of February.

The Towne East store, which has a monthly rent of $6,725.28, is still open.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , Filed under Retail | Comments (1)