Joe Davidson (left) with his parents, Linda and Jack Davidson, who are turning Toc's Coffeehouse into a Jimmie's Diner.
WICHITA — A new restaurant is opening where Toc’s Coffeehouse closed this spring.
“We’re going to remodel it and open it as a Jimmie’s Diner,” says owner Jack Davidson.
Davidson and his wife, Linda, purchased Jimmie’s at 3111 N. Rock Road in 2007.
“We want to continue to … take this legendary store and spread it out to more than one location,” Jack Davidson says.
Jimmie’s “was one of the first things on North Rock Road back in 1987,” he says. “As a matter of fact, it sat out here all by itself on a two-lane road.”
The history of Jimmie’s, Kings-X Diner – the restaurant at 21st and Amidon the Davidsons also bought in 2007 – and Toc’s goes back even farther.
“We have a direct line back to White Castle in Wichita,” Davidson says.
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By Carrie Rengers
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Tags: George Ablah, Jack Davidson, Jimmie King, Jimmie’s Diner, Kings-X Diner, Landmark Commercial Real Estate, Lewis Kelley, Linda Davidson, Sean Klenda, Toc’s Coffeehouse, Wayne King, White Castle
Filed under New business, Real estate, Restaurants
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WICHITA — White Castle is celebrating its 90th anniversary this month, but it isn’t celebrating in Wichita until next month.
The Wichita Eagle earlier this year reported that the Columbus, Ohio-based company wanted to celebrate its anniversary here this month by bringing mobile kitchens downtown to sell its famous sliders, which also are known as gutbombs, Whiteys and Whitey one-bites.
That’s now on hold until next month when the weather is more consistently nice.
The mobile kitchens have given some hope that the Wichita-founded chain, which is the oldest burger chain in the country, may one day return here. It left in 1938.
Though the company says that’s a possibility one day, a safer bet is to try and get your fix at the mobile kitchens because there’s not likely to be a White Castle here anytime soon.
Jamie Richardson, a White Castle vice president, last year said the company opens about five to 10 restaurants a year. Those tend to be in cities where White Castle already operates. The closest White Castle to Wichita is in St. Louis.
“I think there will come a time in our future where we’ll grow into new markets,” Richardson said. “And it would be kind of fun to do a boomerang voyage back to where it all started.”
WICHITA — An international company with ties to a Brazilian restaurant group is bringing a new franchise concept to the United States and opening its first restaurant in Wichita this spring.
“Wichita is a good lab,” says Alberto Moreira, who is bringing Bossa Grill to Northrock Retail Center at 3242 N. Rock Road.
Moreira points to Wichita as the successful home to franchises like Pizza Hut and White Castle.
“It’s a good test market for a restaurant.”
Moreira and Wichita business attorney Michael Biggs are partners in Bossa Group International with several Brazilians who are owners of TAC Comercio Alimenticio.
That company has 80 restaurants in Brazil, including the Bonaparte and Donatario concepts that are the inspiration for Bossa Grill.
“We’re taking what works in Brazil, and we’re adapting it for use . . . in American markets,” Biggs says.
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By Carrie Rengers
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Tags: Alberto Moreira, Bonaparte, Bossa Grill, Bossa Group International, Brady Miller, Donatario, J.P. Weigand & Sons, Leisa Lowry, Michael Biggs, Northrock Retail Center, Occidental Management, Pei Wei, Pizza Hut, TAC Comercio Alimenticio, White Castle
Filed under Leases, Real estate, Restaurants
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