Wild at Heart owner says delinquent taxes related to former store

June 29, 20122:27 p.m.

WICHITA — Wild at Heart owner Marissa Marklewitz owes almost $18,000 in state taxes, but she says they relate to her former east-side store and that her west-side store is doing just fine.

Marklewitz closed her Wild at Heart at the Collective at 21st Street East and K-96 last year after three years in business to concentrate on an expanded west-side store at the southeast corner of 21st and Maize Road

She says the day before a new tenant was to sign a lease to take over her east space, the deal fell apart, and she had to unexpectedly continue the lease.

“We sat on it for seven months,” Marklewitz says. “Due to the extended circumstance there, we got a little behind on things.”

She says she’s on a payment plan with the state.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , Filed under East side, Taxes, West side | Comments Off

Personally Yours to move, expand at NewMarket Square

May 8, 20125:00 a.m.

WICHITA — When Have You Heard? last checked in with Personally Yours owner Linda Webb, she was making what she called “the big move” from 21st and Tyler to NewMarket Square at 21st and Maize Road.

More recently, Webb says she had to make a choice: Either expand the shop or retire.

“We are expanding,” she says.

Her store, which Webb describes as a ladies and babies gift boutique featuring custom embroidery, is jumping from 1,260 square feet to 2,300 square feet.

“We’re just moving across the parking lot,” Webb says.

She’s taking the former Wild at Heart space.

The move and expansion will allow more room for merchandise, including new product lines, and will make space for parties and seminars.

For instance, last year Webb says she had a seminar on decorating for the holidays with things already at your house. “We had a lot of fun with it, but we were just on top of each other.”

She had to turn down a local cookbook author who wanted to have a signing there.

“This way, we will have some room to do those,” Webb says of the new space.

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , Filed under NewMarket Square, Real estate, Retail, West side | Comments Off

Extremo Vino liquor store to open at the Collective at 21st Street and K-96

Aug. 23, 201111:15 a.m.

UPDATED — Computer programmer David Keeton discovered a love of wine three years ago and now wants to combine it with his longtime passion for technology.

Keeton is one of the founders of Callcap, a 10-year-old Wichita company that helps businesses track and analyze customer calls.

Now, he’s opening Extremo Vino, a liquor store at the Collective, which is J.V. Johnston’s development at 21st Street and K-96.

“Basically, it was born out of my own frustration,” Keeton says.

He’s developed software to help customers keep track of wines they’ve enjoyed and then offer recommendations based on those.

“I never could remember what wines I liked and what wines I didn’t like.”

With his system, customers can track the wines they like with his software on their home computers or use the system in the store with a key chain bar code tag.

Keeton also plans iPhone and iPad apps.

Based on what customers enter, he says, “Then we can make some suggestions about what else (they) might like in the store.”

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By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , , , , , , , Filed under East side, Leases, Real estate, Retail | Comments Off

East-side Wild At Heart to close; West-side store to expand

July 20, 20111:29 p.m.

WICHITA — The east-side Wild At Heart is closing after business Saturday so owner Marissa Marklewitz can concentrate on expanding her west-side Wild At Heart.

“We’re expanding into gifts and gourmet goodies,” she says.

Her west-side shop, which sells clothing, accessories and handbags, moved to the southeast corner of 21st and Maize Road in October. She has 2,700 square feet she’s using now and another 1,300 square feet on the second floor where she plans a new gift boutique.

It’s how much space she’s wanted in one building all along.

“If we could have found something three years ago, we probably would not have opened an east location.”

The east-side Wild At Heart opened three years ago at the Collective at 21st Street East and K-96.

The expanded space on the west side will include more denim items and a new handbag line called Spartina 449, which has leather-and-canvas bags.

“They’re so cute,” Marklewitz says.

The new boutique will open in October.

By Carrie Rengers | Tags: , , , Filed under Closings, East side, Retail, West side | Comments Off