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There's a new tenant for the former Krispy Kreme space at 8512 W. Central, and it may be a surprise to some.
Genghis Grill will sublease the space.
"It's going to be right in the middle of everybody," franchisee Terry Newman says of all the neighborhoods in that area.
Newman and his partner, Frank Carney , opened Genghis Grill at the former Bennigan's space at Douglas and Rock Road in January 2009.
"The east side's doing phenomenal," Newman says. "It beat our expectations."
The former Krispy Kreme space is about 4,000 square feet, which Newman says is a standard size for Genghis Grill.
It doesn't faze him that Krispy Kreme didn't succeed at that spot.
"That's kind of the least of my worries, if someone was successful there before us or not."
Besides, he says, "We're not doughnuts. We're a full-service restaurant."
Brad Saville of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal.
"Brad Saville was very key in making this work for us," Newman says.
Krispy Kreme first went up for lease in May and then closed in August.
Saville called Newman to let him know he had a west-side property that might interest him.
Newman said, "That's kind of funny, because I was just sitting in the parking lot of your west location."
The new restaurant should be ready within about four months.
"I wish it was tomorrow," Newman says.
Newman and Carney also are partners in Papa John's Pizza , and Newman believes it's their solid reputation over many years that has also helped Genghis to succeed.
"Our repeat business is unbelievable," he says. "In all my years of being in restaurants, this is just a tremendous opening.
"I don't expect anything any different out of the west side."
Attracting Chicks
Commercial broker and Chick-fil-A fanatic Cory Harkleroad started a one-man campaign to bring more of the restaurants to Wichita, but two weeks after creating a Facebook page to promote the idea he has more than 7,000 friends who have joined him.
"It just went crazy," says Harkleroad, the managing director of KW Commercial .
"Anytime you can get 7,000 people... that's a pretty solid message to me."
You can find the page at bit.ly/bJG0JT.
Two previous Chick-fil-A's at Towne East Square and Towne West Square closed in the 1990s.
There's now a Chick-fil-A at Wichita State University , but Harkleroad says the menu and hours are limited, and it's not easily accessible to the average diner.
Harkleroad is encouraging his new friends to bombard Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A with requests to bring more of the restaurants here.
"I really think the best thing that could happen is everybody just flood the Chick-fil-A site with requests."
His Facebook page has inspired comments like this one:
"I would easily be Chick-Fil-A's number one fan. I have to drive to Dallas just to get their great chicken nuggets!"
People also have made a lot of promises about how many times a week they'd eat there.
One person notes that the much-smaller Augusta, Ga., has several Chick-fil-A restaurants, and asks, "how is that fair?"
Though he's not representing Chick-fil-A in its Wichita search, Harkleroad has been in regular communication with real estate representatives for the chain.
"This is pretty inventive of a real estate broker," says Don Perry , vice president for corporate public relations. "A new stroke of social media."
Harkleroad may not get a deal, but the company is appreciative.
"We just simply are flattered," Perry says of the Facebook response.
He says the chain is looking for Wichita sites, and that effort could be bolstered from all the responses.
"We are actively investigating the market and do think over time we're going to find that location," Perry says.
He says Chick-fil-A typically enters a market with the intent to have several sites — not just one.
Harkleroad says he's been told the chain is looking for two east-side sites and one in the 21st and Maize Road area.
"It really comes down to the real estate," Harkleroad says. "They want to get the location they want, and they're not going to accept a location that's anywhere else than where they want it to go."
Even if he doesn't get the deal, Harkleroad is happy to help if it brings more Chick-fil-A restaurants here.
"This is going to be my charity case for the year — my commitment to the Wichita community."
Ready for business
Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Long John Silver's Freshside Grille are getting lots of attention for opening next week in front of Lowe's near 29th North and Maize Road.
But that doesn't bother Cinnamon's Deli owner Larry Wilson , who is opening in the same building today.
"I'm going to beat them," Wilson says.
This is his fourth Cinnamon's in Wichita.
"I like the traffic count," Wilson says of the area.
There may be a lot of other restaurants there, he says, but "there's a lot of customers also."
Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the lease.
Wilson, who opened his first Cinnamon's in 1986, hopes to open two more here and possibly one in Derby. Don't look for the new restaurants anytime soon, though.
With a tight market for financing, Wilson says, "I'm going to have to pull back... for a little while."
You don't say
"We like to call it 'edible entrepreneurship.' "
—Cat Poland of the Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland , talking to Sedgwick County commissioners Wednesday about cookie sales
