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  Carrie Rengers  

Willie C's closes; new steakhouse to move in

After 24 years in business, the last Willie C's Cafe & Bar has closed. Bill Rowe gave up his search for a new location, closed the restaurant and bought Red Bean's Bayou Grill instead.

An Arkansas-based steakhouse called Rowdy Beaver Restaurant & Tavern is opening in the former Willie C's space at 656 S. West St.

Closing Willie C's "is sad for me because it's been a huge part of my life for a long time -- and (for) a lot of people for that matter," Rowe says.

But he says he couldn't find another location that would work, and he liked the idea of buying Red Bean's.

"It's a phenomenal restaurant," he says.

Rowe also is keeping his Blue Moon Caterers.

"It's growing explosively," he says. "We're having trouble keeping up with it."

Red Bean's owner Richard Waite is retiring -- for now.

"I did this 10 years ago," he says of retiring. "After about 10 months of recharging my batteries, it was like, 'Well, I'm not very good at this retirement stuff.' "

That's when he started Red Bean's. He had several locations, but the one at 21st Street near Ridge Road is the only one left. And he closed his last Red Mesa Grill in 2006.

Waite, 53, has always thought the northwest part of Wichita needs a diner, so he's toying with eventually opening one.

But he says, "I may enjoy retirement so much that I may decide to let someone else worry about that."

At least one person close to him thinks that's doubtful.

"My girlfriend is taking a pool on how long it will take for me to get unretired," he says.

Rowe says he was able to get out of his lease early at Willie C's because Rowdy Beaver wants the space.

The Eureka Springs, Ark.-based restaurant is expanding to Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock, Kansas City and Oklahoma City.

Wichita is first on the list because managing partner Rod Minner used to live here when he worked in the aircraft industry. He left seven years ago.

Minner plans extensive remodeling of the building. He isn't worried about one of the reasons Rowe left the space.

Rowe says that while lunch business was great, dinner business wasn't because there weren't houses in the area.

Minner says the nearby Texas Roadhouse "does tremendous in that area," and he thinks he can, too.

"We're not concerned about that," he says.

Look for the restaurant to open in three to four moths.

See you real soon?

Another longtime business is closing, this one at Towne East Square.

The Disney Store has been at the mall for 15 years and will close no later than June 30.

Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. recently sold back the North American Disney stores to Walt Disney Co. That includes 220 outlets, and Disney said it could close up to 100 of the stores.

It's not clear whether the Wichita store's closing is related to that. An employee wouldn't share further details.

Straight talk

Marilyn Milleson of Old Mission Mortuary would like to get a couple of things straight.

Milleson says there's been confusion over whether the mortuary, which is at 3424 E. 21st Street, is bankrupt.

It's not.

But new, shorter hours at Old Mission Mausoleum -- a separate business -- are fueling the rumor, Milleson says.

In February, a bank transferred the mausoleum from a trust to the city of Wichita.

It's now open from about 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. It's closed on weekends, when a lot of people try to visit, and Milleson thinks that's part of what is leading to the rumors.

Tim Martz, the city's superintendent of parks and recreation, says the city is working toward keeping longer mausoleum hours, including weekends.

"We're hoping that that will be done before Memorial Day," he says.

It looks like a new automatic access control system will be in place about a week before that and the mausoleum will be open seven days a week.

That's not the end of Milleson's worries, though.

The latest AT&T phone book lists two incorrect numbers for the mortuary, both of which are disconnected.

"So, of course, people are really thinking, 'They must be bankrupt,' " Milleson says.

"They're two bizarre numbers," she says. "I don't know where they got them."

For the record, the correct number is 316-686-7311.

Exquisite move

Mother's Day is an important day of business for most floral and gift shops, but a couple of things have conspired to make this one difficult for Exquisite Gourmet Gift & Floral.

The shop has been in downtown Newton for five years and is moving to Chisholm Trail Center-Outlet & Retail Shops.

A move around the time of a big holiday is hard enough.

"People had thought we closed," says R.J. Bowling, wife of shop owner Tim Bowling.

Then a cooler wall fell on her, resulting in a concussion.

"We're trying to salvage Mother's Day," she says of filling orders with so much going on.

Bowling is excited about the move, though. It's allowing the shop to expand gift lines and formal-wear selections, too.

Plus, the Bowlings like the growing Chisholm Trail.

"They've really got a lot going on out here," R.J. Bowling says.

You don't say

"Let's just keep this between ourselves."

--Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Hill, joking after her call with a Wichita Eagle reporter got dropped

Got a hot tip or quirky story? Call Carrie Rengers at 316-268-6340 or e-mail crengers@wichitaeagle.com.