An old Asian buffet restaurant has been transformed into a new Wichita party venue

For a long time, the building at 6160 E. Central held an aging Asian buffet restaurant. And once it went out of business, the building sat sad and vacant.

Now, it has new life, and if all goes as planned, it will soon be one of Wichita’s most popular party venues.

Wichita Brewing Company owners Greg Gifford and Jeremy Horn have just finished work on their new Wichita Brewing Company Event Venue, a 9,000-square-foot space that can host weddings, corporate parties, quinceaneras and concerts. They’ve already had a wedding and a corporate event there — and have 20 more weddings already on the books.

They’ve also already booked a concert there. Country singer and Kansas native Jared Daniels will perform at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and tickets are $5.

On Aug. 3, people will be able to get another look inside the space, which is just across the parking lot from the east-side Wichita Brewing Company. In the afternoon, the owners will hold an open house, and it will be followed that evening by the brewery’s seventh anniversary party, when the venue will be open to attendees.

Recently, Gifford and the venue’s general manager, JonRyan McGregor, gave me a tour of the new space, and it’s hard to believe it’s the same place that used to have rows of buffet lines set up next to a gurgling koi pond.

During the six-month renovation, WBC’s owners completely gutted the inside, putting in new everything. It’s now a wide-open space with stained cement floors and lots of Gifford’s copper creations, including a dramatic copper chandelier in the center of the room and a big bar with decorative copper details.

People who use the venue will find it has a setup that will make them feel like they’re at Wichita Brewing Company. It has a big bar with a copper back and 10 copper beer handles. There’s also a pizza oven, and people who use the facility can opt to have the staff make pizzas. Renters also have the option of bringing in their own food and adult beverages.

One special touch for those who get married at the venue: Gifford has made a copper “tree” whose vines snake through the ceiling. Those who get married in the venue will have a copper leaf with their name engraved on it added to the tree.

“You’ll be part of our family tree forever,” McGregor said.

The venue also has new restrooms, two big rooms where wedding couples can get dressed and hang out before the ceremony, and a big kitchen, where catering staffs can prepare food on site.

The koi pond is gone, but the owners did keep one piece of the former buffet restaurant. A giant round grill, where the previous owners would have prepared Mongolian grill dishes, has been refurbished and topped, and now it’s a centerpiece table in the room.

The venue can hold 665 people standing, 330 sitting.

To inquire about renting it, call 316-393-6717.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 1:48 PM.