Wichita restaurant will reopen with new name after trademark threats from Las Vegas
It’s been a strange year for Rhonda Williams, the longtime owner of Rachel’s Kitchen soul food restaurant at 818 N. Mosley.
First, she was served with papers demanding that she change the restaurant’s name, which she found out had been trademarked by a Rachel’s Kitchen in Las Vegas.
She settled on a new name and even changed the sign in front of her restaurant, which she opened in late 2014 and named as a tribute to her mother. The new name she and her family chose: 750 Soul.
Then, Williams had to close the restaurant to take care of her sick mother. It’s been closed since October, she said.
And although things aren’t likely to calm down anytime soon for Williams, they are likely to improve.
She’s planning to reopen the restaurant this fall under her new name, which is a tribute to her late brother, Clark Coleman. His lucky number was 750.
And when she does, it’ll be in a bigger space. Williams said she’s close to a deal on a new location for the restaurant that will allow room for more customers to enjoy her menu of soul food specialties.
“I’ve been having people call me and text me and ask me when I’m going to reopen,” she said. “I really appreciate it. I’ve got some good customers.”
Williams said the name change demand caught her by surprise.
“It’s been like four years, and I was like, ‘This is my mama’s name. I was paying homage to her,’” Williams said.
She and her family got together and decided the new name would be a tribute to Clark, who died in July of last year. When she started the business, Clark — who had previously worked in the restaurant industry — gave Williams tips and pointers, she said.
For the record, she’ll be trademarking her new name as soon as possible.
“I do not want to go through that anymore,” she said.
It was November 2014 when Williams first took over the little coral-colored building that had previously been occupied by Josephine’s Pantry and My Dad’s BBQ before that. She had run a day care for 25 years and wanted a career change, she said at the time. She always loved to cook, and opening a restaurant had been a dream of her mother, Rachel.
Williams earned lots of fans for her menu of catfish, ribs, chicken wings, chicken fried steak, homemade mac and cheese, yams, black-eyed peas, collard greens, peach cobbler and more. (Here’s a review Wichita Eagle Dining Panelist Johnna Kolar wrote in 2015.)
When Williams’ new space opens in the fall, her daughter, Nicole Williams, will help her run the place, she said. She promises to let us know when she settles on her new space and a reopening date.
In the meantime, the building’s owner, George David, says he is selling the place. Anyone interested should call 316-655-6910.
This story was originally published February 14, 2019 at 10:17 AM.
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