When west Wichita’s new Barn’rds opens in May, the east-side restaurant will close
During his years in the restaurant business in Wichita, Troy Hertel has seen other small restaurants dramatically expand only to lose everything.
He doesn’t want Barn’rds, the restaurant his family first opened almost 37 years ago at 2037 N. Woodlawn, to suffer the same fate.
On Thursday, he said he was finally ready to share publicly a decision his family made a while ago: When the restaurant moves in May into the fancy new Barn’rds that’s almost finished at 37th and Maize Road, the east-side store will close.
“I want to try to control what I can control,” he said. “I know there are going to be some people disappointed, but for us, it’s going to be a Barn’rds rebirth.”
Hertel said that he’s about 60 days away from being able to open the new restaurant, which will have double the space as the original. He’ll close the Woodlawn location about a week before the new one opens.
The family owns the building at 21st and Woodlawn and will soon be listing it for sale, Hertel said.
“It’s going to make a great spot for someone,” he said. “It’s not like our business is bad. Our business is good. It makes money and it’s always made money. It’s just a family business decision. We’re doing what we think is best for our family.”
Barn’rds, which is known for its roast beef, vegetable soup and chicken salad, first opened in the barn-shaped building on Woodlawn in 1983. It’s run by founder Ken Hertel and his wife, Carol, his son, Troy, and Troy’s wife, Maria.
The new restaurant will have about 3,800 square fee and will seat about 100 as opposed to the current Barn’rds, which seats 70. It also will have a patio that will seat about 20, plus a drive-through.
“It’ll be worth the drive,” Hertel said.
This story was originally published March 12, 2020 at 12:36 PM.
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