Get a peek inside this new open-air Wichita restaurant, which is just waiting to open
Restaurant fans have spent the past several weeks fretting about the future prospects of their favorite Wichita restaurants.
Meanwhile, one of College Hill’s most anticipated new eateries — The Belmont at 3555 E. Douglas — has been quietly finishing construction and should be ready to open in the next four or five weeks.
Late last week, the owners agreed to give me a sneak-peek tour of the place, which at this point is missing only wait staff and customers. I left excited about the place, which I predict is going to be one of Wichita’s hottest hangouts once it’s safe for us all to hang out again.
The restaurant is owned by Tory DeMarce and his wife, Melanie, who is a Wichita native, along with brothers Ryan and Anthony Francisco, investors who live in Phoenix but grew up in Wichita.
The group purchased Happiness Plaza last year and announced plans to turn the 3,800-square-foot main space, which was once home to Dean’s Designs, into a restaurant.
Before coronavirus hit, the owners planned to open in late March, and they’re essentially ready to open anytime. All they have to do, DeMarce said, is touch up some paint, hire a staff and choose the right time.
When I stepped up to the restaurant, I was impressed by one of its best features, which will likely make it a big draw in nice weather months. The Belmont has been built with retractable doors on three sides: facing Douglas on the north and also facing the east and west. It gives the restaurant the feeling of being completely open air, something you’d find on vacation but not in Wichita.
The owners have filled the inside with mid century modern-style furnishings, and the interior features wood accents and shades of deep green, blue and gold. The best seats in the house are a pair of spacious half-circle booths with blue velvet seats that face Douglas.
“It’s a really fun place people watching,” DeMarce said.
There’s also an attractive horse shoe-shaped bar in the center of the space, and six giant globe lamps hang from the ceiling above it. They sway in the breeze when the windows are all open.
A big patio on the Douglas-facing side of the restaurant will seat 40. Inside, there’s room for 108.
DeMarce said the menu is almost ready to be revealed, and it will include “American food” including two burgers, a rib eye, bruschetta, meat-and-cheese boards, sandwiches and simple salads. The kitchen has partnered with Bagatelle Bakery in Wichita for bread and is working on a deal with a nearby farm for beef.
“We’re relying on really fresh ingredients five or six days a week,” DeMarce said. “We’re trying to source as much local as we can.”
The Belmont also imported an experienced chef from the Phoenix area. Jacob Cook, who worked in restaurants like The Dressing Room and CHAR Kitchen + Bar in Scottsdale, was trained at the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.
Cook has been on staff since February, along with a sous chef and a front-of-house manager.
Since their opening is delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, the staff has found ways to stay busy and “break in the kitchen,” DeMarce said.
They’ve been making simple meals and donating them to people in need for the past several weeks. So far, they’ve made food for area homeless shelters, hospitals and also for some of their new College Hill neighbors.
“We’re really just trying to take care of the people that are busting their asses and also those in need in the community,” Ryan Francisco said.
As the restaurant has sat ready but not open for the past several weeks, lots of College Hill residents have strolled by for a peek inside, DeMarce said.
Those people seem eager for the time to come when they can sit inside and enjoy.
The people who are getting food from the restaurant often look at the staff quizzically and ask what The Belmont is.
“We try to explain that we’re just waiting to open and as soon as we can, we will,” DeMarce said.
The Belmont will serve lunch and dinner daily, DeMarce said. It will also offer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
I’ll keep you posted on opening day, but meanwhile, enjoy the slideshow from our tour.
This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 11:47 AM.
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