Laid off arena chef starts his own Wichita eatery for the gluten-free community
Eric Dug Dug was out of a job and bored at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
But that turned out to be a good thing for gluten-free diners in Wichita.
Today, Dug Dug — who was working as a sous chef for Intrust Bank Arena before he was laid off amid the coronavirus pandemic — is opening a new gluten-free Mediterranean restaurant.
Actually, it’s more of a restaurant within a restaurant.
Dug Dug, who also has a long stint in the kitchen at Georges French Bistro on his resume, will be taking over the kitchen and dining room at The Fusion Restaurant, 1812 W. Douglas, in the late afternoons and evenings after owner Shannon Johnson is done with her daily service. She closes her restaurant each day at 3 p.m.
This is the second time Johnson is trying the restaurant-sharing concept. Late last year, she opened up her space in the evenings to Bigley’s BBQ owner Shane Bigley, but that partnership petered out.
When he was laid off, Dug Dug said, he decided it was time to focus on his own food. He’d worked as a personal chef for years and liked it. He approached Johnson and offered to help her — free of charge — as she cooked and served family meals to-go during the coronavirus shutdowns.
“I needed something to do,” he said. “I just needed to get busy, and times are tough. I just wanted to help and feel like I’m combating this virus in some way.”
Eventually, Johnson suggested he start his own dinner service in her space. He’d been planning to return to the arena once it was back up and running, but the idea of doing his own thing appealed to him.
He’s been working the past several weeks creating a totally gluten-free menu of Mediterranean food, which he’ll debut starting at 3 p.m. today. It features appetizers like hummus and falafel, entrees like seared salmon and shakshuka, plus soups, sides and a few desserts. You can see the full menu below.
Dug Dug said he doesn’t eat gluten free but had noticed a need for safe, gluten-free dining in Wichita. Mediterranean food lends itself to gluten-free lifestyle naturally, he said. The only hard part was tracking down gluten-free pita bread.
“There’s a huge need,” he said. “There’s a whole market that’s out there, and I don’t know if anyone’s really taking the opportunity to cater to them.”
He also can cater to vegan diners, he said, and can substitute meat in his dishes with jack fruit.
Starting tonight, Dug Dug’s hours will be 3 to 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. People can dine in or get his menu to go, he said.
Chef Eric’s Mediterranean menu
This story was originally published May 15, 2020 at 11:06 AM.
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