Many bars staying closed despite dropped restrictions, but Old Town clubs ready to party
Sedgwick County commissioners decided on Wednesday to allow all businesses in Wichita to reopen, meaning that Wichita bars and nightclubs — among the close-quarter businesses that had so far been ordered to stay closed amid coronavirus concerns — are no longer bound by those restrictions.
In Wichita, many Old Town night clubs, which have been shut down since the start of coronavirus restrictions in March, are preparing to welcome party crowds back this weekend and are now trumpeting drink specials and cover charge lifting on social media. One even reopened for party-seekers on Wednesday, just hours the commissioners decided no restrictions on businesses or social distancing were necessary.
Meanwhile, many popular bar and brewery owners say they’re not quite ready to go yet, and they’re not sure how long it will be until they are.
Prepare to party
Depending on how people react to the lifted restrictions, Wichita’s Old Town entertainment district could be busy and crowded this weekend. Many of the old hangouts are advertising a return to normal.
Industry Old Town at 126 N. Mosley, which has a rooftop bar, plans to throw a “reopening celebration” from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday. Enigma Club & Lounge also will resume its regular hours on Friday, offering a DJ and no cover charge at the door.
Rock Island Live at 101 N. Rock Island is throwing a Friday-night Party on the Patio with DJ Cadence starting at 9 p.m. Friday. XY Bar also will reopen at 5 p.m. Friday but says it will only allow 50 percent of its normal capacity.
Heroes at 117 N. Mosely, which takes on a nightclub atmosphere after 9 p.m. on weekends, also will reopen this weekend with DJs on both Friday and Saturday nights. And Six Degrees, a bar and nightclub at 222 N. Washington, opened for partiers on Wednesday, just hours after the county decided not to continue restrictions, for its College Night with a live DJ and drink specials.
Popular Old Town hangout Pumphouse at 825 E. Second St., which is a bar and nightclub as well as a restaurant, reopened a week ago and has been busy, manager Daron Adelgren said. Though his staff is still encouraging people to stay 6 feet apart, they’re having varying degrees of success making that happen so far, he said.
Old Town dance club Fever at 116 N. Mead won’t reopen until next week, said manager Austin Henry. And though he’ll be putting many precautions into effect, including a required temperature check at the door, the bar will reopen at its normal capacity, he said.
“Going out has become such a negative to people,” he said. “We’ve all been trained over the past three months to stay indoors. So we are making sure we get all of our systems and processes and procedures in place before we open.”
Not quite ready
Though clubs that cater to a late-night party crowd plan to resume business, other hangouts — especially wine bars and craft breweries — say they’re not quite ready yet, and the reasons vary from continued coronavirus caution to not having enough employees to open the doors.
Among the many hot spots that will remain closed for now are downtown’s two newer wine and cocktail bars: Vorshay’s Cocktail Lounge and Cana Wine & Cocktails.
The managers at Cana, 221 S. Broadway, who had previously announced plans to reopen on May 18 before Gov. Laura Kelly decided bars and nightclubs should remain closed, said the bar now needs a bit more time. Managers there will get together early next week to come up with a reopening plan, but it won’t happen this weekend.
And at Vorshay’s, 417 E. Douglas, owners say they have to replace all but two employees and are aiming for a June 2 reopening.
Peerless at 919 E. Douglas will wait a week to get its sanitation procedures in order and may open next Friday, managers said. And at Public at the Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island, where owners began allowing limited patio seating last week, that practice will continue, but tables will remain spaced out, said owner Brooke Russell. They’ll allow only about 30 to 35 percent of their normal capacity.
Two of Wichita’s most popular downtown craft breweries also are waiting a bit longer to serve sit-down customers. At Hopping Gnome Brewing, 1710 E. Douglas, owners Torrey and Stacy Lattin are celebrating their businesses’ fifth anniversary this weekend in a to-go only fashion and are eying reopening for limited seating starting on Tuesday, June 9.
And at Central Standard Brewing, 156 S. Greenwood, which is always crowded with revelers in the spring and summer, owners are having great success with to-go sales and say they’ll likely wait to reopen until July 1.
“We’ve been so busy with the curbside business that we don’t really feel any pressure to open,” said co-owner Andy Boyd. “And some of our staff don’t feel comfortable coming back to work yet.”
Alex Thomas, who owns several of Wichita’s most popular watering holes, including Kirby’s Beer Store at 3227 E. 17th St. and the new Lava & Tonic tiki bar at 1716 E. Douglas, said he’s not quite ready yet either and will not be rushing to reopen his businesses this weekend.
“We are taking it slow,” he said, adding that he’s “not quite ready to party.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 2:28 PM.
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