Wichita restaurant downsizing into a new building after nearly 30 years in one spot
Wichita Fish Co. — the almost 30-year-old seafood restaurant and retail shop that Larry Towns and his wife, Judy, have run at 1601 W. Douglas since 1997 — is on the move.
At the first of next month, said Towns’ youngest daughter, Neeley, the family will open a new restaurant at 818 N. Mosley, the spot that has been vacant since Rachel’s Kitchen moved out in October 2018.
There’s a chance, she said, that the Delano restaurant will remain for a while, too. It all depends on what happens with the landlord.
The move, she said, was necessitated by a dispute with the trust handling Wichita Fish Co.’s longtime building. The trust managers wanted the Towns’ to sign a new lease, Neeley said, but her parents didn’t like the terms.
They decided to find a new spot in the meantime, but things are in limbo and her father says he might keep the old spot “until they evict us,” she said.
Either way, the new restaurant is almost ready to go, although it will look significantly different.
It’s smaller than the original, with seating for only 36 as opposed to the Delano building’s 100-plus seats.
But the family realized during coronavirus shutdowns, Neeley said, that they can survive just fine on a model that focuses more on to-go business.
“My dad thinks the new spot will be a gold mine,” she said. “There’s not near as much overhead, so we don’t have to make as much to make it there.”
He plans to keep the Haysville Wichita Fish Co. at 7301 S. Broadway running as normal, she said.
The Towns’ will add a new outdoor deck to the building on Mosley to expand seating, she said. If they end up leaving Douglas for good, they’ll keep their retail fish in smaller freezers on-site and keep the excess at their North Broadway warehouse, refilling as necessary.
Wichita Fish Co., which originally started as a retail shop in Delano, is known for its fried catfish but also sells fried pollock, tilapia filets, popcorn shrimp, breaded scallops, battered clams and fried oysters. There also are non-fried options like ahi tuna, halibut, salmon, bass and mahi mahi.
Back in January, Neeley spoke to The Eagle about a Go Fund Me campaign she started for her parents as her father’s health continued to decline. Larry Towns is struggling with congestive heart failure and other serious health issues.
Her only goal was to keep the restaurants running, she said at the time.
Larry is still struggling with his health, Neeley said, though he still frequently goes to work at the Haysville store.
Neeley said the family has been informing longtime customers of the news over the past month or so. The sign is now up on the new building, which has been painted a couple of times as the Towns look for the right color.
“A change might be good,” she said. “It will be all new and clean.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 10:03 AM.
.jpg)