El Rio Bravo has been a big hit on South Seneca. Now Wichita is getting a second store
Since it opened in Westway Plaza at Pawnee and Seneca last December, the El Rio Bravo Supermarket has become known for its massive meat counter and amazing deals on produce. (Twenty limes for $1, anyone?)
Now, Wichita is about to get a second El Rio Bravo market.
On Thursday, co-owner Hakim Halum signed a lease to open his third market in the Twin Lakes shopping center at 21st and Amidon. He’s taking over 21,000 square feet next to the Goodwill store in the center. His space faces Dillons to the north.
Construction will start in a couple of weeks, he said, and the market could be open by January or February.
Halum, who also has a market in Kansas City, said he was always planning a second Wichita spot but wanted to see how business was at the first one.
So far, it’s exceeded expectations, he said, and the store is often packed with shoppers stocking up on tortillas, baked goods and hard-to-find things like fresh cactus, chayote, papaya and star fruit.
He studied the demographics at 21st and Amidon and says that the new store could be even more successful.
“It’s just as busy as the intersection at Seneca and Pawnee, and there’s more Hispanic population there,” he said.
The new store will have all the perks that have made the Pawnee and Seneca store popular, including the meat counter, the bakery cases and the little Mexican food cafe operating inside, he said.
Stay tuned for more updates as construction progresses.
This story was originally published July 16, 2020 at 5:08 PM.
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