Wichita restaurant owner says drive-through a must during pandemic, is moving to get one
One of the most important features a restaurant can have in the age of global pandemic and social distancing is a drive through, says Uno Mas owner Abel Rodriguez.
So when he realized a drive through-equipped space across the street from his taco restaurant at 1920 W. 21st St. was available, Rodriguez decided it was time to make a move.
Late this year, he said, he’ll relocate his restaurant into the Twin Lakes strip center at 1735 W. 21st St. that also holds Huddle House. The center, built by local lawyer and entrepreneur Abdul Arif in 2018, also holds Arif’s offices.
Rodriguez, who in January opened a west-side Uno Mas in the Tyler Pointe strip center at 13th and Tyler, has a drive-through there, and it was a lifesaver during restaurant shutdowns in March and April, when restaurants weren’t permitted to open their dining rooms, he said.
“Ever since COVID started, our west-side store has been very busy with drive through business,” he said.
When construction on the Twin Lakes center was first complete, Max Sheets of Chick N Max had announced plans to move into the future Uno Mas space, which is on the east end of the strip center. But that never happened.
Rodriguez, a former sous chef at Chester’s Chophouse, started his solo career with his Uno Mas food truck and opened his first brick-and-mortar spot on 21st St. in September 2017. He still has his original food truck plus a second burger truck.
The build-out on his new space will take about three to four months, he said, and he anticipates it will be done at the end of the year. It’ll have the same look and menu as his west-side restaurant.
“As soon as we’re done, we’re moving,” he said.
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