Wichita restaurant announced it was closing then got crazy busy. Now plans have changed
Three weeks ago, Gabby Kruskamp announced that she’d be closing her 4-year-old Peruvian restaurant — Gabby’s Peruvian Cuisine at 1002 S. Seneca. Her last day, she said, would be Aug. 16.
Customers just hadn’t come back after the COVID-19 shutdowns in March and April, she said at the time, and she couldn’t continue. If people wanted to get one more taste, they’d better hurry and visit.
They did. And now, Kruskamp has had a change of heart.
She saw so many new customers after news of the restaurant’s impending closing circulated that she’s decided to keep going. Now, Kruskamp plans to close the restaurant for a couple of weeks to do some building maintenance then reopen on Friday, Aug. 28.
Once she reopens, she said, she’ll have the same limited hours: noon to 7:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. The restaurant will continue to offer both dine-in and carryout.
Kruskamp said that in retrospect, maybe all she needed was more marketing.
“We are the only Peruvian restaurant in town,” she said. “And now, I have a lot of support from customers.”
The restaurant will continue as long as it stays busy, she said. She may even add weekday hours back if things go well.
Gabby’s first opened in early 2016 in a tiny spot at 1713 W. Douglas that had room for only four tables.
But the restaurant earned a following for its authentic Peruvian dishes like arroz con pollo, chicharron, fried tilapia and flan, and in May of 2018, Kruskamp relocated the restaurant to the bigger South Seneca space, which had previously held restaurants like The Breakfast Club. The move allowed her ten times more seating than she’d had previously.
“It’s incredible,” she said of the support she received over the past several weeks. “And my landlords are very happy.”
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