He died 2 days before he was to open this Wichita restaurant. Monday, his son got it done.
He was so ready to get the fourth location of his restaurant concept, Da Chicken Shak & More, open on Nov. 2.
But just two days before the restaurant was set to open at 343 S. Greenwich, Tim Granger died of a sudden, massive heart attack at age 47, leaving his son, Tim “Gabe” Granger II, and the rest of his family reeling.
The Granger family put off the opening while they dealt with the shock. But on Monday, three weeks after Tim Granger died, his son finally opened the restaurant, he said, and he did so as a tribute to his late father.
“He was so excited for this one,” he said.
When customers visit the new restaurant, which took over an old Subway space in a strip center near Kellogg and Greenwich, they’ll find that the restaurant’s popular trio — six catfish tenders, two catfish fillets, 12 pieces of shrimp and choice of three sides for $18 — had been renamed “Tim’s Trio.” It’s listed on the menu with a pencil sketch of Tim right beside it.
Preparing to open a business while dealing with grief has been difficult, Gabe said, but knowing how much his dad wanted the restaurant has helped him move forward.
“I learned a lot from my dad,” he said. “It’s been a tough thing to get over. He was also my best friend. I worked with him every single day.”
Gabe had a soft opening last week, he said, but he’s now ready for crowds. The hours at the new restaurant will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.
Tim Granger, a Louisiana native, was the founder of Da Cajun Shak restaurant, now at 6249 E. 21st St., which his family has run since 2005.
It was also his idea to expand the brand and open a chicken-tender restaurant that also served fried Cajun specialties. The first Da Chicken Shak & More opened at 2428 W. 13th St. in August 2018, and since then, the family has opened two more — at 1112 W. 31st St. South and at 3920 E. Harry.
Da Chicken Shak & More menu
This story was originally published November 23, 2020 at 10:44 AM.
.jpg)