Old Town is losing a nightlife destination at the end of the month
UPDATED, 5:12 p.m., Wednesday
Old Town is losing a tenant at the end of the month.
On Wednesday, the owner of Fredos, the cocktail bar and restaurant that opened in June 2018 at Second and Washington, announced that the business would be closing on Dec. 31.
Owner Alfred Abdelmaseh said that he tried to come to an agreement with his landlord to renew his lease on the building, which he’s had since the summer of 2018, but could not.
Keeping the business, which served wine, cocktails and food, going through the pandemic with limited seating had already been a struggle, he said.
But he hopes to find someplace next year to move the business — preferably someplace larger. He’s hoping for the College Hill area or the east side of Wichita.
“The unfortunate part is that it’s going to be a struggle to get something going,” he said. “We’re hopeful to find another property, and we’re already talking to a few people. We’re going to see how our cards fall.”
In September, the U.S. Department of Labor filed a federal lawsuit against Abdelmaseh alleging that dozens of restaurant workers weren’t paid minimum wage or overtime for more than a year. The complaint listed 27 employees, both current and former, who were affected and accused Abdelmaseh of violating portions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Court records show he was served with the suit on Dec. 3.
Abdelmaseh said on Wednesday that the suit didn’t have anything to do with the impending Fredo’s closure and that he thought he would have it resolved soon.
Contributing: Megan Stringer of The Eagle
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 2:54 PM.
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