New in Wichita: A colorful cereal bar and a board game lounge in the vein of Sente
They’ve been trendy for years, a colorful and sweet perk of big-city living.
But now, Wichita has its own cereal bar thanks to a reinvention of Papa’s General Store, whose owner Derek Sorrells is not shy about hopping on playful trends. (Think hot cocoa bombs, latte printer, etc.)
Sorrells opened the new cereal bar on Sunday, utilizing an underused space inside the old converted home that holds his business in Clifton Square. He removed a small bar on the main level and installed a wall of 30 self-serve chutes that are now filled with different types of sweet cereals, including Apple Jacks, Cap’n Crunch, Froot Loops, Cocoa Pebbles, Fruity Pebbles and more.
People who want to try the bar purchase a water tight Chinese to-go container then fill it with whatever cereal mixture they want. They can also choose from 12 different “mix-ins, “like Butterfinger, chocolate chips, cookie dough, Oreos, peanuts, and Snickers bars. There are also several types of milk to choose from, including oat milk and a cotton candy-flavored milk.
“This allows people to create their own concoctions, which they were never able to do as children because their parents never let them,” Sorrells said.
Customers who don’t want to create their own blends can take advantage of some custom mixes his employees have come up with. The Crisp, for example, mixes Rice Krispies, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Oreo and mini-marshmallows. The Cookie Monster combines Cookie Crisp, Cocoa Pebbles, Oreo and cookie dough bites.
Prices range from $3.95 for a kid-sized bowl to $5.95 for a jumbo bowl with two toppings. Milkshakes are $6.50 for a 16 ounce with one mix-in and $7.50 for a 20 ounce with two mix-ins.
Sorrells said he anticipates people will treat the cereal bar not only as a place to splurge at breakfast but also as a fun dessert option. If they’d prefer, customers can have the cereal blended into a milkshake.
In addition to the cereal bar, Sorrells has made two other big changes at Papa’s General Store.
NEW BOARD GAME LOUNGE: When he opened the business last year, Sorrells turned the upstairs area into a novelty shop that sold socks and other fun merchandise. That hasn’t been as popular as he’d hoped, so he has a new idea for upstairs.
Sometime this week, he’ll open the area as a board game hangout, similar to what Sente offered at 132 E. Douglas before it closed in May.
He’s installing seven tables and will have on site 100 different board games. Customers can pay a small fee to sit down and play and can enjoy coffee, ice cream and cereal while they’re there. For the first 30 days it’s open, though, Sorrells said he won’t charge people to play. The space can fit about 25 people, though he’ll allow fewer while COVID-19 precautions are still necessary.
GOURMET HOT DOG MENU: Sorrells said he also has decided to change his approach to the food menu at the business, which has been offering a variety of sandwiches.
Everyone has sandwiches, including his Clifton Square neighbor Ziggy’s Pizza, he said. He’s decided to add a menu of gourmet hot dogs reminiscent of what the business And the Wiener Is served in the early 2010s. He’ll use Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs and offer unusual toppings combinations like a S’mores dog, topped with marshmallows and chocolate, or a PB&J dog. Some more standard offerings will include a Devil Dog topped with jalapenos and sriracha, and a Western Dog with barbecue sauce, spicy mustard and crispy onions.
The new hot dog menu launches on Saturday.
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 1:00 PM.
.jpg)