Restaurants on the move: Lots of Wichita eateries have recently relocated or will soon

Wichita restaurants have been quite mobile over the past year, and we’re not talking food trucks.

Many of Wichita’s favorites have made big moves, actually relocating their longtime businesses to new buildings while citing a number of different reasons — from losing leases to needing more space to just wanting to add a drive-through.

And the moving won’t stop anytime soon. Several biggies — including Angelo’s and Tacos tj 664 — are in the process of relocating and will reopen in new spaces this year.

Here’s a roundup of which restaurants have found new homes in recent months and which ones will be packing the moving vans soon.

Moves happening this year

Angelo’s, moving from 5231 E. Central to 5900 E. Central: This favorite iconic Wichita Italian restaurant reopened in 2016 a small space on East Central that seats only 50 and is short on parking. In the next month or two, it will relocate to the former Picasso’s East space less than a half mile to the east, which will allow owners to add a patio and triple seating. Angelo’s will continue to operate out of its current spot until it moves, but with curbside service only. It will also remain curbside only at the new space until COVID-19 numbers improve and the staff is vaccinated.

Tacos tj 664, moving from 803 N. West St. to 1014 N. West St.: This taco restaurant opened a little more than a year ago in a former Sonic building with an extra tiny dining area. But since then, it’s earned many fans and lots of business. The owners are now moving the restaurant to a bigger space a few blocks to the north. It should be ready to go soon, owners say, and they’ll turn the old space into a new restaurant called Birria tj 664.

Carlos O’ Kelly’s, moving from 3025 N. Rock Road to 11317 E 13th St. North: Carlos O’Kelly’s owner Jon Rolph purchased a bunch of Applebee’s restaurants last year and now is moving some of his restaurants around. That will result in the Carlos O’Kelly’s that’s operated at 29th and Rock since 1998 relocating to a building near 13th and Greenwich that’s currently occupied by an Applebee’s restaurant. The move should happen in the first half of this year.

750 Soul, moving from 818 N. Mosley to 4601 E. 13th St.: Rhonda Williams closed her Rachel’s Kitchen soul food restaurant at 818 N. Mosley in October 2018, and ever since, she’s been promising to reopen in her new space on East 13th Street. The sign with her restaurant’s new name, 750 Soul, has been up on the space for a while, and now Williams says opening day is near. She’s hoping to be ready to go sometime this spring and will introduce some vegan soul food dishes to her menu.

Mama Nith’s Crawfish, moving from 604 Topeka to somewhere else: This Viet-Cajun restaurant closed in June and never reopened. But its owner Nith Huynh, said she’s hoping to reopen the restaurant in a new space sometime this year and has just launched her search in earnest.

Uno Mas, moving from 1920 W. 21st St. to 1735 W. 21st St.: Uno Mas owner Abel Rodriguez said he came to understand during the COVID-19 pandemic how important it was for his taco restaurants to have drive-through windows. Over the last year, he’s opened two that do — at 3242 N. Rock Road and at 13th and Tyler. And sometime this year, he’s planning to relocate his restaurant at 21st and Amidon across the street to a space with a drive-through window.

Moves that happened last year

Dempsey’s Biscuit Co., moved from 3425 E. Douglas to 550 N. Rock Road: The owner of this restaurant lost the lease on his original space, where the restaurant had operated since 2017, and closed it at the end of December. It’s since moved in with its sister restaurant, Crutch BBQ, which has added Dempsey’s hot chicken and biscuits to its menu.

Pho Ong 8, moved from 4857 E. Harry to 3801 E. Harry: This little Wichita Vietnamese restaurant became a much bigger Wichita Vietnamese restaurant when it left its tiny home of five years next door to Manna Wok and took over a former Jimmy’s Egg restaurant space less than a mile away. It completed the move in November. A new pho restaurant appears to be taking over the space.

Wichita Fish Co., moved from 1601 W. Douglas to 818 N. Mosley: This restaurant actually opted to downsize when it moved. Over the summer, the owners of Wichita Fish Co., who had operated in Delano since 1997, left their longtime home over a lease dispute. The restaurant reopened in the former Rachel’s Kitchen space in July.

Crazy Crab Seafood, moved from 511 S. West St. to 779 N. West St. The restaurant that originally opened in spring 2019 in the deteriorating former Chi-Chi’s building on the southwest corner of Taft and West streets reopened in the former Corky’s Pub & Grub space during the fall. Its former home has since been demolished, and a Casey’s General Store is being built on the site.

Barn’rds, moved from 2037 N. Woodlawn to 3860 N. Maize Road: In a move that had been anticipated for years, the Hertel family finally opened their big new restaurant on the northwest side of town in September and closed their original location.

This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 10:01 AM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.