The old Hooters lot on North Rock Road will be home to a restaurant after all
For a long time after it closed in April 2018, Wichitans kept watching the old Hooters building at 3151 N. Rock Road, waiting and wondering if a new restaurant was going to move in.
The building was eventually transformed into a strip center, and last year, Aspen Dental took over 3,500 square feet of space on the south end of the center.
Now comes news that by this time next year, a restaurant will be operating in the north end.
Mohamad Touffaha, who recently bought the strip center, said he plans to relocate his IHOP at 3505 N. Rock Road to the space. He hopes to have the move done no later than May 2022.
In the meantime, he’ll keep the IHOP open in the space where it’s operated since it opened in 1999. Touffaha, who has owned the Rock Road store since 2005, says his lease will be up and that he thinks the restaurant will be exposed to more traffic south of K-96.
The move will allow him slightly more space for the restaurant, he said. It will be put together with all new furniture and equipment: Nothing from the old IHOP will make the move. Touffaha said he hopes to close the current store only briefly when he makes the change next year.
Touffaha owns 11 IHOP restaurants across the region, including the ones in Derby and at 11855 E. Kellogg. He’s planning to open another one near the Oak Park Mall area in Overland Park next year.
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
.jpg)