Arizona restaurateur opening new concept in former Carlos O’Kelly’s space at Towne East
The old Carlos O’Kelly’s building on the perimeter of Towne East Square has been vacant since October 2017, but recently people have noticed a flurry of construction activity at the space.
Many have wondered if a new restaurant is taking over the building, which is owned by local developer Max Cole and his son, Lee Cole.
In fact, the space at 7703 E. Douglas will soon house a new restaurant, and it should be open by Oct. 1, says Stephen Dean, a recent transplant from Scottsdale, Arizona.
Dean, who in May relocated to Wichita to work on the restaurant, hasn’t settled on a name for it yet, though he plans to in the next couple of weeks. It’ll be the vein of chains like Houston’s and Bandera and will serve upscale American fare, he said.
“It’s something that Wichita will really love,” he said. “It’s going to be something that’s not stuffy but very good — very good quality.”
Dean said he’s worked in restaurants for 28 years, and on his resume are stints at places like Sushi Roku and Dominick’s Steakhouse in Scottsdale.
He’s brought with him a chef he worked with at Sushi Roku: Joey Castillo — who hails from Los Angeles and also has a long restaurant resume.
The duo are completely remodeling the restaurant space both inside and out, Dean said. When open, it will welcome families at dinnertime, and in the evening, it’ll become a draw for people who want to sip cocktails and listen to lounge music.
“It’s not what you think it’s going to be,” Dean said. “It’s a very cool concept — eclectic but cool.”
Dean said he was drawn to Wichita by his longtime friend and the building’s co-owner Lee Cole, who he’s known for 20 years. His friend has been after him for at least five years to come to Wichita and open a restaurant in one of his properties.
So far, Dean said, both he and Castillo like their new hometown.
“We are here to stay,” he said.
Castillo promised to provide more details about the new restaurant in the coming weeks.
This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 12:55 PM.
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