Onetime Wichita football star opening a sports bar where he’ll honor local sports greats
.JPG "Jeran Trotter was a star running back at Northwest High School and went on to play Division 1 football in college.")
A Northwest High School football legend is preparing to open a new sports bar in Wichita, where he says he plans to pay tribute to the many sports legends who have hailed from Wichita.
Jeran Trotter, who was a record-setting, star running back for the Grizzlies until he graduated in 2006, says he plans to open Side Lines Sports Bar & Daiquiri Lounge in the former Club Boomerang space at 1400 E. First St. He hopes to have it open sometime in October.
Trotter, who went on to play college football at both Missouri State and Friends University, said he’s long wanted to open a restaurant where he could honor hometown sports legends like Bryce Brown, Chris Harper, Rashad Washington, Arthur Brown Jr. and Kamerion Wimbley. He’s already reached out to several of them, who have agreed to have some of their jerseys on display, he said.
Trotter, who also owns the Grizzlies, an organization of more than 200 kids that’s part of the Greater Wichita Junior Football League, said his goal is to inspire his players and let them know they can achieve great things in sports.
“I want to be able to have them go there and see that type of stuff and know that they have something to play for,” he said. “The recognition around Wichita isn’t the highest for what these guys do for Wichita. I want to put them on the map.”
Back in 2018, Trotter opened a business called Vixen’s Erotic Sports Bar at 212 W. Harry, which faced some scrutiny when the Wichita City Council voted to deny its entertainment permit. The bar closed in 2019, though, and now Trotter leases the building to another bar. He also owns a convenience store called D&D Express, and he and his brother opened Showboat Bikini & Sports Resort in El Dorado in 2018.
Side Lines will be family-friendly, Trotter said, and parents will feel comfortable bringing their children there. He’ll offer a food menu of items like wings, specialty burgers, grilled chicken and salads. He also plans to serve catfish, he said.
Trotter says he’s remodeled the large space, installing some turf alongside the hardwood floors. He also has pool tables and arcade games for the kids. There will also be a patio, and eventually, Trotter says, he’d like to offer music from live bands.
The building once had two separate sides and two separate bars, he said, but he’s combining the building into one big space, which he’ll decorate with sports memorabilia. From one bar, he’ll serve beer and mixed drinks, he said. The other will be devoted specifically to frozen daiquiris.
Trotter, who still holds the single season rushing record for Northwest High School, also once held the City League single-season record. It was broken two years later by Bryce Brown, one of the athletes Trotter plans to honor in his bar.
I’ll let you know when Trotter chooses an opening day for Side Lines.
This story was originally published September 2, 2021 at 11:56 AM.
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