Historic Wichita diner has a new tenant, and local basketball fans will recognize him
The historic Brint’s Diner at 4834 E. Lincoln that has been closed since April is about to get a new tenant.
Robert Lolar, a onetime local basketball star who has been running a mobile barbecue business in Arkansas City for about a year, plans to open his first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the space in the next several weeks. He’s aiming for a mid-September opening date but may have to push it back to early October, he said.
He’ll keep the name Brint’s Diner — which was part of the deal when he signed the lease with the historic Valentine Diner’s new owners — but he’ll put his own spin on the menu. Earlier in the day, he’ll serve breakfast and other diner fare, then in the evening, he’ll switch to a menu of what he calls “fallen angels” meals, which will be barbecue, soul food and Mexican dishes that were favorites of his late family members.
“I’ve always enjoyed cooking,” he said. “That’s what our family does when we get together. We all cook different meals.”
Lolar, who lives in Arkansas City, had been operating his Bob’s BBQ at various spots around town when he learned about the Brint’s Diner space. Earlier this summer, the building got new owners — a Nashville-based commercial real estate firm called Brookwood Capital Advisors — who in June advertised on Facebook for a new tenant and offered six months free rent plus $10,000 to help with startup costs.
Lolar said he was excited to find the “historical” space and said he was just fine keeping the historical name, too.
Once he’s up and running, Lolar said, his hours will be 5 a.m. to midnight daily.
His breakfast and lunch menu will feature things like bacon and eggs, hash browns, hot dogs and hamburgers. In the evening, he’ll switch to the tribute menu. A couple of examples he offered included Mama’s Lasagna, a specialty of his late mother, Georgia, and Elijah’s Loaded Potato, a favorite of his late son’s.
He’ll also have a neck bones and cabbage dish named for his late Aunt Cassie, and anyone who can finish Leland’s Platter — a $50-$60 pile of brisket, fried ribs and more named for his cousin — will get it for free.
Lolar said he’s had a variety of jobs over the years but most people in his hometown remember him as a basketball player. Not only did he play at South High School in the early 1990s, but he also played at Butler Community College, at Highland Community College — where he was a second team All American — and finally at the University of North Dakota, where a knee injury ended his sports career.
The Eagle featured Lolar in 2015 after he was shot eight times and survived.
Brint’s Diner, a pre-fab Valentine Diner that first opened in 1960, is a longtime Wichita favorite that has had many owners and operators over the decades. It was closed by its most recent tenants in April, and the building was soon put on the market.
Previously, it was owned by longtime Wichita businessman and landlord Homer Morgan, who died in February 2020. But Brookwood Capital Advisors, who also bought and then leased the former Church’s Chicken building at 1302 N. Broadway to Krispy Krunchy Chicken in June 2019, snatched the Brint’s building up, enchanted by the fact that it was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” back in 2007.
I’ll let you know when Lolar has a firm opening date.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 1:39 PM.
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