New east-side Wichita restaurant Doma should be open by year’s end, owners say
Back in July, I told you about Max Cole’s plan to open a new restaurant in his building at 7703 E. Douglas — the former Carlos O’Kelly’s space on the perimeter of Towne East Square.
In the three months since, construction has moved along rapidly, and passersby have watched the exterior of the building get a complete makeover.
Now, the restaurant is probably a month and a half from opening, says operating partner Stephen Dean, who moved to Wichita from Scottsdale, Arizona, to help run the restaurant. And the owners have finally settled on a name.
It will be called Doma, which Dean explains is the Latin word for “house.” It also is a mashup of owners’ Dody and Max Cole’s first names.
Dean said the restaurant will be in the vein of chains like Houston’s and Bandera and that it will serve “a modern take on American fare.” Chef Joey Castillo, who came to Wichita from Los Angeles, has developed the menu and will be ready to share details soon, Dean said.
The restaurant recently launched both its Facebook and Instagram pages, and Dean said he plans to start sharing some peeks inside Doma soon.
Dean, a longtime friend of Lee Cole — Max’s son and the building’s co-owner — has worked in restaurants for 28 years. He said he’s also hired another key member of the staff: Tom Williamson, who worked with Castillo at Delphine in Hollywood’s W Hotel and who was previously the beverage manager at 6S Steakhouse, will be the general manager of Doma.
The old Carlos O’Kelly’s space has been vacant since October 2017. Over the years, it was also home to restaurants like Gambucci’s and Tippin’s.
Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.
This story was originally published November 12, 2021 at 5:29 AM.
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