Pick up coffee, tea and a copy of ‘Classic Restaurants’ at Spice Merchant signing
Still looking for a signed copy of “Classic Restaurants of Wichita,” which includes profiles and photos of almost 100 Wichita restaurants locals miss most?
You have another chance to pick one up while you’re out doing your holiday shopping. I’ll be at the Spice Merchant, 1300 E. Douglas, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11. The Spice Merchant folks will have a special signing area set up for me in the balcony area of the shop, and we can all leave with our hair smelling like cinnamon and coffee and Christmas.
Though not a restaurant, The Spice Merchant is also a Wichita classic. Its building with the Spanish-motif roof dates back to 1906, when Mentholatum founder A.A. Hyde built it to hold the headquarters and manufacturing plant for his menthol-based salve, which would become a household name.
Bob Boewe founded The Spice Merchant, which now sells spices, tea, coffee and kitchen gadgets, in 1980 at 105 N. Grove, and just six months later, he moved it to a bigger space around the corner at 2330 E. Douglas. In 1984, the shop moved to 1308 E. Douglas, where he added a cafe section that served pastries, sandwiches and salads.
In 1993, the shop expanded again into the Mentholatum building next door and kept its deli operating in the other space until 2004. Eventually, that section became dedicated to tea and tea accessories.
Today, The Spice Merchant is one of Wichita’s most bustling Christmas shopping destinations, and people can buy coffee roasted on-site, spices in bulk, hard-to-find spices and gourmet goods and all kinds of kitchen gadgets.
The books are $21.99 and the perfect size for stockings. Can’t make it to the signing? Email dneil@wichitaeagle.com for details on how to get an autographed book before Christmas.
This story was originally published December 6, 2021 at 1:38 PM.
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