Wings, burgers, lots of ’cue: A list of restaurants Wichita can look forward to in 2022
Wichita was full of restaurant closings during a tough 2021, when owners struggled to find employees and to deal with rising food costs.
Nonetheless, many hearty restaurateurs are planning to launch their ventures in 2022, and the list of expected openings for this year is already pretty long.
If you’re needing something to look forward to, here’s my annual list of restaurants that Wichita can expect in the coming year.
Keep in mind that more will pop up as the year progresses, but this list — which includes lots of barbecue, several chain restaurants and continued growth both on North Maize Road and at K-96 and Greenwich — is a good start.
January
Doma, 7703 E. Douglas: Max Cole’s new small plates restaurant, which will feature an upscale dining room and bar as well as a unique indoor/outdoor lounge and a dog-friendly patio, is set to open Jan. 15 in the 13,000 square-foot building outside of Towne East Square that once held Carlos O’Kellys.
The Shadows, 6339 W. Kellogg: Local nightclub manager Austin Henry says he’s almost ready to open his new venture, which is taking over the space off of West Kellogg formerly occupied by Carrie B’s and Oh My Sushi. It will be a speakeasy that has craft cocktails, dinner and burlesque style dancers on stage later in the evenings. He’s aiming for a mid-January opening.
First Mile Kitchen, 2141 N. Bradley Fair Parkway: Husband and wife Nick Korbee and Amanda Luginbill will open their first Wichita restaurant sometime in January in the former Good Egg space at Bradley Fair. The menu will be inspired by locally sourced, Kansas-grown and -raised foods, and the restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Sweetpop’s, 2130 N. Tyler: Entrepreneur Jimmy Nguyen, who opened his first Sweetpop’s boba and dessert shop at 550 N. Rock Road in the summer of 2019, plans to open in January his long-awaited second Sweetpop’s in the boba dessert known as the west side of Wichita.
Wing Boss & Burgers, 1302 N. Broadway: This restaurant, a wings concept by Dickey’s Restaurant Brands, is adding a Wichita location in the space vacated late last year by Krispy Krunchy Fried Chicken. The restaurant, which will also serve burgers, should be open sometime in late January, though depending on supply chain issues, it could be February. It will have limited seating inside and will cater to to-go customers.
February
Feng Cha, 8007 E. Kellogg: This new boba tea and dessert shop, part of a chain that started in China, is set to open in Eastgate Plaza just west of Aldi in the first week of February. It will serve a large menu of boba tea drinks, various cakes in flavors like matcha and taro chocolate, and other specialty drinks. Feng Cha is known for its “dirty boba” — a creme brulee flavored drink topped with cheese foam and set on fire before it’s served.
Chick N Max, 5510 E. Central: Wichita’s fourth Chick N Max restaurant is taking over the old Wendy’s building near Central and Edgemoor and should be ready to go by the first week of February. The newest installment of the local chicken chain, owned by Max Sheets, will have a drive-through plus indoor and outdoor seating.
Station 8, 1100 E. Third St.: Chef Alex Eftekhar says he’s finally almost ready to open his long-planned barbecue restaurant in the old fire station that once held Jet Bar-B-Q, and he’s hoping he can have it operating by February, he said. He’ll be serving lunch at least three days a week from a quick-service counter, similar to what Jet Bar-B-Q had, and it will feature slow-smoked meats and homemade sides.
Side Lines Sports Bar & Daiquiri Lounge, 1400 E. First St.: Former Northwest High School football star Jeran Trotter first announced in September his plans to open a restaurant where he’ll pay homage to hometown sports legends like Bryce Brown, Rashad Washington and more. He’s taking over the former Club Boomerang space and says he should be ready to open in early or mid February. He’ll offer a food menu of items like wings, specialty burgers, catfish, grilled chicken and salads. The restaurant will have two bars, one of which will be devoted to serving frozen daiquiris.
Douglas Social, 2518 E. Douglas: Travis Hatfield’s new bar with the pink-and-blue Miami-style sign should be ready in February. Though the bar won’t serve food, it will have craft beer on tap and a cocktail menu. Hatfield said he may eventually invite food trucks to park in his spacious lot and feed his patrons.
Dunkin’, 29th and Maize: Wichita Dunkin’ franchisee Dan Day says he should have his seventh Wichita-area restaurant open by late February. It will sit just in front of the Sam’s Club at 29th and Maize, to the south of the IHOP.
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Mokas Cafe, 143 N. McLean Blvd: This coffee shop and breakfast eatery has been under construction just south of the Advanced Learning Library and across McLean from the River Vista apartments since last summer. Now, it’s almost finished and should be open in late February or early March, said a spokesman with JRI Hospitality, which will own the restaurant. Mokas Cafe also operates in Hays and Salina and serves coffee plus breakfast items, wraps, salads and desserts.
Noodles & Company, 3807 N. Maize Road: Though it was set to open before the end of 2021, Noodles & Company faced unexpected construction delays on its new northwest Wichita restaurant and now plans to open it sometime in February. It will be the first Noodles & Company in Kansas with a pick-up window, where people who ordered food via the restaurant’s website or app can get it without getting out of the car. Wichita’s other Noodles & Company is at 3300 N. Rock Road.
March
Clouds Daiquiri Lounge, 6121 E. 21st St.: The sign is up, but owners say this new business, which has taken over the old Bionic Burger Space at 21st and Woodlawn, won’t be ready to go for at least two months. It promises daiquiris, hookah and food.
Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood Restaurant, 353 S. Rock Road: The sign has been up on the old Logan’s Roadhouse space near Towne East Square since September, promising the arrival of this chain, and construction has been underway ever since. But the restaurant’s manager said that because of material delivery days, the opening likely won’t happen until the end of March. Based in Maryland, Hook & Reel is an 8-year-old chain that has 60 restaurants across the country and serves seafood “boils” made for sharing that are filled with things like snow crab legs, mussels, shrimp and crawfish.
White Crow Cider Company, 1236 E. Waterman: The owners of this cidery, which has been operating out of a hard-to-find warehouse off of North Rock Road since July of 2020, are moving their business to a more centrally located building, where they’ll open a full tap room and production facility. They won’t serve food but will be able to start serving cider by the glass. They hope to have the new place open by the end of March.
Barrel Boys BBQ, 2202 W. 13th St.: Local pit master and competitive barbecue cook Buddy King plans to open a stationary version of his Barrel Boys BBQ food truck this spring in a little gray building at 13th and McLean. He’ll have room for about 20 diners inside and more on a planned patio on the east side of the building, and he’ll put special emphasis on carryout business, offering family meal deals that people can pick up on the way home from work. King, whose specialty is brisket, says he hopes to be open by late March or early April.
April
The Angry Elephant, 111 E. 47th St. South: Santiago Munoz says construction on his second Angry Elephant barbecue restaurant is moving along in the old Burger King space near 47th South and Broadway, and the restaurant should be ready to open in April. In addition, he’s adding a sports bar to go along with his original restaurant at 756 N. Tyler Road, where he’s taking over the space next door that Augustino Brewing Company recently vacated. He hopes to have that ready by February or March. Another Angry Elephant restaurant that Munoz has planned for 2801 N. Main in Hutchinson should be ready in six months, he said.
Paris Baguette, 9780 E. 21st St.: Partners Moe Touffaha and Mike Issa (not the Scotch & Sirloin owner) are bringing their favorite bakery chain to Wichita on a lot directly east of the Andy’s Frozen Custard at 21st and Webb Road. The two, who also are Wichita IHOP franchisees, hope to have it open by the end of April. Paris Baguette started in South Korea in 1988 and specializes in French-inspired cakes and pastries. It also serves sandwiches and salads as well as a line of coffee and tea.
May
IHOP, 3151 N. Rock Road: Mohamad Touffaha plans to relocate his IHOP at 3505 N. Rock Road to the strip mall that replaced the old Hooters on North Rock Road. The move should be complete by the end of May.
JULY
Red Robin West, 7355 W. Taft: Seventeen years after Wichita’s first Red Robin opened on the east side, the west side is finally getting one, too. Paul Khoury, whose Overland Park-based PB&J restaurant group includes 10 Red Robin restaurants as well as Wichita’s Newport Grill, said he’s aiming for a July 1 opening date for the west-side restaurant, which is under construction just west of Twin Peaks and just south of Lowe’s.
Spring
First Mile Cantine, 320 N. Market: Chef Nick Korbee and wife Amanda Luginbill, who are about to open their First Mile Kitchen at Bradley Fair, also plan to open a second restaurant on the ground floor of Fidelity Bank’s new RISE Car Park. It will serve breakfast and lunch and also will offer a mini market stocked with fresh produce grown at RISE Farms, the rooftop garden Fidelity recently launched on the top floor of the new parking garage. It also will serve coffee and have a full bar, and eventually, it will offer family-style dinner service and a “chef’s table” experience.
Birria tj 664: This birria restaurant opened in July 2021 in the old Sonic space on West Street, making use of a spot vacated when its sister restaurant, Tacos tj 664, moved down the street. But it closed in November after owners decided that the west side was too crowded. They’re now looking for a spot on the east side and said in late December that they hoped to have a new spot open in four months.
Church’s Chicken, 4780 E. 13th St.: Local Church’s Chicken franchisee Mike Jizzini said he’ll open his fourth Wichita Church’s sometime in the spring on a lot he’s purchased in the Plaza West Shopping Center, just north of the Wendy’s. The restaurant will be one of the chain’s new “Blaze” models, which has more brick on the exterior, a flat roof line, a smaller dining room and a focus on the drive-through.
Smoothie King, Greenwich Place: A new corporate-owned Smoothie King should open in early spring at Greenwich Place — the growing development at K-96 and Greenwich that also has Dave & Buster’s and several other restaurants. It will operate out of a free-standing building that will sit directly across the street from Saltgrass Steak House, and will have a drive-through lane plus seating inside.
Simply Sangria, 243 N. Cleveland: Brian Miller is adding a lunch business to his Simply Sangria retail shop near Second and Cleveland sometime in the first quarter, he said. He’ll be open Tuesdays through Saturdays and offer a different special each day, likely tacos on Tuesdays, Italian fare on Wednesdays, burgers on Thursdays and pizza on Fridays and Saturdays. Customers will also be able to get sangria by the glass. Miller also plans to add pizza to his sangria outpost in Towne East Square’s main food court on Jan. 18.
Summer
Fatburger & Buffalo’s Express, K-96 and Greenwich: The first of three co-branded restaurants by FAT Brands Inc. is expected to open in early summer at the Wichita Crossing Center at K-96 and Greenwich, near Jersey Mike’s and Crumbl Cookies. The California-based chain, which serves customizable burgers and chicken wings, could have a second restaurant open by the end of 2022 or early 2023 and a third in 2024. Locations for the second two restaurants haven’t yet been secured, though.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, 10728 W 21st St.: Fuzzy’s franchisee Whitney Reitz is still planning to open a Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in the former NewMarket Square Applebee’s space. She’s now aiming for a summer 2022 opening.
Braum’s, 53rd and Meridian: Braum’s first purchased the land on the southwest corner of 53rd and Meridian in 2018, saying it would be a while before it started construction. Now, four years later, the chain is almost ready to get going. Pending permits, a spokeswoman said, the new Braum’s should be under construction by March and open in late summer or early fall.
Fall
BVI Bistro, 124 S. Broadway: The new WSU Tech Culinary School taking over the old Henry’s Department Store building in downtown Wichita will also include several restaurants open to the public. One will be BVI Bistro, which should open in the fall on the ground floor of the building, said John Michael, the school’s director of culinary and hospitality. It will have a pizza oven that will produce flatbread and it also will offer charcuterie and cheese boards plus soups and salads. Michael said he anticipates it will start off serving just lunch then eventually add dinner. It will be staffed by students in the program.
Sometime in 2022
Itzcali Tacos and Tequila, 2819 E. Central: Construction is still underway at Navid and Veronica Haeri’s planned restaurant and tequila bar, but they’re not ready to commit to an opening date other than to say it will open in 2022.
FioRito Ristorante: Brothers and chefs Jordan and Jason Rickard are still looking for a spot for their planned contemporary Italian restaurant but hope to have it open sometime in 2022.
Jersey Mike’s, 2616 N. Maize Road: Jersey Mike’s franchisee Chris Stong’s said his first order of 2022 business is getting his new Derby restaurant open, which he plans to do in the first quarter of the year. After that, he’ll focus on his west Wichita restaurant, which is taking over the space near 21st and Maize that Five Guys vacated last year when it moved to a new space at 37th North and Maize. He doesn’t have a timeline for that one but says it will definitely happen this year.
Wingstop, 3808 E. Harry: Dallas-based Vibe Restaurants has purchased the dilapidated old Church’s Chicken building on East Harry and plans to demolish it and build on the site a new, 2,800 square-foot building that will have room for two restaurants. One of them will be Wingstop, which should open sometime in late 2022.
Kiko’s Tacos Y Tequila, 321 N. Mead: The owner of Kiko’s — the popular Mexican restaurant that opened at 2800 E. Central in February 2021 — isn’t being very forthcoming about his expansion plans, but they’re happening. In November, he shared a Facebook post announcing that he was taking over the old Mimi’s OldTown Mexican Restaurant space in Old Town Square to open a new tacos and tequila business. That’s all we know so far.
Dutch Bros, 29th North and Maize.: This Oregon-based drive-through coffee chain has a cult following, and it’s coming to Wichita this year. The first Dutch Bros should open just south of the QuikTrip at 29th North and Maize Road by the middle of the year. The chain plans to have three shops in Wichita by the end of 2023.
Dunkin’, 3100 E. Central: Dunkin’ franchisee Dan Day’s eighth (and likely final) Wichita-area shop should open sometime in the first half of 2022 just west of the Chipotle at Central and Hillside. It will be a drive-through only model — the area’s first.
Chick-fil-A, 2400 N. Greenwich: Though the company hasn’t shared a timeline yet, it appears that Chick-fil-A is planning to open another Wichita restaurant on an empty lot near K-96 and Greenwich that sits just to the north of the strip center at 2350 N. Greenwich that is home to several businesses, including Rocket Fizz candy shop, The Liquor Cabinet liquor store and Chick N Max.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, 2661 N. Maize Road: It’s been almost a year since Wichita first learned that Walk-Ons — a popular Baton-Rouge-based sports bar and restaurant — was planning to take over the old Granite City space on Wichita’s west side. But construction has finally started, and the restaurant should open sometime this year.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 11:30 AM.
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