A longtime Rock Road sub shop closed a week ago. Here’s what’s next for the restaurant
UPDATED
One of Wichita’s three Goodcents sandwich shops — the one at 3441 N. Rock Road that has been in operation for 28 years — has been closed since Dec. 26, and some people who’ve noticed are wondering if it will reopen.
It will, says Jami Bond, the vice president of franchise development for the DeSoto-based restaurant chain. But it could take a month or two.
The restaurant chain, which has more than 80 franchised stores nationwide, is in the process of looking for a new franchisee for that store, Bond said. They’re in talks with a couple of people, and once a new franchisee is selected, that person will have to undergo training.
But the shop, which first opened in 1994, will definitely be back, she said.
“It’s a staple,” she said. “It’s not going anywhere.”
In fact, Bond said, Goodcents is considering expansion in the Wichita area and is looking closely at some of the nearby “suburban” areas for a couple of more stores.
Court records show that the Rock Road Goodcents has been facing franchisee trouble for some time. The most recent franchisees — B&K Brothers, a partnership made up of brothers Kyler Hanna and Brantley Monk — were notified in May that they were in violation of their franchise agreement for failing to comply with hours of operation standards and opening after 3 p.m. on May 1 and on May 2. A May 7 letter sent to the franchisees by the home office also said that the support center had received many customer service complaints about the store over the previous 30 days.
In July, Hanna sued Monk in Sedgwick County District Court saying that his brother was responsible for managing the company’s finances and alleging financial mishandling, embezzlement and failure to pay employees.
In December, the court granted a request for a default judgment against Monk, saying he committed fraud against the company and was liable for damages. A bench trial set for May will determine the amount of damages.
Reached later, Hanna said that the closing was not related to the lawsuit. He said that a large company ordered $7,744.24 worth of food for a catering in mid-December and never paid. As a small business owner with a small profit margin, he said, he couldn’t cover the food costs and was unable to pay off his supplier.
The Goodcents chain first arrived in Wichita in 1991. Back then, it was called Mr. Goodcents, and the first store was in Eastgate Plaza at Kellogg and Rock roads. The “Mr.” was dropped from the chain’s name in 2011 as part of a rebranding.
In addition to the Rock Road restaurant, Wichita also has Goodcents run by other franchisees at 4921 S. Broadway and at 1212 S. Tyler Road.
Bond said that anyone interested franchise opportunities with Goodcents can reach her at 785-764-0291.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 1:10 PM.
.jpg)