Former Kyoto Garden space in Wichita will soon be home to a new omelet restaurant
First, she had an art studio on the lower level of the Garvey Center, 250 W. Douglas.
Then, she added an omelet cart.
Next, Veronica Laflin plans to take over the former Kyoto Garden space on the basement level of the Garvey Center at 220 W. Douglas and expand the offerings of her growing food business she calls Omelette Pages.
Laflin, an artist who was first introduced to the Garvey Center through its Open Studios program, liked the space so much that she decided to rent her own studio space. But last year, she said, she realized that the office complex was lacking in nearby food options, especially in the mornings.
She’d always considered herself an excellent omelet maker, so Laflin asked the building manager if it was okay for her to start selling them from a cart. Pretty quickly, the apartment tenants and workers in the Garvey Center discovered the cart, and business grew.
The mobile version of Omelette Pages is now open from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and Laflin has expanded her menu over time. In addition to omelets filled with a choice of cheese, meat and veggies, she now also serves items like breakfast burritos, croissant and bagel breakfast sandwiches and croissant French toast.
Early on, she was closing at 10:30 a.m., but her customers asked her if she could add lunch hours. She did, and she also added stir fry dishes to her menu, made with fresh-cut veggies, meats and rice.
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She’s now working on another expansion. She’s planning to move into the former Kyoto Gardens space in the building, which will allow her to have a full kitchen and add baked goods like cinnamon rolls and fresh pastries to her menu. She’s working on the remodel now but says she doesn’t know exactly when she’ll move in. The mobile cart will continue operating in the meantime.
Laflin, who mostly does commission paintings for clients, said she doesn’t consider herself a fabulous cook, but in fifth grade, she learned how to make omelets in summer school, and people have always complimented them. Her secret, she said, is the “hard fry” she gives the eggs.
“My eggs are definitely cooked all the way through,” she said. “There’s nothing runny when I flip it over.”
The name Omelette Pages hit her one day when she was testing recipes and had stacked lots of thin layers of cooked eggs in between parchment paper. They looked like pages in a book, she said, plus, her middle name is Paige.
Though most of her customers come from within the Garvey Center complex, Laflin said, her business is open to the public. People can find it by entering the Kiva level of the building from the parking lot. The cart is next to the stairs and the ramp. Other businesses on the building’s Kiva level includes Papa John’s, Perfect Plate and Shear Voltage Salon
Kyoto Garden had operated in the space for nearly 25 years when it closed in early 2021. The owners of the building used half of the vacant space to add a “micro market” area set up by a company called Mahaska. Laflin is taking over the remaining half.
To see Omelette Pages’ menu or to order via email, visit omelettepages.wixsite.com/omelettepages
This story was originally published May 26, 2022 at 10:34 AM.
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