A new esports venue that also serves food and drink will open soon in northeast Wichita
A Wichita restaurant owner is about to introduce a new esports concept in Wichita. And though it will serve food, it’s not a restaurant.
Austin English, who owns the German restaurant Prost with wife Manu English, is partnering with Tevin Manuel —the owner of Tandem Cyber — to open a new sim racing facility called Glas Haus Racing. The main attraction will be eight high-end simulators that will offer everyday drivers an opportunity to try out some of the top race tracks around the world.
The business is taking over the old Molino’s east space at 7817 E. 37th St. N. that has been vacant since 2017, and English said he hopes to have it open by late June or early July.
The main attraction will be the simulators, but Glas Haus also will have food and a bar selling bottled or canned beers and twisted teas. Prost won’t be providing the food, but the owners have partnered with a local food truck that plans to serve a limited menu. The food truckers who’ve signed on aren’t quite ready to share their plans yet, but people who order from them will be able to enjoy the food at tables set up both inside and on a heated patio outside. Food also will be available at a drive-through window that already existed in the building.
English, a racing and car enthusiast in his free time, said Manuel approached him with the idea for the business, and English was immediately interested. He’d tried out a racing simulator a decade ago and loved it so much, he had a hard time stepping away from it.
The simulators are made by Sparco and feature a race car seat and a steering wheel on a 400-pound frame. When racers climb in, they’re facing three computer screens that give them the feeling they’re in a race car. They wear headphones, which relay all the engine and track sounds an actual driver would hear, and the seat vibrates to recreate the feel of, for example, skidding off the road or driving over a bump. The computer can even change the weather for the races, which can happen during daylight hours or after dark.
Racers can choose what car (or even go cart) they want to race in then can also choose a track. Options range from the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama to the track in Le Mans, France, to the Nurburgring in Germany. They can use the simulators just to practice or they can race against their friends. The technology even allows people to race against drivers in other parts of the country.
English said that Glas Haus will be open to people who want to have fun with the simulators, but it’s also available for companies who want to put on team-building events. The owners plan to start racing leagues, and Glas Haus will also employ an instructor who will build a curriculum based around racing that companies can use.
The owners also will have several television sets hanging in the venue and hope that people will gather there to watch actual races when they air.
English said he and his partner are still working out the pricing structure. Once open, the hours for Glas Haus will be 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 to 11 p.m. Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, though if there’s demand, Saturday and Sunday hours could extend to 11 p.m.
Stay tuned for updates on Glas Haus Racing’s opening day.
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