Take your taste buds on a trip back to the 1980s: Sbarro has returned to Wichita
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My taste buds just took a trip back to an afternoon at the mall, circa 1986. And they liked it.
Sbarro is back in town.
I reported back in February that Sbarro, the pizza chain that was a mall food court staple in the 1980s, was planning to return to Wichita and open stores inside five Kwik Shop locations.
As of Tuesday, the first one is open inside the Kwik Shop at 514 S. Oliver, which is just south of Kellogg.
I got a slice over the lunch hour, and it was just as I remembered it, featuring a soft dough that tasted of yeasty goodness, topped with greasy tomato sauce and pepperoni and sprinkled with Sbarro’s secret seasonings.
The new Sbarro kiosk offers pizza by the slice or whole made with cheese, pepperoni or specialty toppings. A pepperoni is $14.99 for a large 14 inch and $15.99 for an extra large 17-inch pie. Customers also can get two extra large slices for $7.99. Wings, stromboli and chocolate chip cookies are also on the menu.
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The chain also will soon open Sbarro counters inside the Kwik Shops at 4811 S. Seneca, 4802 E. 21st St., 3750 N. Maize Road and 7107 W. 37th St. North.
Sbarro, based in New York, gained popularity in shopping malls and airports in the 1980s but faced bankruptcy in 2011 and again in 2014. Wichita’s last Sbarro in Towne East closed around that time. Today, the chain has around 600 locations in 24 countries. It’s now focusing its expansion on convenience stores and travel plazas.
Sbarro first entered the Wichita market in 1983, opening a location inside Towne East Square. The Towne West Square Sbarro followed in 1985.
This story was originally published June 21, 2022 at 12:41 PM.
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