A Wichita restaurant roundup for the rest of 2022: Here’s what’s opening and when
Every January, The Eagle publishes a roundup of Wichita restaurants set to open during the new year.
Inevitably, though, by mid-year, the list looks completely different, and that’s true for 2022. Even post-pandemic, both local owners and restaurant chains continue to make plans to open new restaurants, breweries, coffee shops and more.
Now that the year is almost half over, it seems like a good time to check back in. Most of the restaurants from January’s list have opened — and then some — though some have faced delays. Meanwhile, a whole new crop of soon-to-open eateries has popped up.
Keep reading for a list of restaurants that should open in (and near) Wichita by the end of 2022.
July
Bake Sale Treat Parlor, 2000 N. Rock Road: Thrive Restaurant Group is opening this new dessert store in the former Marble Slab Creamery space in Bradley Fair, and it should open right away. It will offer things like cookies, cereal treats, cakes, pies and some gluten free items. It’ll also serve coffee and alcoholic beverages. The space will include some seating but is mostly designed for passersby who want a treat to go.
Angry Elephant, 111 E. 47th St. South: Santiago Munoz has Wednesday pegged as opening day for his new restaurant, which will be like a sports bar that offers burgers, steaks, seafood and barbecue. Munoz is also the founder of the Angry Elephant at Central and Tyler.
Tutors Pizza, 524 S. Seneca: David Thompson is almost ready to open his first Tutors Pizza, this one in the former Clutch House space at Kellogg and Seneca. It will serve rectangular Detroit-style pizzas plus pasta dishes. The Seneca location will have video games, fun nights and movie nights, and Thompson eventually hopes to offer tutoring for kids in the restaurant. Thompson, who previously owned pizza restaurants in Salina, Manhattan and Topeka, plans to open three more Wichita Tutors by year’s end. This one will be ready by late July.
Biryani Express, 2849 W. 13th St.: Ashan Tahir, the owner of the Super Express gas station and convenience store, is about ready to open his new business within a business. Biryani Express will offer Indian food to go and from a drive-through window at the gas station. The specialty will be biryani, a popular Indian dish that’s made with rice, various meats and vegetables.
Metro Grill, 801 E. Douglas: Victor Hammond is still planning to start serving sandwiches from the once-loved Metro Grill out of the Wichita Cheesecake Company space at 801 E. Douglas. He’s even recruited founder and former chef Michael Gonzalez to return and help run it. The duo plan a soft opening that will start sometime this month with the restaurant’s two once-favorite sandwiches: the Cuban and the Infamous BOB. They’ll gradually add menu items and are planning for a grand opening in August.
Smoothie King, 2696 N. Greenwich Court: A new freestanding, corporate-owned Smoothie King is almost finished at Greenwich Place, directly across the street from Saltgrass Steak House near K-96 and Greenwich. It was built following the chain’s newest design and has a drive-through lane, seating inside and lots of front-facing glass. A spokesperson said the shop should be open by late July.
Dunkin’ drive-through, 3100 E. Central: Local Dunkin’ franchisee Dan Day is about to open the city’s first drive-through-only store near Central and Hillside. It sits just to the west of Chipotle and will have a dual drive-through lane but no dine-in service. If all goes well and equipment is delivered on time, a spokesperson said, it should be ready to open at the end of July.
IHOP, 3151 N. Rock Road: As was reported more than a year ago, Wichita IHOP franchisee Mohamad Touffaha plans to move his longtime restaurant at 3505 N. Rock Road a bit to the south. The restaurant is finally almost ready to open in its new space at 3151 N. Rock Road, which is on the north end of a strip mall built on the site of the former Hooters. Touffaha, who has said he thinks the restaurant will find more traffic south of K-96, had originally hoped to have the move done by May, but construction delays pushed it back. It should be ready for customers by the end of July — Aug. 1 at the latest.
Fatburger & Buffalo’s Express, 2556 N. Greenwich, Suite 107: This co-branded restaurant, which is opening in a space directly north of Academy Sports at the Wichita Crossing Center, will serve not only California-based Fatburger’s famous burgers but also chicken wings by its sister restaurant, Buffalo’s Express. Franchise group Uncle John’s Brands LLC has said it hopes to eventually bring at least three Fatburger & Buffalo’s Express restaurants to Wichita, though it hasn’t yet identified any other locations. The first one, though, should open in late July or early August.
Bocatto: Eatery and Pasta, 321 N. Mead: Arnulfo Garcia is finished with the interior of his new restaurant in Old Town Square, which will serve a menu filled with Italian and Brazilian flavors. He’s now just waiting on the city licenses he needs to get open. The restaurant is taking over the former Mimi’s Old Town Mexican Restaurant space, which has been vacant since January 2020. Garcia said he hopes to be open sometime in July, though it could be early August.
August
Mi Ya Izakaya, 3030 N. Penstemon: Alex Kim and his father, Yul Kim, have taken over the building that once housed The Chalet and have been remodeling it for the past several months to hold a new Japanese/Korean restaurant that will offer a big sushi menu and also specialize in Korean-style fried chicken. It’ll also serve alcohol. The Kims say they are aiming for an opening date in early August.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, 2661 N. Maize Road: Plans for this Louisiana-based sports bar chain to take over the old Granite City west space were first announced in February 2021. Now, the restaurant is almost ready to open and should be serving by August. It will offer Southern and Cajun-style dishes including shrimp and grits , crawfish, fried catfish, po’ boy sandwiches, Cajun pastas, steaks and more.
Brazita Bites, 7817 E. 37th St. North: Food truck owners Rodrigo and Jessica Ciriaco plan to open a bricks-and-mortar spin off of their Brazita Bites business inside the just-opened Glas Haus Racing at 37th and Rock. It will serve the same menu as the food truck, which features Brazilian coxinhas, fried cheese bread and bite-sized churros, and people will be able to dine in, take food to go or — eventually — pick it up at the building’s drive-through window. Glas Haus, a sim-racing facility, will serve alcohol. The Ciriacos, who plan to continue operating their food truck, too, say they should be ready to open the new spot in early August.
B’chic Bar & Grill, 6600 W. Central: Cameroon, Africa, native Beatrice Adem and her husband, Chico, are planning to open this new bar and grill specializing in cuisine from all regions of Africa in the former Sam’s Southern Eatery space. Among the specialties will be grilled chicken, fish and shrimp; rice dishes including coconut rice, Jollof rice and Pilau rice; and bread items like puff-puff, chapati (a flat bread), and mandazi — which are like doughnuts. It will offer lunch and dinner and have a full bar that will keep serving until 2 a.m. Adem hopes to have the restaurant open by early August.
Tutors, 3817 W. 13th St.: David Thompson is opening several Tutors pizza restaurants around town, including a new one in the former Clutch House space at Seneca and Kellogg. He’s also taking over the former Knolla’s carry-out-only space at 13th and West and plans to add a small dining room in an adjoining spot. That restaurant should be ready to open by Aug. 10.
Maple Street Pizza Company, 12111 W. Maple. Twelve Restaurant & Bar owner Bryce Kuhn and his wife, Toi, have taken over the former Kanai/Lilikoi space in the same strip center as their 9-year-old restaurant Twelve and plan to open a new pizza restaurant there. It will serve pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven and also will have a full bar with sangria and wine on tap plus local and regional craft beers and craft cocktails. It will be open for lunch and dinner. Bryce Kuhn recently said that he should be open or at least be training staff by the second week of August.
7 Brew, 3031 E. Central: This drive-through-only coffee chain, known for its short wait times, is headed to the Wichita area and plans several stores by the end of 2023. The first is set to open in the former Noble House Hawaiian restaurant space near Central and Hillside. The new shop, which will serve coffee, energy drinks, smoothies, Italian sodas and more, will be near Wesley Medical Center — and also next door to a Starbucks and across the street from a Dunkin’. It should be open sometime in August.
Chick-fil-A, 2400 N. Greenwich: Construction continues on Wichita’s fourth free-standing Chick-fil-A restaurant, this one on the busy K-96 and Greenwich corridor. Franchisee Andrew Nelson says that supply chain issues slowed the project down a bit but that it should be ready to open by the end of August.
The Sandbox, 2412 N. Rock Road, Derby: Take Chicken N Pickle, add eight sand volleyball courts and a giant floating dome that will keep outdoor spaces usable in the winter. That’s The Sandbox, a massive new project in Derby that will include indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, a two-story restaurant, sand volleyball and more. Its general manager, Kevin Bishop, said it should be open by late August or early September.
Mr. Miyagi Japanese Grill: Though they haven’t shared the address yet, the owners of Mr. Miyagi Japanese Grill — who already have two local quick-service restaurants in Wichita — are planning to open a third in August. The other two restaurants are at 3920 E. Harry and 4041 N. Maize Road. Mr. Miyagi serves fried appetizers like crab Rangoon, dumplings and egg rolls as well as fried rice and yakisoba.
Sbarro, 4811 S. Seneca, 4802 E. 21st St., 3750 N. Maize Road: This throwback pizza favorite just opened a new kiosk inside the Kwik Shop at 514 S. Oliver and is planning several more around town. These three Kwik Shop stores’ Sbarro kiosks should open by the end of the summer, likely around August, a spokesperson said.
September
Coffee Daze, 3236 E. Douglas: Wichita native Tiffany Tran is moving back home from Dallas to open her own coffee shop with a vibrant, 1970s vibe. She’s taking over a space on East Douglas that is a couple of doors west of Himali Eats and directly east of The Kitchen Place and will serve craft coffee drinks and food items like avocado toast, pastries and other grab-and-go items. Though her goal is to open in late August, early or mid-September is a bit more realistic, she said.
Paris Baguette, 21st and Webb: The first Kansas location of this restaurant chain is under construction next door to the Andy’s Frozen Custard shop at 21st and Webb. It specializes in French-inspired cakes and pastries and also serves sandwiches and salads as well as a line of coffee and tea. The chain, which is popular in Europe and now is expanding across the United States, should be ready to go by the end of September, local franchisees said recently.
October
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, though the project is taking longer than initially expected. She’s now aiming for a fall opening and hoping for sometime in October.
HTeaO, 21st and 127th Street East: Michelle and Jacob Albracht opened their first HTeaO franchise last summer at 13th and Tyler. Now, they’re ready to add an east-side location. The couple will open a new store on the northeast corner of 21st and 127th — just north of QuikTrip — and they’re aiming for an early to mid-October grand opening.
Church’s Chicken, Central and West: Church’s franchisee Mike Jizzini, who already has three Church’s restaurants in Wichita, is still planning to build his fourth on a lot in the Plaza West Shopping Center that sits just to the south of the Wendy’s there. Jizzini, who first announced his plans last October, said crews have recently started construction and that he’s targeting an opening date in late October.
Sbarro, 710 E. Lincoln: Another Sbarro kiosk is scheduled to open inside a convenience store at 710 E. Lincoln, a Sbarro spokesperson said, and it could be ready as early as October.
Fall
Red Bird, 6440 E. Central: Longtime Dempsey’s Burger Pub manager Sebastian Gordon plans to leave that business and open his own restaurant in the soon-to-be-renovated Normandie Center. It will focus on unique sandwiches, homemade soups and salads and will feature a full bar with craft cocktails and natural wines. It will also have a big front patio. He’s aiming for a fall opening.
Tor Brewing, 222 S. Commerce: A longtime local brewer who’s been Dan Norton’s right hand man at Nortons Brewing Company, 125 N. St. Francis, is branching out on his own and will open Tor Brewing in the former Hungry Heart/ Sorrel’s spot, which is near the northeast corner of Intrust Bank Arena. Aaron Hill said he will focus on beer but also will serve a limited menu featuring sandwiches. He hopes to have the brewery ready by fall and plans to continue working at Nortons until then.
Jersey Mike’s, 2616 N. Maize Road: Jersey Mike’s franchisee Chris Stong, who already has one restaurant in northeast Wichita and another one in Derby, is now focusing on a west-side Jersey Mike’s. He’s taking over the space at 21st and Maize that Five Guys vacated last year when it moved to a new space at 37th North and Maize, and he hopes to have the restaurant open by fall.
Angry Macs, 2959 N. Rock Road: Sergio Munoz, the younger brother of The Angry Elephant owner Santiago Munoz, is planning a mac-and-cheese restaurant that also will serve melty sandwiches and even fondue. It’s taking over the former Wendy’s space on the ground floor level of the Terra-Cotta Tower, which is the tall office building on the southwest corner of 29th and Rock. He hopes to open by late fall or early winter.
Itzcali Tacos and Tequila, 2819 E. Central: Navid and Veronica Haeri, who have taken longtime Wichita chef Kevin Derks on as a partner, are now designing the interior of their new restaurant, which they announced plans for a year ago. Derks, who spent 11 years at Newport Grill, is putting together a menu of tapas and tacos, and the restaurant will also stock more than 100 types of tequila. It will have a V-shaped bar and a large Central-facing patio that will open into the restaurant through a retractable garage door. The Haeris are aiming for a fall opening.
Scooter’s, somewhere in Maize: Local Scooter’s franchisee Mackenzie Burnett just keeps adding drive-through coffee shops around the Wichita area and just opened one in Goddard. The only other addition she’ll make this year is in Maize. Though she hasn’t settled on an exact address, the Maize Scooter’s should be open sometime in the fall or early winter, she said.
Winter
Jinya Ramen Bar, 124 S. Broadway: WSU Tech’s new culinary school, which is under construction in the former Henry’s department store building downtown, will include a food hall on the main floor with four restaurants. The first of its tenants will be this restaurant, which is part of a Los Angeles-based chain that serves ramen and small plates like dumplings and mini tacos. It will also serve craft beer. Those involved with the project say Jinya should be open by winter.
TBD in 2022
Tutors Pizza, 946 S. Rock Road and somewhere in Goddard: Tutors Pizza founder Dave Thompson plans to open two more Tutors restaurants in Wichita before the end of the year, though he’s not sure on the timeline just yet. One will be in a former vape shop on South Rock Road. The other will be in Goddard, though he hasn’t yet settled on a location.
Dapper Cat Coffee: Lydia Mettee is hoping to open a new coffee shop somewhere on Wichita’s south-central side, and she’s aiming for the end of the year. She’s still searching for the right spot, though her goal is to eventually move it to the ground floor of her historic Victorian home at 1357 S. Broadway. She recently launched a gofundme campaign to help with start up costs.
Green Olive Family BBQ, Rock Road: Maisam Sakhi closed his Green Olive Family BBQ at 4520 E. 47th St. South in June but has said he plans to relocate it to a better location on Rock Road. He hasn’t shared an address yet, but has said he plans to have it open by fall.
Bronx Pizzeria, 2315 W. 21st St.: The owners of this planned pizza restaurant in the former Mizu Sushi space are halfway done with construction, but they lost a key partner and now things are on hold. Initially, they’d said they hoped to be open by June serving pizza, pasta, deep-fried calzones and more. They promised an update when there is one.
Could be 2023
Barrel Boys BBQ, 2202 W. 13th St.: Local pit master and competitive barbecue cook Buddy King initially announced in January his 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’d hoped to open by spring, but things got slowed down with licensing. He still plans to open, he said, but with prices so high, he’s not in a hurry. He recently said that the restaurant may be open by the end of the year, but it could be spring 2023 before it’s ready.
Ziggi’s Coffee, 4575 N. Maize: A growing coffee chain that started in Colorado in 2004 and now has 49 locations nationwide is adding a store in Maize that will open either later this year or in early 2023. It’ll be a new build on the southwest corner of 45th North and Maize Road.
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