This always-busy Wichita restaurant just got a new name, but nothing else will change
Paleterias Tropicana has been one of the most reliable places to get a plate of tacos and a frozen Mexican treat since it first opened in Wichita nearly 12 years ago. And ever since it moved from 21st and Waco to New Leaf Plaza, 2021 N. Amidon, in 2016 it’s been consistently packed with customers.
Now, though, there’s a pretty big change happening at the colorful restaurant: It has a new name.
The longtime owners of Paleterias Tropicana have chosen the name “Palacana” for their chain of restaurants, which started in Kansas City and also includes several stores in the Kansas City area. The name, which combines the two words from the original name, was changed because the family wanted “something unique, something of our own,” said general manager Jennifer Valdez, whose parents — Jose Luis Valdez and Lucia Fonseca — opened the first store in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2004.
The family is in the process of changing the signs and branding at the restaurants. Though the sign in Wichita still reflects the old name, it will be switched out soon, Valdez said. The name has already been changed on the restaurant’s Facebook page and website.
Nothing else at the restaurants will change, though, Jennifer Valdez said, and the menu will stay the same.
Paleterias Tropicana started out 18 years ago specializing in paletas, which are Mexican ice cream bars. But today, the massive menu offers not only a long list of desserts but also tacos, empanadas, flautas, quesadillas, burritos, elotes, ceviche and more.
In addition to ice cream bars, the restaurant also sells Mexican ice cream by the scoop, banana splits, smoothies, juices, milkshakes, iced coffee, strawberries and cream, and the popular Mangoneada: a cup filled with sorbet and chunks of mango topped with Tajin and chamoy and served with a tamarind stick.
Here’s a look at their menu:
This story was originally published August 16, 2022 at 11:00 AM.
.jpg)