Old Magic Wok space about to get a new restaurant tenant that’s familiar to Wichita
.jpg "The old Magic Wok space is being gutted, and Fusion Restaurant & Catering will take it over.")
The space at 9504 W. Central that Wichita Chinese restaurant Magic Wok vacated when it closed in June after 41 years is about to get a new tenant.
But the new tenant isn’t new to Wichita.
Shannon Johnson, who in the spring closed The Fusion Restaurant at 1812 W. Douglas in Delano after losing her lease of six years, is taking over the Magic Wok space and plans to reopen her restaurant there either by Christmas or by the first of January.
She’s gutted the space and turned it into a bright and airy spot that will have a new bar and seating for about 75.
The restaurant, which will be called Fusion Restaurant & Catering, will have a bit of a different approach from its Delano predecessor. That one offered a Sunday breakfast buffet, but this one also will offer a weekday lunch buffet featuring “down home cooking from a scratch kitchen,” Johnson said.
The lunch buffet will include Fusion favorites like rosemary cream chicken, meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, veggies, salad and desserts. People who don’t want the buffet will be able to get sandwiches and burgers to order, and she’ll have three special featured dishes each day.
The new restaurant will also serve breakfast to order on weekdays as well as the brunch buffet on Saturdays and Sundays, which will feature things like house-made sausage gravy and biscuits, eggs, waffles, salads and fruits.
The restaurant’s hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. She’ll likely open the restaurant earlier once it’s fully staffed, she said.
When Johnson closed her Delano restaurant in April, she vowed to find a new space to open it. She almost took over the vacant Stadium Sports Bar space at 620 W. Maple, but that deal fell through.
She and her silent partners decided to be patient and eventually heard about the old Magic Wok space. The strip mall it sits in had just been purchased by new owners.
“We knew we wanted to be in that space,” Johnson said. “It’s a wonderful location. Magic Wok is nostalgic for people.”
While she continues to work on the new space, Johnson said, she’s planning to offer her traditional Thanksgiving take-and-bake meals this year. If her new kitchen isn’t ready, she has a backup kitchen where she can prepare the food.
Order forms are available at https://fusion-restaurant-and-catering.square.site/s/order
This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 10:23 AM.
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