This upscale Wichita restaurant closed in early 2022, but a new tenant is moving in
Lola’s Bistro at 2146 N Collective Lane closed in February of 2022, and at the time, its owner said the shutdown was temporary: He just had to find more staff.
As the months passed with no word, though, the restaurant’s return seemed less and less likely.
Now, 20 months later, a new restaurant is preparing to take over the space near 21st and Greenwich where Lola’s previously operated.
Karo Barreda says that she and her chef husband, Carlos Barreda, will open Lima Nation Peruvian Kitchen in the former Lola’s spot. They hope to have it ready by late November or early December, she said.
The restaurant will serve Carlos’ take on Peruvian cuisine, she said. Her husband, who trained at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Lima, Peru, has been cooking and managing restaurants for more than 25 years. The couple own other restaurants in Nicaragua and Honduras, she said, but Lima Nation will be their first business in the United States.
Carlos is known for creating upscale Peruvian dishes with his own special touch, his wife said. Among the dishes he likes to prepare: ceviche, a stir fry called lomo saltado, a potato dish called causa; and tiradito, which is a raw fish dish.
“He always tries to pay homage to traditional recipes but with creativity and innovation,” she said. “We try to offer a comprehensive gastronomic experience from the entrance to the way we treat customers to the presentation of the food, the flavor, even the music.”
The food and service will have a fine dining flair, Karo said, and the dining room will have a casual/formal feel. The owners don’t need to do much work in the dining room, which Michael Abay turned into the upscale Lola’s in 2017.
“We are very excited to bring something different to the city,” said Karo, adding that the couple chose Wichita because they have family here.
Lima Nation will be open for both lunch and dinner. The restaurant is in the process of hiring staff and needs more applicants, Karo said. Anyone interested should call 316-205-3451.
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