Riverside Cafe owner has sold both Wichita restaurants, will keep Derby but change name
.jpg "The original Riverside Cafe has been sold, one year after owner Paul Cohlmia also sold the West Central cafe.")
After 22 years, Paul Cohlmia is getting out of the Riverside Cafe business — at least in Wichita.
Cohlmia, who in 2001 took over the Riverside Cafe restaurant at 739 W. 13th St., has sold it to new owners. Raul and Melissa Velasquez — who a year ago bought the Riverside Cafe at 9125 W. Central from Cohlmia — are also purchasing the West 13th Street restaurant. They take over on Jan. 1.
Though he’ll no longer own a restaurant in Wichita, Cohlmia said he’ll keep the Derby Riverside Cafe, which he opened in 2011 at 824 N. Baltimore. But he plans to rename it and let the Velasquez’s keep the name Riverside Cafe.
“I think it’s time for new blood in Riverside,” said Cohlmia, adding that his plan is to slow his life down and enjoy more time traveling. He said he was not sure when he’d change the name of his Derby cafe, which he said is always busy.
Raul Velasquez said that he and his wife don’t plan any big changes at the 13th Street restaurant. They kept the menu and recipes the same when they took over at West Central and plan to do the same now.
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They do, however, hope to add more parking at the 13th Street restaurant. The landlord plans to surface a dirt-covered area that’s just behind the current south parking lot, and Raul Velasquez said he thinks he’ll be able to fit at least another 15 cars there.
Raul Velasquez said he spent years cooking at beef and seafood restaurants in Texas, but he and his wife are first-time business owners.
“This is a gift,” he said. “I’m thrilled with Melissa to be able to do this as a team.”
The Riverside Cafe building on 13th Street has operated for decades. A former gas station, the building was converted to a restaurant in 1946 and operated as the West-Urn Cafe. A number of other restaurants operated in the space over the years, including Ed’s Cafe and Dick and Jayne’s.
In 2006, Cohlmia expanded the 13th Street restaurant — known for its breakfast and blue plate specials — adding a second dining room. The restaurant suffered a fire in July 2021 and remained closed until Cohlmia reopened it in January.
Cohlmia opened the West Central Riverside Cafe in 2017. He also had one at 2539 W. Pawnee St. from 2013 until he closed it in 2017.
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