Wichita restaurant owners drew inspiration from historic building when choosing new name
They didn’t want to call it Ziggy’s. And they didn’t want to call it Walnut River.
Late last year, the owners of the two Wichita businesses decided to combine forces and come up with a new concept for the space in the back of the historic Rock Island Depot at Union Station — where Walnut River Brewing had run PourHouse for five years.
But they wanted to come up with a completely new name, they said at the time.
Now, they’ve chosen one. When the new business — which will serve Ziggy’s Pizza’s food menu and Walnut River’s beers — opens later this month at 711 E. Douglas, it will be called The Depot.
Jamie Verbeckmoes, who in 2012 founded Ziggy’s with his brother, Ryan, said that the owners decided they wanted to honor the historic building they’re moving into when they chose the name. Built in 1887, the Victorian-style depot served as a freight and passenger station and was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1973.
“We just wanted to highlight that,” said Verbeckmoes, adding that he’s enjoyed delving into the history of the depot. “We think it’s such a cool spot in a great area. and I don’t think it gets talked about enough.”
The owners have been working on renovating the building over the past few months, Verbeckmoes said, and now, they’re working on the menu. The Depot will serve Ziggy’s pizza, sandwiches and salads, he said, but it will also offer a new list of appetizers that will be called “brew house bites” — things like chicken strips, fish and chips, mac and cheese and more.
“I’d call it really good-quality bar food,” he said.
The bar has been updated, and in addition to craft beer, it will also serve cocktails, wine on tap and nice whiskeys, scotches and tequila.
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Verbeckmoes said he hopes The Depot will be a place people will visit before concerts or events downtown.
“The cool thing about this building is it has a great tavern feel to it,” he said. “With it being in Old Town, it honestly feels like you’re in a bigger city when you’re in there, and now we’ve really updated it a lot. I think people are really going to be happy with the bar selection we have.”
The new owners also plan to utilize the upstairs section of the space more than previous owners have. From the second floor, people can watch trains go by on the nearby tracks several times a day, which adds to the ambiance, Verbeckmoes said.
He’s had people ask if the upstairs will be available to rent for private gatherings, and the owners will likely do that, but they also plan to use it every day.
“We really just want it to be the second story to our restaurant and seat people up there,” Verbeckmoes said.
The Depot will likely put on several soft openings at the end of March then open to the public during the final days of the month, he said. The restaurant will likely be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, from 11 a.m. to midnight Thursdays through Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
The Depot will share more details on its social media pages as opening day gets closer, he said, and he thinks people are eager. Every day, the owners see people peeking in the windows, and they always invite them in to take a look around.
“We’ve had great feedback,” Verbeckmoes said. “I think a lot of our followers and regulars are very excited about it.”
This story was originally published March 12, 2024 at 11:41 AM.
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