A new dessert shop and bakery is taking over the old Churn & Burn space in Wichita
Back in May, the owners of Churn & Burn at 548 S. Oliver announced that they would not reopen their 10-year-old ice cream shop, which had been closed since the end of 2023.
But now, another dessert shop will be taking over the space.
Jack Feist — who works as a salesperson with restaurant supplier Ben E. Keith — said he will open there a stationary version of the cheesecake business he started as a side gig in 2021.
When he does, likely in early October, Feist will change the name of his business from EXTRAordinary Cheesecakes to XO Desserts.
Feist, who for the past several years has been baking his gluten-free cheesecakes in a commercial kitchen then selling them to individuals and to restaurants, said he’ll continue to offer his cheesecakes at the new shop. He’ll also offer individual-sized cheesecakes as well as house-made ice cream (though it won’t be made with liquid nitrogen like Churn & Burn’s was).
He’s also planning to revive some key items from the Churn & Burn menu, including some ice cream flavors, shakes and coffee drinks.
And the menu will include another sweet treat Feist has become known for since opening his business: cannoli made with shells imported from Italy. (Avivo, the pizza restaurant in NewMarket Square, has been selling Feist’s cannoli for awhile.)
As time goes on, Feist said, he plans to serve other upscale pastries such as Napoleons and lobster tales
He’ll carry gluten-free versions of all his dessert items.
Though he started off making his cheesecakes out of the commercial kitchen at Lotus Leaf, the now-closed restaurant that operated at 251 N. Washington, Feist had moved into the kitchen at Roxy’s Downtown, the theater at 412 1/2 E. Douglas.
But Roxy’s was getting busier and busier, and he was having to fight for time in the kitchen.
“My wholesale cheesecake business has grown immensely,” he said. “We needed to do something.”
The shop will likely keep only evening hours: Feist said he envisions opening at around 3 p.m. and staying open until 9 p.m., 10 p.m. on weekends.
Feist said he’s in the middle of remodeling the interior of the shop, which Churn & Burn owners Christian and Jamee Shomberg had filled with Joyland memorabilia.
“It should look completely different when I’m done,” he said.
Feist’s father was from New York, and his parents were very picky about their cheesecake. They firmly believed that Junior’s Cheesecake out of Brooklyn was the best and that none other really compared. Feist tended to agree.
During the early days of the pandemic in 2020, Feist got a hankering for cheesecake but couldn’t find the kind he liked. So he started experimenting at home with recipes, trying to replicate what he loved so much about Junior’s Cheesecake.
Once he did, he started selling his creations to individuals and also to restaurants, who would add his cheesecakes to their menus. Among the restaurants that carry Feist’s cheesecakes: Albero Bistro, Bronx Pizza & Pints and Napoli Italian Eatery.
I’ll let you know when XO Desserts has an opening date.
This story was originally published August 29, 2024 at 5:03 AM.
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