The old Torchy’s Tacos building at 21st and Rock is about to get a new tenant

When a restaurant on a prominent street corner closes, Wichita tends to watch it closely, hoping for news of a replacement restaurant.

And Wichita has been watching the red-and-black Torchy’s Tacos building on the southwest corner of 21st and Rock ever since the restaurant vacated it in December 2022.

Now, a new tenant is taking the building over — but not to open a restaurant. Pending regulatory approval, the building will be transformed into a third local branch of the Hutchinson-based Heartland Credit Union, said Trace Hughes, the vice president of brand and marketing for the business.

The credit union recently purchased the building. Krista Lowry and Christi Royse of Weigand Commercial represented the seller in the deal, and Tim Kerr of ReeceNichols represented the credit union.

Hughes said he predicts the transformation of the building will be complete early- to mid-2026

“We’re definitely not opening a taco restaurant,” Hughes said with a laugh. “But when we do celebrate our opening, we’re considering catering in tacos.”

Heartland Credit Union’s two other Wichita branches are at 3777 N. Maize Road and 12021 E. Kellogg. The credit union has been in Wichita since 1987.

Torchy’s Tacos, an Austin-based chain, entered the Wichita market in September 2020, taking over the building on the corner of 21st and Rock that had previously been home to a Mattress Firm and to Clark’s Fine Jewelers. Torchy’s then put up a new building for a west-side location at 2901 N. Maize Road, which opened in July 2021. The two restaurants closed simultaneously in December 2022.

But the west-side Torchy’s building got a new tenant in October, when the Panera that had operated at 2441 N. Maize Road since 2001 relocated to the space, which was less than a mile to its north but included a drive-through.

The east-side Torchy’s building’s drive-through was also a desirable feature for the credit union, Hughes said.

The corner of 21st and Rock is about to become quite bank-centric. The former gas station across the street from the old Torchy’s — on the southeast corner of 21st and Rock — was torn down in 2024, and a new Fidelity Bank branch is being built in its place.

This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 1:01 PM.

Denise Neil

The Wichita Eagle

316-268-6327

Denise Neil has covered restaurants and entertainment since 1997. Her Dining with Denise Facebook page is the go-to place for diners to get information about local restaurants. She’s a regular judge at local food competitions and speaks to groups all over Wichita about dining.