Wichita restaurant space that’s been vacant for 5 years is getting a new tenant
The space at 500 E. Central that was formerly home to My Tho Vietnamese restaurant is getting a new tenant.
Those who have recently driven by Central and Emporia recently may have noticed new signs and photos of ice cream treats on the building, which has been vacant since My Tho closed its doors about five years ago.
The space is being taken over for a new Mexican ice cream and snack shop called Paleteria Chihuahua, said Joe Robertson of Lange Real Estate. Lange agents Darin Weidenheimer and Jeff Lowrance served as leasing agents on the deal.
The shop will be owned by Armando De La Pena, who appears to have also owned a Mexican ice cream shop in Ulysses. His new shop will serve traditional ice cream plus flavors like chili lime. De La Pena also will offer fruit cups, nachos, popsicles, paletas and flavored waters.
The shop could be open in a week or so.
De La Pena has been doing all the remodeling work on the space himself and has not yet had time to set up social media sites or a website for the business. So far, the signs on the exterior read “ice cream” and “open.”
I’ve left a message for De La Pena and will update this post with more information when I hear back.
My Tho, which initially operated as a pool hall, was one of Wichita’s go-to Vietnamese restaurants and operated in the space at Central and Emporia from 1995 until it closed in 2020. Though the owners said many times that the restaurant would eventually reopen, Lange Real Estate listed the building for lease in 2023.
This story was originally published July 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM.
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