Coming soon to Wichita: a restaurant that specializes in Arkansas-style pizza
When Larry and Kim Partlow moved to the Wichita area from northwest Arkansas 16 years ago, they missed their favorite pizza.
And no matter how many pizzas they tried, they couldn’t find one that tasted like the pies they enjoyed at Dennis Bariola’s pizza restaurant, Bariola’s Pizzeria in Rogers.
For years, the Partlows dreamed about opening their own restaurant that would sell a version of that pizza, and now, they’re about to do it.
The Partlows are taking over the space at 832 N. Webb Road that was occupied by Livingston’s Diner from 2005 until it relocated to 21st and Webb in 2017, and they plan to open a restaurant called Pinnacle Pizza Company there. (The space most recently was occupied by Shocker Pools, which relocated to 1719 N Rock Road, suite 129.)
The Partlows are planning to have the space open by the end of October. It will be run by Kim, who has worked in management for restaurant chains including Wendy’s and Panera. Larry, who works in trucking logistics, says he will help where needed.
Larry Partlow said that he and his wife became friends with the Bariola family, which owns the pizza restaurant in Arkansas, and almost a decade ago, they started talking to them about the idea of bringing their pizza to Wichita. The family was generous with its advice, Larry Partlow said, and even shared recipes and ideas.
There’s just something about the pizza, Larry Partlow said: Its crust is a step thicker than thin crust — but not too thick. What makes it so special, he said, are “its old-fashioned ingredients. We will not use conveyor ovens. We will go old school and use heavy deck ovens, which make a better pizza,” he said.
Pinnacle Pizza Company will be a full-service restaurant with room for about 75 diners. Its menu will also include sandwiches, wings and appetizers, and it will serve beer and seltzers. The couple also wants to add wine to the menu, Larry Partlow said.
The couple liked the location on Webb Road, Larry Partlow said, not only because it still had some of the needed drains and water lines from when it operated as Livingston’s but also because of its proximity to the future site of Mammoth Clubhouse — a Topgolf competitor that’s taking over the former All Star Adventures property.
Brett Gehrer of Petra RE Brokerage LLC brokered the deal for both parties.
Stay tuned for more information as opening day for Pinnacle Pizza Company gets closer.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 1:16 PM.
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