More sandwiches for Wichita: Two restaurant chains share December opening dates

A couple of Wichita-area restaurant franchisees have both just shared early-December opening dates for their restaurants.

Jersey Mike’s No. 4

One is the new Jersey Mike’s Subs that’s going into a new strip center at Maple and Ridge. The restaurant, which will be Wichita’s fourth Jersey Mike’s, will open on Dec. 3, said franchisee Annette Hennes. She and her husband, Ryan, who also own the Jersey Mike’s that opened at Braeburn Square on the Wichita State University campus in 2023, have a three-restaurant deal with the chain and are still looking for another site.

The Hennings are the second Jersey Mike’s franchisees to start doing business in Wichita. The other Jersey Mike’s in the area are all owned by Chris Stong, who opened the first Wichita location of the chain in 2020 at 2564 N. Greenwich. Stong also has Jersey Mike’s restaurants at 2616 N. Maize Road and at 1918 N. Rock Road in Derby.

Jersey Mike’s is a New Jersey-based chain that specializes in hot subs, cold subs and wraps. It’s known for a topping called “the juice,” which is a zingy mixture of olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Newk’s Eatery

The other restaurant with an early-December opening will be Newk’s Eatery, a chain being introduced to Wichita by Hatchett-Devlin Automotive Group president Scott Hatchett and his wife, Jenny, along with the dealership’s development director Melody Matulewic and her husband, Doug.

The opening date for that restaurant, which will be at 10310 E. 13th St., is Dec. 8. It will sit just east of Bonefish Grill at The Waterfront development.

Newk’s Eatery is a Mississippi-based fast-casual restaurant chain that specializes in sandwiches, salads, soups and pizzas. The Wichita franchisees say they hope to eventually open several locations.

The restaurant is now looking for employees and will hold open interviews from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Hatchett Hyundai East, 11200 E. Central. The owners are hiring for all positions, including servers and prep cooks, and they have both full-time and part-time jobs available.

Those who would prefer to schedule an interview should call Chris at 316-217-7157 or Kamden at 316-208-6492.

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.