Wichita restaurant that specialized in dim sum for decades to close after sale
The end of an era for dim sum fans in Wichita is near.
After nearly 35 years in business at 822 S. Broadway, Tom’s Lotus Garden will close in late January, when the building and its contents will be auctioned.
Lorraine Choi of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Penfed Realty, one of the listing agents on the building, said the restaurant’s namesake and longtime chef, Tom Tam, died earlier this year. His widow, Mui Fong Yu Tam, has been running the restaurant with the help of her nephew but has decided she’s ready to sell.
Tom’s Lotus Garden, though, will stay open until the sale is complete, Choi said. It serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and a dim sum brunch from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Over the years, Tom’s Lotus Garden has been known as the place to get dim sum — which are Chinese small plates served from steam carts pushed from table to table — in Wichita. Over the years, the restaurant has been a favorite for people who want to dine out on Christmas Day.
The Tams opened Tom’s Lotus Garden on South Broadway in April 1991. Before that, the address had been home to The Mar Restaurant, but owner Fong Mar was retiring and sold the building to the Tams, who also operated Lotus Garden East at 7732 E. Central for years before selling it in 1993.
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Tom Tam, a native of Hong Kong, worked as the chef at Aloha Restaurant & Magic Dragon Club in the 1980s. That restaurant operated at 8065 Peachtree Lane from 1978 until 1997 serving a smorgasbord of all-you-can eat American and Chinese dishes.
The listing for the Tom’s Lotus Garden building says it has 4,088 square feet.
“Built with durable concrete block construction and a stylish brick veneer, this building offers a solid foundation for any culinary venture,” it reads.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 12:42 PM.
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