Wichita restaurant, one of the last of its kind, to reopen 4 months after fire
It was one of the last self-serve frozen yogurt spots to open as the dessert trend was winding down in Wichita back in 2014 — and for years, it had been one of the last places to get the sweet treat.
But in early October, Yo-B at 303 N. Mead in Old Town Square suddenly closed after a fire broke out behind the store, damaging the HVAC systems and a walk-in cooler and filling the entire restaurant with smoke and soot.
Now, though, owner Nabil Bacha is ready to reopen the restaurant, which he debuted in February 2014. He said it will reopen the doors on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Since closing, Bacha said, he’s had to repaint the restaurant, change its ceiling tiles and perform an intense deep clean. When Yo-B reopens, it will offer the same selection of self-serve frozen yogurt and toppings it had before it closed. It will also resume its menu of burgers, fries and sandwiches.
Its hours will be 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The frozen yogurt trend started in Wichita 2010 when Orange Leaf entered the market. By the following year, Orange Leaf had four local stores and competitors like Cherry Berry and Peachwave had moved into town, bringing the total number of self-serve fro yo stores in Wichita up to nearly a dozen.
By 2016, though, the trend was at an end, and only Yo-B and Peachwave at 10096 E. 13th St. remained. Peachwave is still open. Andover got a new frozen yogurt shop — Cuppa Yo at 626 S. Andover Road — in 2024.
Bacha also was the owner of Cafe Bel Ami at 229 E. William, which he closed in 2024 after learning his building’s broken air conditioning unit would take 14 months to repair. At the time, he said he hoped to move the restaurant to a new spot, but nothing worked out.
This week, he did not share many details about a possible return of Cafe Bel Ami but said he should have an update soon, so stay tuned.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 3:23 PM.
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