A popular 32-year-old business is moving and expanding within Eastgate Plaza
For the second time in just over a year, former Spirit AeroSystems engineering manager Matt Riggins is about to take a big leap.
His first was in June 2021 when he left Spirit after 16 years to buy the HobbyTown Wichita store in Eastgate Plaza at Kellogg and Rock Road.
“I took a giant leap of faith and left my comfortable engineering life and wanted to go be around my hobbies more,” he said.
“It’s a passion of mine.”
For his next leap, he’s growing that passion by moving the store from about 4,500 square feet to almost 9,500 square feet next to OshKosh B’gosh.
Moving next to a children’s store wasn’t necessarily strategic, Riggins said.
“It just kind of worked out well.”
HobbyTown sells toys, remote-control cars, trucks, planes, boats and drones and model trains, car and rockets. There are also board games, role-playing games and telescopes.
“Growing up, I always bought my model cars and my r-c cars there,” Riggins said.
“I’ve been shopping at the store for . . . 30 years.”
The store, which is a franchise, opened in 1990 and has been in several locations. Riggins is the third owner.
In addition to expanding his toys and games sections, Riggins said he wants to expand his line of STEM kits and activities to promote science, technology, engineering and math.
“Obviously, the whole idea is to grow and expand our line of products and bring in some new customers,” he said.
Riggins said the business has done well since his purchase.
“It’s been really good and really steady, and I think the big part of that is COVID really helped the hobby industry.”
The move will happen in about a month.
Riggins said it makes sense to stay at the center.
“The Eastgate owners and management team are very great to work with. They’ve just made it easy to do business with them, and they’re very accommodating, so I saw no reason to do anything different.”
Also at Eastgate, the new tactical gear store 5.11 is having a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. There will be free food, gift cards for the first 50 customers and free gifts with purchases.
