On the Waterfront: One restaurant kicks off construction, another nears finishing.

There are a couple of pieces of good dining news at the Waterfront and Waterfront Plaza.

First, the long-awaited Bella Luna now has an opening target: mid-September.

That’s later than planned, which, of course, is par for the course for restaurant openings.

In October, Have You Heard? reported that the longtime Wichita favorite would be leaving Bradley Fair after two decades in the center at 21st and Rock Road.

The restaurant is known as Bella Luna Cafe there but will drop the cafe portion of its name with the move to signify a slightly more upscale type of environment. Though the restaurant still will feature a number of sandwiches, it also serves a lot of steaks, lamb and seafood entrees.

Bella Luna is taking the former Grimaldi’s space, which was Zoe’s Kitchen before that. That’s at the northwest corner of 13th and Webb Road.

Look for more details and a sneak-peek video closer to the September opening.

Over at the original Waterfront at the northeast corner of the intersection, work on Ruth’s Chris Steak House started last week.

In April, Have You Heard? reported that the international chain filed a $5 million building permit with the city.

The Florida company is remodeling the former Spaghetti Factory space, which was the one-time Fox & Hound space.

No one with the restaurant commented this spring or now.

However, Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate, who handled the Ruth’s Chris and Bella Luna deals, now confirms the steakhouse is coming.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ruth’s Chris Steak House to this premier Class A development,” Piros said in a text.

“When a nationally recognized brand like Ruth’s Chris selects a project, it validates the strength of the location, the quality of the development, and the long-term growth of the market.”

Construction likely will take about six months. Since December is the holidays and January isn’t necessarily a great month for restaurants, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ruth’s Chris open more like February instead. We’ll keep you posted on that.

Piros said the steakhouse will be an asset for Wichita in general and the Waterfront in particular.

“Their commitment further elevates the tenant mix and reinforces this project as one of the region’s premier retail and dining destinations.”