A new restaurant tenant is taking over the old Hardee’s space at 13th and Tyler in Wichita

Last month, the Wichita franchisees of Paris Baguette shared that they’d had to change course on the west-side location they’d announced last summer.

As they got deeper into the project, they realized they wouldn’t be able to build on the land on the northeast corner of 29th and Ridge Road that they’d previously selected: The city would have required them to put their new building farther back from the road than they’d planned, and with that change, the lot would have been too small.

Now, franchisees Moe Touffaha and Mike Issa are ready to share where they’ll put the restaurant instead.

They’re taking over the building at 1320 N. Tyler Road that’s been vacant since Hardee’s suddenly vacated the Wichita market in April 2023 and will transform it into a Paris Baguette, they said. Issa and Touffaha are also partners on the east-side Paris Baguette at 9780 E. 21st St., which opened in November 2022, as well as on several Wichita-area IHOP restaurants.

The change of plans comes with an unexpected perk, though. Issa said that the new Paris Baguette will use the drive-through window that the building has from its time as a Hardee’s. That will make the west Wichita restaurant one of the few Paris Baguettes in the world that has a drive-through window.

Wichita will serve as a drive-through test-market for the chain, he said.

Crews should start work on the remodel in about a month, Issa said, and it will take some time to turn the Hardee’s into a Paris Baguette. Though the partners are still hoping to have the restaurant open by the end of the year, the opening could easily be pushed into the first quarter of 2025.

Issa said he and his business partner feel good about their decision.

“We’re very pleased with the new location and are excited about testing the drive-through,” he said.

Paris Baguette, which started in South Korea in 1988, specializes in French-inspired cakes and pastries and also serves sandwiches and salads as well as a line of coffee and tea. Issa and Touffaha fell in love with the concept during their travels to New York City.

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