Restaurants Wichita has added since the calendar turned 2022

Though the second half of 2022 will be filled with restaurant openings, the first six months of the year were also rather busy.

Following is a list of some of the new restaurants Wichita has added since the calendar turned 2022. Some are brand new. Some are new locations of growing local chains. Others just moved to newer, better digs.

Viola’s Pantry, 156 N. Cleveland: Owner Kristina Grappo just this month added breakfast and lunch service plus an Italian market to her fresh-made pasta business at Cleveland Corner. Diners can get coffee, Italian breakfast pastries, sandwiches and pasta dishes at breakfast and lunch. It’s open Wednesdays through Sundays.

Carnitas San Juan, 2247 N. Broadway: This restaurant just opened next door to Connie’s Mexico Cafe specializing in carnitas and offering a menu that includes tacos, tortas, chicharrones and more.

Dutch Bros, 2860 N. Maize Road: This Oregon-based drive-through coffee chain just added its first Wichita drive-through-only coffee shop in early July, and if you get in line now, you may be in the front of the line by August. The shop, which has a cult following for its inventive coffee, tea and energy drinks, has experienced crazy long lines that stretch out onto Maize Road.

Sunflour Cafe & Collective, 6120 W. Central: This vegan and gluten-free cafe opened in late June in a space that formerly held a tanning salon. It includes coffee, boba tea, breakfast items, pizza and sandwiches as well as locally made jewelry, soap, food items and more. It also houses a new soft-serve vegan ice cream business called Soft Swerve Creamery.

Botanic at Grow, 320 S. Market: This cute little bar, which serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails as well as wine and beer, opened in June inside Grow, the trendy plant shop at 320 S. Market. It also offers seating inside and out.

First Mile Cantine, 320 N. Market: The owners of First Mile Kitchen at Bradley Fair in June added a second restaurant, this one on the ground floor of Fidelity Bank’s new RISE Car Park. It’s open from early morning through early evening serving coffee, pastries, breakfast items, sandwiches and burgers, and it also has a full bar as well as a grab-and-go section and a small grocery area with fresh produce, beer and wine by the bottle.

White Crow Cider Company, 1236 E. Waterman: June marked the long-awaited opening of White Crow Cider Company’s big new tap room and brewing facility. The business, owned by Denise and Kenneth Gardner, offers hard cider by the glass, and food vendors and trucks are setting up there sometime, too.

Aroma Coffeehouse, 7348 W. 21st St., Unit 110: This new coffee shop is a nonprofit ministry by Ridgepoint Church that welcomes anyone. It offers a comfortable setting and a menu of espresso drinks, Italian sodas, lemonade, hot chocolate and pastries.

FioRito Ristorante, 3134 E. Douglas: Brothers and chefs Jordan and Jason Rickard opened their new pasta restaurant in the former Two Brothers BBQ and Burger Grill space in early May. The restaurant has since earned fans for its homemade pasta, house-made cocktails and more at lunch and dinner. The restaurant also has a large, covered outdoor patio space.

Magnolia Cafe, 2424 N. Woodlawn: Napoli owner Jeremy Wade opened his upscale Southern-themed breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant in May inside the former Sweet Basil/Fred & Barney’s spot. It features dishes like shrimp and grits, pork belly hash and more.

SmokeHouse ICT, 2800 E. Central: Kiko’s closed, and food trucker Chris Morgan took over the space in May serving his barbecue items like pulled pork, smoked sausage, smoked chicken, brisket and homemade sides.

Tamales & Monchis GTO, 1920 W. 21st St: This restaurant opened in May in the space that Uno Mas vacated when it moved across the street. It serves both sweet and savory tamales, micheladas and other Mexican dishes.

Hook & Reel Cajun Seafood Restaurant, 353 S. Rock Road: This restaurant, part of a Maryland-based chain, took over the old Logan’s Roadhouse space outside of Towne East Square and opened in early May serving seafood boils made for sharing and filled with things like snow crab legs, mussels, shrimp and crawfish.

Argentina’s Empanadas, 1113 E. Douglas.: Carolina Brandan and her husband, Chad Freeman, expanded their pick-up only empanada business in April and now serve their Argentinian meat pies out of the Anchor Meat Market.

Big Arbor, 4311 W. Central: This restaurant, which specializes in house-ground burgers, opened in April in the former Tarragon’s space and has since added occasional live music.

Shea’s Sol Kitchen, Towne West Square food court: Cheyenn Bullock opened her vegan soul food restaurant inside the otherwise mostly vacant Towne West food court in April, and it’s been a hit. She’s getting lots of business and frequently sells out.

China Town, 327 N. Hillside: After Fuji closed near Central and Hillside, and quick-service Chinese restaurant China Town took over in April.

Nelson’s Kitchen, 6829 E. Kellogg: A new carryout-only restaurant serving wings, fried fish, Philly cheesecake sandwiches and more opened in the former Sal’s Japanese Steakhouse space in March.

Mokas Cafe, 143 N. McLean Blvd: This coffee shop chain added its first Wichita shop in late February just south of the Advanced Learning Library and across McLean from the River Vista apartments. It serves coffee beverages as well as breakfast and lunch items.

Station 8 BBQ, 1100 E. Third St.: In late February, chef Alex Eftekhar finally opened his long-planned barbecue restaurant in the old fire station that once held Jet Bar-B-Q, and it’s been steadily drawing customers ever since. It’s open only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Side Lines Sports Bar & Grill, 1400 E. First St.: Former Northwest High School football star Jeran Trotter added this family-friendly sports bar in the former Club Boomerang space in February. It features lots of sports memorabilia and food items like wings, specialty burgers, catfish, grilled chicken and salads.

Feng Cha, 8007 E. Kellogg: Early February saw the addition of this new boba tea and dessert shop, part of a chain that started in China, which has been slammed with business ever since. The shop features a bright, attractive seating area and a large menu of boba tea drinks, various cakes and its famous “dirty boba” — a creme brulee flavored drink topped with cheese foam and set on fire before it’s served.

Doma, 7703 E. Douglas: Max Cole’s new small plates restaurant, featuring an upscale dining room and bar as well as a unique indoor/outdoor lounge and a dog-friendly patio, opened in January in a 13,000 square-foot building outside of Towne East Square that once held Carlos O’Kellys. It’s since added brunch and a new outdoor patio.

First Mile Kitchen, 2141 N. Bradley Fair Parkway: Husband and wife Nick Korbee and Amanda Luginbill opened their first Wichita restaurant in January in the former Good Egg space at Bradley Fair with a menu inspired by locally sourced, Kansas-grown and -raised foods. During its busy first six months, the restaurant even got a visit from Harrison Ford.

Joy Tea, 11414 E. Central: This new boba shop opened in the former Church & Burn east shop in February serving milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies and blended teas.

Additions

Tacos tj 664, 3526 N. Rock Road: On Thursday, this popular west-side Mexican restaurant opened an east-side spot in the former Emperor’s Japanese Grill space near 37th and Rock.

Red Robin, 7355 W. Taft: The Red Robin chain added a long-awaited west-side restaurant in June — 17 years after opening at the Wichita Waterfront.

Hibachi Boy, 3010 E. Central: The first franchised location of Hibachi Boy, the quick-service Japanese restaurant that also has locations at 2243 N. Tyler Road and 1220 N. Rock Road in Derby, opened in June in the former Bocco Deli space.

Freddy’s, 2021 N. Amidon: The Freddy’s chain added this restaurant — which doesn’t have a drive-through but does have a prominent custard display up front — in April.

Chick N Max, 5510 E. Central: Wichita’s fourth Chick N Max restaurant took over the old Wendy’s building near Central and Edgemoor in early March.

Sweetpop’s, 2130 N. Tyler: Wichita’s second Sweetpop’s boba shop opened a west-side store in March.

Dunkin’, 3134 N. Maize Road: Wichita Dunkin’ franchisee Dan Day opened his seventh local restaurant in a spot in front of the Sam’s Club at 29th North and Maize Road in March.

Noodles & Company, 3807 N. Maize Road: Noodles & Company chain in March added a west-side restaurant, this one with a pick-up window.

Lalo’s Express, 2110 N. Maize Road: This quick-service Mexican restaurant that has long operated on South Seneca added a west-side spot in February.

On the move

Caesar’s Table, 151 N. Main: Sam Kuns, who six years ago opened his buffet restaurant Caesar’s Table at 125 N. Market, moved the business up the street to the cafe space at the Meritrust Credit Union headquarters in June.

La Isla, 201 E. 21st St.: This Mexican seafood restaurant, which Jose Gandara and his wife, Yuliana, first opened at 1935 N. Broadway in 2015, relocated in June to the Old New Market Place strip center on the southwest corner of 21st and Broadway.

Las Delicias, 1052 N. Waco: In March, Saccoro Garcia completed the move of her Mexican snack shop from 359 W. 21st St. to a bigger space in the same strip center as Molino’s Mexican Cuisine and Juarez Bakery. It serves fruit waters, elote, Mexican ice cream, Mexican chips with toppings, and ceviche.

Uno Mas, 1735 W. 21st St.: In March, Abel Rodriguez, who has three Uno Mas Fresh Mex restaurants, moved his restaurant at 21st and Amidon across the street to an end cap of a Twin Lakes strip center that would allow him to have a drive-through.

Azul 21 Mexican Restaurant, 2119 W. 21st St.: In March, this Mexican restaurant — which had been operating at 2959 S. Hillside since 2001 — moved into the vacant Angela’s Cafe space.