Last chance: These Wichita restaurants are closing. Here’s how long you have left to visit
The last several weeks in Wichita have brought lots of sad news for the Wichita restaurant community. Suddenly, it seems like news of a closure or impending closure comes every day or so.
Though some — like Chick’n Pop, Fatburger and Churn & Burn — closed with no notice, several others will keep operating for a few more days or weeks, meaning fans still have (limited) time to get one last taste.
Here’s a reminder of the places whose closures are imminent and how much time diners have left to visit:
CLOSING ON SUNDAY: Quinton’s Bar & Grill, 550 N. Rock Road: Dempsey’s owner Steven Gaudreau has tried three different concepts since first taking over this restaurant space in 2018. The latest iteration — Quinton’s Bar & Grill — is set to close this weekend after only six months in business. Though Gaudreau did not return calls and messages about his reason for the closure, a post appeared on the restaurant’s Facebook page earlier this week saying that the restaurant was for sale and that it would close at the end of brunch service on Sunday, June 16. Gaudreau started in the space with an east-side location of Dempsey’s, which lasted until the following year. He then changed it to a barbecue restaurant called Crutch BBQ in 2020 and later merged Crutch with his Dempsey’s Biscuit Co., which had operated at 3425 E. Douglas starting in 2017. Quinton’s kept the Crutch & Biscuit brunch menu.
CLOSING ON JUNE 28: Grandma Thuy’s, 8728 W. Maple: Mai Vo started her little egg roll shop during COVID-19 in 2020 and expanded it over the years to include more offerings. But in May, she announced that she’d decided to close the restaurant and move with her family to another state. Her final day in business will be June 28. Until it closes, its hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
CLOSING JUNE 30 (or sooner) Ming’s, 1625 S. Seneca: Owner Ray Chan ran his Chinese restaurant for 47 years but recently decided to retire. He’s said that his last day in business will be June 30 or sooner, and recently, demand has been so high that he’s started to serve food cafeteria style, allowing customers to choose three items for $11.95. The restaurant’s hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. It’s closed Mondays through Wednesdays.
CLOSING JULY 6: Alzavino Wine Tavern, 1001 W. Douglas: This fun wine bar with self-service machines opened in Delano in the summer of 2021. But in early May, owners Danielle and Ken Harmon announced plans to slow down their lives and close their business. Their final day is July 6.
CLOSING LATE JULY: Thao’s Bistro, 1825 S. Broadway: This south-side Vietnamese restaurant is a local favorite, and it actually closed at the end of 2021, only to reopen again in April 2023. But the end has now come, said the owner, adding that the restaurant will close at the end of July.
CLOSING (FOR NOW) ON SATURDAY: Bann Thai, 3811 W. 13th St.: The last day Wanwaree Jackson will be able to operate her longtime Thai restaurant in its current spot will be Saturday. She’s lost her lease and will have to close after that, but she’s on the hunt for a new location, she said, and is seriously considering a vacant space nearby. Stay tuned for updates.
Wichita restaurant that just announced its closure being transformed into a 24/7 pho shop
This fast-food chain, which has been in Wichita only two years, has closed
A new restaurant/bar has just opened in the former Lotus Leaf space in Old Town
